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Tesla Model S battery: degradation, warranty and replacement cost (UK)

Published 2026-11-01 · Last updated 2026-11-01 · based on 9 sourced Model S data points and 28 sources

The Model S is the oldest Tesla on UK roads, and many used cars are now past 8 years and well over 100,000 miles. This guide covers which battery a car has, which warranty it is on (if any), how much capacity real cars have lost, what a replacement is reported to cost in the UK, and what to check before you buy.

All figures with method and date: used Tesla Model S battery data. Going to a viewing? Make a printable list of questions for the seller.

1. Identify the battery

EV Database UK listings, checked 2026-10-31. Nickel-based cylindrical cells. EV Database lists NCA for the 2019-on Long Range, Long Range Plus and 2024–2025 cars, with Panasonic 18650 cells on the 2024–2025 Dual Motor and Plaid; it gives no chemistry for earlier cars.

Compare a test result only with the same pack. Testers also measure "new" differently: Bjørn Nyland counts 73.5 kWh as new for an 85 kWh car, while EV Database lists 80.8 kWh usable, so a percentage is more useful than a kWh figure on its own.

2. Check which battery warranty the car is on

Tesla's European warranty (Europe region, which includes the UK; document effective 8 July 2024): Model S and Model X battery and drive unit – 8 years or 240,000 km (about 150,000 miles), whichever comes first, with a minimum 70% battery capacity retention over the warranty period. EV Database's UK listings give 8 years / 150,000 miles for 2019-on cars. Cars bought earlier stay on the battery warranty that applied when they were bought; Electrek reported that early Model S/X terms were 8 years with unlimited miles but no capacity-loss guarantee. Check the warranty end date in the Tesla app or with Tesla using the VIN. (Tesla; Electrek)

• Tesla's European warranty document (effective 8 July 2024, Europe region including the UK) gives the Model S battery and drive unit 8 years or 240,000 km, whichever comes first, with at least 70% capacity retention. Repairs can use new, reconditioned or remanufactured parts, and a replacement battery may not be "like new".
• Cars bought earlier keep the battery warranty that applied when they were bought. Electrek reported in 2020 that early Model S terms were 8 years with unlimited miles (8 years / 125,000 miles for pre-2015 60 kWh packs) but didn't cover capacity loss. That is a US report, so confirm a UK car's terms with Tesla.
• The 8 years run from the car's first delivery. Any Model S delivered more than 8 years ago, which means most 2013–2018 cars, is outside its battery warranty, so a battery fault is your cost. Ask Tesla (with the VIN) or check the Tesla app for the end date, or use our battery warranty checker.

3. How much do Model S batteries degrade?

• There is no large published Model S dataset (no AVILOO median, no UK fleet study), so these figures show the spread, not a reliable average. The single-car rows are n=1 each.
• On all 4 Czech AVILOO certificates the car's own battery figure (BMS) was higher than the independent result: 91.0% vs 87.9%, 93.0% vs 87.4%, 93.0% vs 87.2%, 92.0% vs 89.5%. So don't accept the car's own number, or a range estimate on the screen, as proof.
• Very high mileage is common on UK Model S cars. A This is Money analysis of DVSA MOT records (October 2024) counted 4,073 UK Model S cars over 100,000 miles, and the highest was at 697,744 miles (This is Money). It gives no battery figures.
• The 430,000-mile taxi had a 72% Altelium SoH, rated "Above Average" for its age, and the Tessie app showed 76.9% (64.9 kWh). The car still did 186.8 miles in a motorway range test. Whether its pack had ever been replaced isn't stated (The Autopian, from Auto Trader UK's video).
• As a rule of thumb for all EVs, ADAC expects at least 92% at 50,000 km, 88% at 100,000 km, 84% at 150,000 km, 80% at 200,000 km (ADAC).

One car followed over time: Bjørn Nyland's 2013 P85

This car had a new battery after about 1 year and 86,000 km, so the pack has done roughly 86,000 km less than the odometer shows. Measured usable capacity against 73.5 kWh new (Bjørn Nyland / TB Test Results):

Single car (n=1). The March 2026 row is based on a Scan My Tesla readout; the others are drive tests. The gradual fall to about 80% at 331,000 km on the odometer is one car's experience, not a forecast.

Every Model S single-car result we have (n=1 each)

Different methods: AVILOO certificates, Bjørn Nyland's capacity tests and one Altelium test. Compare the Model S with the Model X and Model 3 on the battery degradation chart, or get a quick estimate with the battery health estimator.

4. What does a Model S battery replacement cost in the UK?

Tesla doesn't publish a UK price for a Model S battery, and its UK support pages can't be read by our tools, so we don't quote a Tesla figure. The dated UK figures we found:

• The UK figures come from LKQ Electriq (Cedar Electric), an independent EV repair specialist, describing what its customers say they were quoted. They aren't Tesla list prices, and prices change with the pack's condition, whether it's new or refurbished, and availability.
• A failing pack doesn't always mean a new pack: the same company repairs and overhauls Model S and Model X batteries with a 12-month parts and labour warranty (LKQ Electriq / Cedar Electric). Get a written diagnosis and more than one quote.
• For a car outside its battery warranty, the price you pay should reflect this risk. Weigh a reported quote of £17,000–£19,000 + VAT against the asking price: on an out-of-warranty car, a recent independent test matters more than on a newer one. Our EV battery replacement cost guide covers other models.

5. What to check at the viewing

• Recalls: DVSA's recall file (DVSA) lists no high-voltage battery recall for the Model S. Its Model S recalls are for seatbelts, airbags, power steering bolts, the parking brake, the bonnet latch, the media unit's memory chip (R/2021/031) and eCall. Run the free GOV.UK recall check (GOV.UK).
• Warning messages: look for battery messages on the screen, such as "Maximum battery charge level reduced" or "Battery fuse requires replacement", which an independent UK specialist lists among battery warning signs (LKQ Electriq / Cedar Electric).
• Pyro fuse: on older cars the high-voltage battery's pyro fuse has its own small battery with a life of about 8 years, and the 430,000-mile taxi showed a warning that it was due (The Autopian). Ask whether it has been replaced.
• Pack history: ask whether the battery has ever been replaced or repaired, and get the invoice. A replacement pack changes what the mileage means.
• Independent test: older cars with the first-generation media unit don't offer an easy battery health check (The Autopian), so get an independent test such as AVILOO (AVILOO GmbH). UK options and prices are on our UK battery test comparison, and the certificate guide explains the result.

Also see: Tesla Model X battery data · general used-EV battery checklist · battery problem after buying: your rights (UK) · all models compared.

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