The MachE's 12 volt battery,…
The MachE's 12 volt battery, like many EVs is small and it doesn't take much use to deplete it. Given the severity of the outcomes when it reaches its discharged state, it's a part that should receive extra scrutiny after an abnormal event that depletes it. Not only is gaining entry into a vehicle with a dead 12V battery cumbersome, if the battery dies in the middle of a software update, it can brick modules that are expensive to replace. Some module updates often prevent the DC to DC converter from activating during the update, preventing the 12V battery from being recharged should it get low during the update.
Did this owner really need a new battery? Hard to say. Yet, it appears to be a reasonable defensive practice that after the 12V battery is fully depleted that it gets replaced as they are not meant to be deep cycled. Lead acid batteries can have noticeable drops in capacity after being completely discharged.
I very much disagree with the dealer pricing for performing this particular replacement, yet that's the state of dealership repair pricing, unfortunately.