All of this discussion about vehicle service life is ultimately dependent on the owner's usage model. Huge differences in interpretation and conclusions if you're insisting on a full-on ICE replacement vs an urban corridor vehicle. Hardly any mention of any of this above that I can see. It seems a little over the top at times.
As an urban corridor vehicle, any current EV with 200+ miles of range, real world under reasonably favorable conditions (e.g. not the coldest day of winter, not the most favorable day in sprint or fall either) can be expected to be useful enough to many if not most American households for 10 years or more, depending on their day-to-day transportation needs. Best value for money? That's a different question.
On the other hand, as we all know, insisting on cross-country highway speed performance is only available on the highest performing models, and likely not for a lifetime comparable with your average ICE car no matter what you buy. I would argue that off-road applications are likely not the sweet spot either. Nor towing.
That's the state of the art today. There is a spectrum of transportation needs, and a given household will experience some fraction of those. The question is simply which fraction of the spectrum are you trying to meet? More specifically, which fraction of your needs are you asking the vehicle in question to serve?
Many here seem to be strongly opposed to buying more battery than they need. Hyper-optimizers it seems. There are trade-offs to be sure, and not all of them financial. However, more battery buys more useful life, and extends the range of transportation tasks you can take on with confidence.
However much battery you buy up front, it will degrade over time and eventually constrain the usage applications that the car can meet. For many families, their needs shift over time anyway. If the car stops meeting your need, you sell it. No car, practically speaking, is an investment, exceptions to the rule notwithstanding.
The world is full of cars, for better or for worse. Find one that meets your needs and makes you happy.