Hyundai and Kia have taken the top two spots in a European survey measuring electric vehicle battery health, boosting confidence in South Korean automakers’ battery technology and potentially strengthening EV resale values.
In the survey, conducted by French EV media outlet La Chaîne EV, batteries from 3,055 electric vehicles that were at least two years old were assessed using battery state-of-health (SoH)—a measure of how much performance remains compared with when the battery was new. Kia recorded the highest average SoH at 99%, while Hyundai placed second at 98%. The overall average across all vehicles tested was 94.8%.
Several prominent competitors ranked lower, including Volvo at 96%, Tesla at 93.5%, Peugeot at 91%, and Nissan at 90.5%. Higher SoH is generally linked to better retained range and power output over time, which can directly influence used-car prices and lease economics.
Battery degradation remains a major concern for many EV owners and buyers. Battery performance naturally declines with age, and because the battery can account for roughly 30% to 40% of a vehicle’s value, slower degradation can help preserve residual value.
The results are being interpreted as evidence that Hyundai and Kia, along with their battery partners, have gained an advantage in durability. The survey draws fresh attention to the quality competitiveness of LG Energy Solution and SK On, which supply batteries used across various Hyundai and Kia models sold in Europe. According to the provided information, models such as the Kia EV3, EV4, and Hyundai Ioniq 6 use LG batteries, while the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 9 and Kia EV6 and EV9 are equipped with SK On products.
Battery durability has also been a focus in Germany, where separate reporting highlighted a case in which a Tesla Model Y reportedly fell to an SoH of 86% after 140,000 kilometers. By comparison, Hyundai’s own example of an Ioniq 5 Long Range model described a retained SoH of 87.7% after 660,000 kilometers over three years.
Beyond technology, the battery supply chain is seen as part of the competitive picture. Both LG Energy Solution and SK On have production operations in Europe, including capacity in Poland and Hungary, which could support future customer diversification and supply stability.
Separate from the battery survey, Kia’s momentum in sales is also notable. The information provided says Kia surpassed the combined domestic registrations of Hyundai and Genesis for the first time in the first half of this year, while in Europe Kia’s sales rose 14.9% year-on-year in May and Hyundai’s fell 18.8%.
