Check your battery’s health

Plenty of EV drivers rely on the dash display or quoted range to judge battery condition. Handy, yes, but neither tells the whole story about actual capacity. If you’d like to know how healthy your battery really is, you can check it yourself with the free Car Scanner app and a suitable OBD2 adapter.

Why this matters

The battery is the priciest part of an EV. It loses capacity over time — how much depends on the model, your driving and how you charge. That’s where State of Health (SoH) comes in: it shows what percentage of the original capacity remains — crucial for resale value and everyday usefulness.

Car Scanner for iOS Car Scanner for Android

Which adapter should I get?

Car Scanner only supports wireless adapters (no USB) based on ELM327 chips. Picking the right type makes all the difference.

For iOS devices:

Connection type	Recommendation
Bluetooth LE (v4.0+)	Best compatibility, stable and power‑efficient
Bluetooth MFi	Pricey but very reliable (e.g. OBDLink MX+, vLinker FS)
Wi‑Fi	Works, but may interfere with mobile data
Classic Bluetooth	Not compatible with iOS. It simply won’t work.

For Android devices:

Connection type	Recommendation
Classic Bluetooth (1.x–3.x)	Fast, stable, ideal for Car Scanner
Bluetooth LE (4.0+)	Also works, a little slower
Wi‑Fi	Works, but more error‑prone

Good adapters — our recommendations

OBDLink MX+ OBDLink CX vLinker MC+ vLinker FS Vgate iCar Pro 2S

Note: vLinker and Vgate adapters can be firmware‑updated — improving stability and compatibility.

What your SoH means

SoH value	Meaning
100 %	As‑new battery
90–95 %	Minor wear — perfectly normal
80–89 %	Noticeable loss, still fine day to day
< 80 %	A warranty check may be worthwhile

Manufacturers often guarantee 70–80% capacity for 8 years or 160,000 km.

Bottom line

With the right adapter and the Car Scanner app, you can check your battery yourself — no garage required. One caveat: buy cheap, buy twice. A decent adapter delivers reliable data and saves you stress and money in the long run.