Ultra-Fast EV Charging Can Accelerate Battery Degradation, Study Finds

Geotab’s analysis of over 22,700 EVs shows that frequent charging at high-power stations (>100 kW) accelerates battery aging, with about 2.5% annual degradation for heavy use and 1.5% for lighter fast-charging; Level 2 charges degrade about half as fast. The overall average degradation is roughly 2.3% per year, with batteries settling around 1.4% per year after early capacity drops. While fast charging isn’t catastrophic and modern battery management helps, making Level 3 charging a habit will speed up capacity loss, so balance convenience with charging power.