Image Credit: Captain Electro.
If you listen to the naysayers, they'll tell you that electric car batteries are about as durable as a paper umbrella. They will try to convince you that after three years, you'll be left with a giant brick on wheels that is as good at holding its charge as a ten-year-old smartphone. And you'd think they have a point. Prepare to have your skepticism gently slapped in the face with a soggy glove, because a chap named Mr. Feng has been busy proving us all wrong. Or he's a wizard. I haven't decided yet.
This absolute mad lad from China has taken his Xiaomi SU7 Pro and driven it 165,000 miles… In just 18 months. That's roughly the distance to the moon if you took a shortcut (not really, but it sounds dramatic), or driving from New York to Boston and back every single day without sleeping or eating. It's an average of 373 miles a day. I don't even like driving 373 yards to the shops.
Image Credit: Xiaomi.
The reports coming out of China claim the battery health is sitting pretty at 94.5%. That is ridiculous. I have socks that degrade faster than that. Mr. Feng himself admitted he was "genuinely shocked," assuming it would be down to 90% at best. I'd have assumed it would be on fire, but there you go.
The technical boffins calculated that his 94.3 kWh battery has gone through about 506 full charging cycles. But because nobody in their right mind drives an EV to zero, the real-world partial cycles are much higher. Most manufacturers, even the big guns like Tesla, only warranty their batteries for about 100,000 miles with a 70% capacity threshold. This Xiaomi has laughed in the face of those numbers, traveled another 60,000 miles, and still has enough juice to probably do another round.
Image Credit: Xiaomi.
But I must raise a skeptical eyebrow - in fact, both of them. The report states the tire tread depth is still at 8mm, which is basically brand new. Unless Xiaomi has invented tires made of Adamantium or Mr. Feng has been hovering, there is no way those are the original rubber donuts after 165,000 miles. The brake pads, however, are original, which is plausible if he drives like a saint using nothing but regenerative braking and pure optimism to slow down.
The coolant is apparently still pristine with zero water content and a freezing point of -36.4°F. And the best part? Feng reckons he's saved about $14,300 in fuel costs compared to a gas-powered sedan. Though, to be fair, electricity in China is cheaper than bottled water, so don't go expecting those savings if you're charging up in San Francisco.
Image Credit: Xiaomi.
Mr. Feng isn't done, either. He plans to hit roughly 372,000 miles within three years in total. If the car survives that without the wheels falling off or the battery turning into a pumpkin… My skepticism really enjoyed this, but in all honesty, this story shows how much the battery tech has improved in the last few years. All we need now is a reliable charging infrastructure.
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