A used electric car can look great, drive smoothly, and come at the right price. But the most important question is often hidden exactly where you can’t see it: how healthy is the battery, really?
That question has long been the source of anxiety on the used EV market, and the EU is now moving to address it directly. Under the new Euro 7 regulations, carmakers will be required to make battery health visible to the vehicle owner. The so-called State of Health figure, commonly abbreviated SoH, must be displayed in the car itself, expressed as a percentage showing how much capacity the battery retains compared to when it was new.
A battery odometer for used EVs
For used car buyers, the implications are significant. Rather than guessing at battery condition based on age, mileage, and a seller’s assurances, prospective buyers will be able to read the figure directly from the car. A battery showing 90 percent State of Health can still store 90 percent of the energy it held when new. That makes it considerably easier to assess whether a used EV still has plenty of life ahead — or whether the asking price should be negotiated down accordingly.
The requirement applies to traction batteries of at least 2 kWh, meaning it covers not only pure electric vehicles but also a large share of plug-in hybrids.
No retroactive effect
One important caveat: the rules do not apply retroactively. For passenger cars and light commercial vehicles, the Euro 7 requirements take effect for new type approvals from 29 November 2026, and for all new vehicles from 29 November 2027. Cars already type-approved before those dates are not subject to the rule.
The broader aim of the regulation is to build confidence in electric vehicles, particularly on the second-hand market — where battery uncertainty has remained one of the main psychological barriers to purchase.
Batteries are holding up better than feared
That uncertainty is, in many cases, greater than the actual risk warrants. Modern EV batteries generally age more gracefully than popular perception suggests. Battery expert Markus Gregor of TÜV SÜD notes that many battery packs today can handle more than a thousand charge cycles without dramatic degradation. In practical terms, an EV with a real-world range of 300 kilometres could cover roughly 300,000 kilometres before the battery has typically lost around 20 percent — or less — of its original capacity.
When the new requirement takes hold, used EVs will effectively carry something analogous to a battery odometer. It will make comparisons between vehicles easier, make it harder to conceal wear, and — for buyers who have hesitated at the prospect of buying blind — potentially make the used EV market a much more navigable place.
