Headlines across the auto industry have lately painted a familiar story: demand for new electric vehicles is cooling. With federal incentives gone and pricing still volatile, it’s easy to misconstrue short-term bumps as long-term stalling. But beneath the surface of new-car sales lies a far more compelling truth, one that holds enormous opportunity for everyday Americans and for the climate alike.

Battery degradation is inevitable, but new research shows that EV owners should just keep driving their cars without worrying about what happens with the thousands of cells that live in their cars’ floors.