How many miles does a Tesla last? Range anxiety is one of the main concerns for potential electric car buyers. But the technology used in electric vehicles has improved by leaps and bounds since the introduction of the first EV.
Tesla has been at the forefront of this development, with most of its models having 300-400 miles of range
But just how long does a Tesla battery last? Well, that will depend on some factors.
On average, Tesla owners can expect at least 267 miles of range on a single charge of their car’s battery. According to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, your Tesla batteries are supposed to last for 300,000 to 500,000 miles, or 1,500 battery cycles. That’s around 22 to 37 years for an average person.
There are talks about Tesla developing a battery that can last a million miles. But this will remain hearsay until batteries lasting a million miles are invented. You might also need a battery replacement during your car’s lifetime.
How many miles does a Tesla last?
A standard model Tesla can get at least 267 miles of range for a single charge. However, the Model S Long Range can go an estimated 375 miles.
Each Tesla model battery lasting chart
Model S, Model 3, Model X, and Model Y have different ranges after a full charge, and Tesla also adjusts the available mile range depending on driving conditions to make the most out of your car’s battery.
The range will still depend on your driving style and your battery capacity, but the longest-range Tesla model is the Model S at 375 miles per full charge.
So, a single full charge of Model 3 Standard can take you from Los Angeles to Las Vegas before needing a recharge. In comparison, Model S could take you almost halfway back before having to charge up somewhere near Flynn, California.
But no matter which model you choose, you’ll get enough range for your everyday commute and long road trips, thanks to Tesla Superchargers scattered throughout the country.
Tesla’s battery warranty chart
There haven’t been many electric cars that have needed battery replacement, but according to Musk, a new battery for a Model 3 car can set you back around $5,000 to $7,000. These prices are expected to decrease once the cost of batteries themselves decreases.
Claims about people paying thousands of dollars for a new battery aren’t confirmed, and these talks just add to the conflicting information about battery replacement costs. But a Tesla battery can still go beyond 500,000 miles, just with lesser mileage per charge.
Also, keep in mind that recharging contributes to battery degradation and may affect battery life in the long run, especially if you charge from empty to full daily.
In fact, Tesla’s battery technology makes your electric vehicle more reliable over time, with studies suggesting that there is only a 10% decrease in performance after 160,000 miles. So, you can expect top performance from your car until then.
In the rare case that your batteries stop performing, don’t fret, as Tesla’s battery degradation is covered by a Tesla warranty. The warranty will depend on the model, but each warranty covers 8 years or 100,000 to 150,000 miles of range – whichever comes first.
To put things into perspective, you can drive your Model Y 15,000 miles a year or 41 miles a day within the 8-year warranty period. Meanwhile, Model X and Model S cars will take around 18,750 miles a year or 52 miles a day before their warranty lapses.
What charging options do I have when buying a Tesla
Tesla uses varying lithium-ion batteries on each model, depending on its features. For Model X and Model S, a 100-kilowatt-hour battery is used to allow them to store more power on a single charge.
The charging rate will depend on the EV charger that you use and your car model. Take the Model S, for example, the Performance and Long Range Models are equipped with an 11.5-kilowatt hour onboard charger, which means a 60-kilowatt hour battery will take 6 hours to charge.
Just this year, Tesla stopped shipping wall chargers with their cars, so you’ll need to buy one separately.
There are Superchargers available to use for a fee. These can give you up to 200 miles of range in just 15 minutes of charging.
Just use these high-speed chargers with caution, as fast charging strains EV batteries and affects your car’s life in the long run.
Fortunately, a cost-effective solution is the Level 1/Level 2 Tesla Charger by Lectron. It is equipped with interchangeable NEMA 5-15 and 14-50 plugs, allowing for 12 amp and 32 amp charging for your Tesla – letting you charge both at home and on the road.
Also, with charging stations like the Lectron V-BOX 40A and 48A, along with the Lectron J1772 to Tesla adapter, Tesla drivers have everything they need to fully charge their EV batteries overnight.
Tesla battery longevity
Predicting how long Tesla batteries will last is easy if you look at the company’s warranty model. Tesla states that if your vehicle’s traction battery has less than 70 percent of its capacity left at the end of its warranty period, you’re eligible for a repair or replacement.
The battery warranty depends on the car model, but it usually lasts for up to eight years when Tesla expects the average driver to cover between 100,000 and 150,000 miles.
If you don’t mind driving around with a slightly underperforming battery that will provide less range, then you can expect to keep the same battery for anywhere between 300,000 and 500,000 miles, according to Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Twitter.
That’s over two decades of driving before you’ll have to replace your Tesla battery, which is on the expensive side, starting at around $5,000 per battery module (of which there can be up to 16 in a Tesla battery pack).
If you replace the battery pack, though, it’s possible to cover over 1 million miles with your Tesla if you look after the rest of the vehicle. In fact, one of the longest-lasting Teslas had surpassed one million miles as of 2022. It is a 2014 Model S P85, and in the 2019 video embedded above, its owner was celebrating having reached the 1-million kilometer mark, or just over 620,000 miles.
According to the owner of the longest-driven Tesla, the first battery lasted 180,000 miles before it was replaced by Tesla under warranty because of a charging defect. As Tesla was working on a replacement, he was given a temporary battery, which he used for 93,205 miles. Tesla later gave him a slightly used battery as a replacement, with which he covered a distance of around 300,000 miles.
How many recharges does it take?
