Residual Value of Electric Cars: How to Maintain It in 2025?
When renewing your fleet, one figure is at the heart of negotiations: residual value. For an electric vehicle, this value is closely tied to its most expensive component: the battery. It is therefore important to take the right steps to properly maintain these vehicles: poor charging management and a lack of monitoring can cause the resale value of an electric vehicle (EV) to drop much faster than expected. In this article, we provide you with the keys to understanding and taking action to maximize the residual value of your electric fleet.
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Table of Contents
The 3 factors that influence the depreciation of an electric vehicle
Battery health: the number one factor
Battery Health (SOH – State of Health): This is the vehicle battery’s “health certificate,” which indicates its remaining capacity relative to its condition when new. It is therefore the most important factor in determining the depreciation of an electric vehicle.
Mileage and usage: similar impacts to those of internal combustion engine vehicles
Mileage and usage: these factors are similar to those of a gasoline-powered vehicle, but they have a real impact on the battery.
Charging habits: best practices to follow
Charging habits: Just like with cell phones, our charging habits can damage the battery. Here are our tips for you: don’t overuse fast charging, and don’t try to keep the battery at 100% or 0% all the time.
How does a fleet management platform help preserve your residual value?
Real-time SOH monitoring
SOH Monitoring: Using OEM data, you can monitor the State of Health of each vehicle in your fleet in real time.
Load Cycle Analysis: Identifying Poor Practices
Charging Cycle Analysis: Easily monitor your vehicles’ charging cycles and identify drivers who overuse fast charging. Take action more quickly.
Optimizing Recharging: Raising Drivers' Awareness
Optimizing charging: Encourage your drivers to use slow and partial charging (between 20% and 80%) to preserve battery life. A digital fleet management solution allows you to track and implement these best practices.
The digital health record: proof of ownership for resale
Data collection: a bargaining chip
By implementing a fleet management solution, you’ll collect a wealth of data: SOH history, charge cycle analysis, and more. With this data, you can build a strong case to negotiate residual value when leasing or reselling, demonstrating that the vehicle has been well maintained. Keep that in mind!
Conclusion: The residual value of an electric vehicle is not a foregone conclusion; it can be managed and controlled. Monitoring battery health is the cornerstone of this strategy. That is why it is important—if not essential—to invest in a digital tool that allows you to analyze SOH. By choosing a fleet management solution, you are choosing to secure and preserve the value of your electric fleet.
