State of Health (SOH) tells you how much of the original battery capacity remains. Here's how to use it. Reading the report: SOH is usually shown as a percentage of original capacity. A car at 90% SOH retains roughly 90% of its original range. Also check for cell imbalance (voltage spread between modules)—a low SOH with balanced cells is often fine, but high imbalance causes sudden range drops and charging problems. Acceptable thresholds: for a car under 3 years old, expect 90%+ SOH. For 3-5 years, 85-90% is normal. Below 80% SOH, the battery may soon need replacement—replacement costs can exceed the car's value, so negotiate hard or walk away. How to verify: don't trust a screenshot. Ask for a live screen recording of the diagnostic app (like the brand's official tool) starting from the car's VIN page. Cross-check the fast-charging curve: a healthy battery charges at near-peak rate up to 60-70%; a degraded one tapers early. Finally, remember that hot climates degrade batteries faster—if the car spent its life in southern China, scrutinize SOH more carefully.

Battery condition is the single biggest value factor in a used EV, and it can be measured — do not accept a verbal "battery is fine" without data. First, ask for a battery health certificate: brands like BYD, NIO, XPeng and Li Auto can generate an official state-of-health report from the VIN, usually within minutes at a dealer or via the brand's app. Look for SOH above 85% for a car under five years old. Second, request a charge-and-discharge test during inspection: the displayed range at 100% charge compared with the original rated range gives a practical health estimate. Third, check battery warranty status. Most Chinese brands offer 8 years or 150,000–200,000 km on the battery pack, and the remaining warranty usually transfers with the car — get this in writing. Fourth, for cars heading to hot climates, confirm the battery cooling system works; overheating is a common killer of battery life. Add a minimum SOH guarantee to your purchase contract so you have recourse if the battery underperforms.

Unless the previous owner retained the original parts and provided them to us, we usually keep the existing modifications and clearly state in the report "includes non-original modifications." Since the standards for illegal modifications vary by country, buyers should assess whether these modifications can legally pass inspection in their destination country.