Know what every vehicle battery is really worth, and make it last longer

The battery pack is the single most expensive part of an electric bus, truck or van. It delivers the range today, the resale value later and who pays when the warranty issue arises.

The job is to stay above the 80% warranty line as long as possible and to age the pack as slowly as possible. Fleet owners also want to use as much of the capacity they paid for.

Why the health figure gets less reliable just when it matters most

There is no standard way to measure a vehicle battery’s health, so one maker’s number cannot be compared with another’s. The vehicle’s own estimate gets less accurate as the pack ages, exactly when the 80% line, typically after six years, decides who pays.

Buses and trucks run their packs nearly empty every day and charge at 150 to 400 kW, which roughly doubles ageing. Most depots still plug in and charge at full speed on arrival instead of charging gently to a plan.

BMB reads the usable capacity of every pack from its operating data, instead of from the manufacturer’s battery management system (BMS). It forecasts what is left in 5 to 10 years. That forecast is the residual value to depreciate, insure and resell against.

The first generation of electric buses and trucks has not reached the end of its first life. There is no sales history yet to price a used pack against. A usage certificate per pack records how it was used and what is left, ready for a buyer, an insurer or the 2027 battery passport.