Will I have to replace a $20,000 battery in three years?

No. Based on a US law requiring manufacturers to provide at least 8 years and 100,000 miles of coverage, an eight-year, 160,000 kilometre warranty is the standard for a new EV sold in Canada – and some warranties go farther or longer. 

Experts estimate that the average EV battery will last 320,000 kilometres or more, and battery technology is still improving. (Tesla is working on a battery that can last a million miles.) This means that an EV could outlast the lifespan of a new internal combustion engine vehicle — which has an average lifetime mileage of roughly 240,000 kilometres, according to Consumer Reports.