How long your Tesla battery lasts before you need to recharge depends on your driving habits. Tesla vehicles usually have a battery range of between 300 and 400 miles. The Model S Dual Motor has the longest range on one charge, allowing you to drive up to 405 miles.
On the lower end of the scale is the base 2019 Tesla Model 3, with a range of 220 miles. In 2023, the shortest-range Tesla is still the base Model 3, but it has an EPA-estimated range of 272 miles.
If you’re constantly almost fully draining your battery before you go to a charging station, you can expect one Tesla battery to last you between 1,000 and 1,250 charges over the course of its life. What’s more, your Tesla battery will degrade with time, and, as a result, range will drop.
For instance, if the range was 405 miles when it was brand new but the battery lost 10% of its original capacity over 10 years, its maximum range would be 364.5 miles.
Tesla motor longevity
Hansjörg Gemmingen, the person who holds the record for the longest-driven Tesla, told The Driven that his car’s odometer showed 483,000 miles before its first electric motor needed to be replaced. However, by the time his Model S had clocked nearly 1 million miles, the motor had been replaced eight times. This may have something to do with the fact that early Tesla Model S drive units weren’t especially reliable.
How much does it cost to replace the motor? At the time of writing, a brand-new Tesla drive unit costs between $5,000 and $10,000, depending on the power output. However, Tesla will replace the motor in your Model 3 or Y under warranty if it fails before 8 years or 100,000 miles. If you own the larger Model S or X, the electric motor is covered for up to 150,000 miles.
Beyond that, if you’re replacing the electric motor out of pocket after the original warranty expires, Tesla will give you another warranty of 4 years or 50,000 miles. The replacement warranty will only be valid if you purchased the drive unit directly from Tesla.
How often do Tesla batteries need to be replaced
Your Tesla is due for a battery replacement once it has lost 20% of its range. Tesla owners reportedly only lose 5% after 100,000 miles.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk claimed in a Tweet that a Tesla battery can last between 300,000 to 500,000 miles. If you’re driving within the national average of 273 miles per week, expect your battery life to last anywhere from 21 to 35 years.
The point is a Tesla battery replacement will rarely (if ever) happen. There’s a higher chance you’ll need to replace your electric vehicle before you replace your battery.
How to look after Tesla battery
Long-time smartphone users may already be familiar with decreasing battery health, and more frequent charge cycles. And this also happens with electric car batteries.
Unlike the lithium-ion batteries in your smartphone though, a replacement battery in your Tesla can cost you an arm and a leg. Knowing how to take care of your batteries can help you save tons of money in the long run.
Here are a few tips on how to keep the battery capacity of your Tesla model in optimum condition and limit the time between charge cycles:
Only use Superchargers when necessary
Fast charging produces more heat than standard “slow” charging. Excessive heat causes degradation in lithium-ion batteries. Using Superchargers often may shorten the lifespan of Tesla vehicles and affect battery capacity.
Don’t charge above 80% unless you need to
If you don’t need the battery’s full range, don’t consume it. For normal daily use, charging around 80% to 90% is advisable to maintain battery health. Also, avoid letting your battery charge fall below 20%.
Maintain a regular charging schedule
Maintain a charging habit. Consistency is the key. Keep a consistent charging schedule with lower voltage home chargers and charging stations. Lower voltage charging won’t put too much strain on your batteries.
Drive more smoothly
Avoid sudden changes in acceleration. Excessive acceleration for long periods drains out your battery abruptly. This can reduce your vehicle’s range and wear out the tires faster.
Tesla maintenance requirements
Aside from replacing the battery pack or the motor, you will need to stay on top of servicing your Tesla if you want it to last as long as possible. Fortunately, electric vehicles are cheaper to maintain than gasoline vehicles because you don’t need to replace the oil, fuel filter, oil filter, spark plugs, timing belts, or other mechanical components that wear over time. They have considerably fewer moving parts that wear out over time.
However, you still need to change the brake fluid, coolant, cabin air filter, HEPA filter, brake pads, and desiccant bag for the air conditioning system. In addition to that, Tesla recommends that you rotate, balance, and align the wheels every 6,250 miles. If it’s a minor service, you can request Tesla mobile service, and a certified technician will be dispatched to your address.
After driving your Tesla for a few years, you could also upgrade to the latest infotainment system or Autopilot hardware, but you only need to do this if you want to access additional features. You can still drive your Tesla without upgrading its infotainment or Autopilot hardware if you don’t want to spend a few extra thousand dollars.
Your Tesla can last for over a decade
If you’re an average driver, you can expect to drive your Tesla for more than a decade before you think about a battery replacement. Beyond that, your Tesla can clock over one million miles if you replace the batteries and motor. You will need to service your Tesla as required in the user’s manual if you want it to last until you can hand it over to the next generation.
FAQs
How often does a Tesla battery need to be replaced?
There haven’t been many electric cars that needed battery replacement, but according to Elon Musk, your Tesla batteries last for 300,000 to 500,000 miles, or 1,500 battery cycles. That’s around 22 to 37 years for someone driving an average of 40 miles a day.
How much does it cost to replace a Tesla battery?
Musk claims that a new battery for a Model 3 car can set you back around $5,000 to $7,000. That’s exclusive of labor costs. These prices are expected to decrease once the cost of batteries themselves decreases. Expect to spend between $20,000 and $22,000 for battery replacement.
How quickly do Teslas charge?
This will depend on the Tesla model and the charger you’re using. Tesla models have varying ranges, and, therefore, varying charging times
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