An electric VW ID.3 from the 2021 model year has racked up more than 220,000 km in ADAC's long-term test — and its battery has held up far better than you might expect. The check showed 89% SoH, the state-of-health rating for the traction battery. That said, the Aviloo methodology carries a margin of error of up to three percentage points, so treating 89% as an exact remaining capacity figure would be a mistake.
Testers used an ID.3 Pro S with a 77 kWh usable-capacity battery. The car has been in service since May 2021, regularly sent on long road trips, and often charged to 100%. At times it sat fully charged for extended periods without moving — hardly the gentlest routine for a lithium-ion battery.
And yet the result comfortably beats Volkswagen's warranty floor. The automaker guarantees at least 70% of usable capacity for the high-voltage battery over eight years or the first 160,000 km, whichever comes first. The test ID.3 blew past that mileage limit back in June 2025. The battery is still holding.
But calling the car trouble-free would be a stretch. Over the course of testing, ADAC logged a drivetrain fault, a GPS antenna replacement, a damaged parking sensor, starting issues, and a broken charging-flap mechanism. The traction battery itself, though, never needed major repair, and the car passed its inspection at around 217,000 km without complaints.
Software updates played a role too. Lab-cycle consumption dropped from 20 to 18.3 kWh per 100 km, and peak fast-charging power topped 160 kW after an update. Those measurements were taken at different stages of the test, though, so they can't be read as direct proof that the battery got more efficient simply because of the mileage.
For anyone shopping a used EV, the takeaway is simple: high mileage alone doesn't mean a worn-out battery. But the condition of any specific car is still worth checking with a dedicated battery test — age, climate, long storage at full charge, and fast-charging habits can all shift the result significantly.
It was previously reported that the new Volkswagen Amarok was shown off with a different front end.
