Antonia Stephenson delivered a blunt warning in London this month. “If you’re manufacturing EVs that can’t be repaired, it’s going to be a real challenge to sustain residual values,” she said. The European director of operations for EV battery solutions at Cox Automotive spoke at the FT Future of the Car Summit. Her message struck at the heart of an industry betting big on electric vehicles. Yet the very designs meant to boost range and performance now risk undermining long-term ownership economics.
Stephenson’s comments, reported by Auto Express on May 13, 2026, highlight a growing divide. Manufacturers chase ever-higher energy densities and faster charging. They glue cells directly into packs. They seal electronics. These choices create batteries that prioritize initial performance over serviceability. The result? A culture of replace rather than repair. And that shift carries consequences far beyond the service bay.
Real-world data offers some reassurance on battery durability. Studies tracking thousands of vehicles show average annual degradation around 2.3 percent. Many packs retain more than 80 percent capacity after eight years. MotorWatt analyzed data from over 22,700 vehicles in March 2026 and reached this conclusion. Yet such figures describe gradual fade. They say little about sudden failures, accident damage, or the high cost of fixing what breaks.
Here lies the tension. Battery replacement still runs $10,000 to $15,000 in many cases. For older or heavily used EVs, that figure can exceed half the vehicle’s market value. Insurers often declare such cars total losses. Repair shops lack access to parts or diagnostic tools. And as vehicles exit warranty, buyers grow wary. Residual values suffer. Used EV prices have already softened. Mainstream models lose 40 to 50 percent of value in three years, according to forecasts from Recharged.com published in 2026.
But cheaper battery production could change the equation. Pack prices are projected to fall sharply. Lower costs might ease replacement anxiety. They could support stronger demand for vehicles five to eight years old. At the same time, falling prices for new packs risk making older models look obsolete faster. The net effect on residuals remains uncertain. One thing is clear. Without repair options, the secondhand market faces structural headwinds.
Stephenson urged a different path. “It’s important that we design batteries with repair in mind, to keep them in the vehicle and then into the energy storage industry beyond that,” she told summit attendees. Current legislation emphasizes recycling targets over repair incentives. This focus reduces pressure on automakers to build modular packs with replaceable modules or accessible cells. The industry instead integrates batteries into vehicle structures for weight savings and rigidity. Such designs complicate disassembly. They raise safety risks during service. They limit aftermarket opportunities.
Brand reputation hangs in the balance too. Consumers face more choices than ever. Repairability could emerge as a deciding factor in purchase decisions. Those who buy used vehicles especially care. A car with a repairable battery holds value longer. It offers lower total ownership costs. It appeals to budget-conscious buyers and fleet operators alike.
Environmental logic aligns with the financial case. Keeping a battery in active use for as long as possible cuts the need for new production. It reduces demand for raw materials. It lowers overall emissions tied to manufacturing. Second-life applications in stationary storage extend that benefit further. A pack retired from vehicle duty at 70 or 80 percent health still delivers value in grid support or commercial energy systems. Yet sealed, non-modular designs make such transitions harder and less economical.
Recent analyses reinforce these points. A study by Recurrent, covered in Yahoo Autos on May 1, 2026, found battery replacements remain rare. Only about 1.5 percent of EVs in a 15,000-vehicle sample required them outside of recalls. Full failures occur in just 0.3 percent of modern packs. “This is new technology relative to combustion engine cars, so I think the fear is just way overblown compared to the reality of what actually happens,” Recurrent’s data suggested. Even so, the perception of risk persists. And when problems do arise, the lack of repair pathways amplifies costs.
Some manufacturers show progress. Certain models allow module-level replacement instead of full pack swaps. Warranties often cover degradation below 70 percent capacity for eight years or 100,000 miles. Hyundai and Kia extend terms on some vehicles. These protections transfer to second owners in many cases. They help stabilize values during the warranty period. Once coverage ends, however, uncertainty returns.
Legislation may soon force change. European rules on battery repairability for light mobility devices take effect this year. Requirements for design-for-repair and access to parts could expand to passenger vehicles. Such mandates would shift incentives. They would reward modular construction, open diagnostics, and standardized components. Automakers would face pressure to supply spare modules years after a model ends production. The alternative? Premature scrappage of otherwise viable cars. That outcome clashes with decarbonization goals.
Industry observers note another risk. As battery technology advances rapidly, older packs become obsolete. Replacement parts grow scarce. Repair becomes impossible even if the original design allowed it. Owners then confront a choice: absorb a costly new pack or sell at a steep discount. Either path damages residual values. It discourages long-term EV adoption. It undercuts the narrative of electric vehicles as durable, low-maintenance assets.
Data from Geotab, referenced in analyses through early 2026, shows charging habits influence degradation rates. Frequent high-power DC fast charging correlates with faster capacity loss. Drivers who rely on Level 2 home charging see better outcomes. This variability adds another layer of complexity for used-car appraisers. Battery health reports, such as those offered by Recurrent, gain importance. They provide transparency. They help buyers and sellers price vehicles more accurately. Yet such tools cannot overcome fundamental design flaws that prevent repair.
Stephenson called for a “repair mindset” across the sector. That shift would demand collaboration. Automakers, suppliers, regulators, and independent repair networks must align. Standardized interfaces for battery management systems could help. Debonding adhesives that allow safe cell removal would advance the cause. Embedded diagnostics that flag failing modules early would reduce full-pack failures.
The used-car market depends on confidence. Fleet operators and individual buyers both calculate total cost of ownership. They weigh upfront price against future repair bills and resale potential. When batteries present a black hole of expense, hesitation follows. Values drop. Adoption slows. The promise of mass-market EVs falters.
Recent coverage echoes these concerns. A piece in Vehicle Remarketing from early May 2026 highlighted the low replacement rate as evidence of durability. That finding should calm fears. But it does not address the repairability gap. Nor does it resolve what happens when those rare failures occur outside warranty.
Projections for battery prices falling toward $80 per kilowatt-hour by late this decade could ease some pressure. Lower costs make replacement more palatable. They improve the economics of second-life markets. Still, experts like Stephenson argue that reliance on replacement alone stores up problems. A sustainable EV future requires batteries built to be fixed, upgraded, and repurposed. Not simply discarded when convenient.
The industry stands at a crossroads. Designs that lock in performance at the expense of longevity may win short-term sales. They risk long-term damage to consumer trust and asset values. Repairable batteries, by contrast, support circular economics. They extend vehicle life. They create aftermarket jobs. They bolster residuals. They align with stated environmental objectives.
Change will not come easily. Entrenched engineering practices favor integration over modularity. Competitive pressures reward range figures on window stickers. Regulatory frameworks lag. Yet the voices calling for a rethink grow louder. Stephenson’s remarks at the London summit mark one such moment. They deserve attention from boardrooms and policymakers alike.
Buyers already ask tougher questions. They demand battery health disclosures. They research warranty terms. They compare total cost projections. In time, they will factor repairability into decisions. Manufacturers that anticipate this shift will protect their brands and their customers’ investments. Those that ignore it may watch residuals erode and market confidence slip.
The data on degradation is encouraging. The rarity of outright failure is reassuring. The path forward, however, requires more than statistics. It demands deliberate design choices that treat batteries as durable assets rather than disposable components. Only then can the electric vehicle transition deliver on its full economic and environmental potential.
WebProNews is an iEntry Publication