Tesla is currently the undisputed king of electric vehicles. Even though EVs are the future, they are not resistant to damage and wear and tear. Though electric vehicles do not require yearly oil changes or radiator coolant refills, the battery pack degrades over time. It can happen due to normal wear and tear or an accident, and you’ll want to replace it to keep driving.
Tesla battery replacement is much easier than doing the same with your iPhone. It won’t create much trouble for a Tesla driver to replace the existing battery. But, one primary concern is what the company will do with the old car batteries?
You need to know a few things if you’re planning to be a Tesla owner. How long do tesla batteries last? How much does Tesla battery replacement cost? Here’s all the info about battery replacement in Tesla cars.
Tesla battery replacement cost varies depending on the labor and parts needed. Typically, the most basic battery replacement in tesla costs between $13,000 and $14,000. For the Model S premium sedan, replacing a Tesla battery costs around $13,000-$20,000. Model 3 entry-level sedan and Model X premium SUV battery replacement can cost at least $13,000 and $14,000 respectively.
Also, you may have to pay around $20-200 for replacement parts like wiring and connectors. The labor charge may cost you nearly $175 per hour. Always be ready to shell out a few more dollars in additional labor charges if the repairs are complex or have any problems with the replacement.
Never be so concerned if you’re looking at Tesla battery replacement cost while preparing for a future replacement. According to Tesla, Model X and Model S retain 90 percent capacity even after reaching 200,000 miles. Since we drive around 14,000 miles a year, it would take at least 15 years for your Tesla car to reach the 200,000-mile mark. Because the average American keeps their car for around 12 years, there’s a slight chance you’ll need to replace your Tesla’s battery during its lifetime.
On the other hand, the current battery modules should last 300,000 to 500,000 miles or 1,500 cycles. So, you may have to do Tesla battery replacement once or twice during the vehicle’s lifetime. The company will handle the necessary repairs if the battery capacity falls below 70% during the warranty period.
How can you extend Tesla’s battery life? Here are some tips!
In longer-range vehicles, Tesla batteries use a combination of nickel-cobalt-aluminum. However, the company will use new batteries with lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) combinations in standard range cars.
Know more about batteries for electric cars!
Since 2013, Tesla has used 18650 cells manufactured in Asia by Panasonic in its S and X model cars. Tesla battery packs with 18650 Panasonic batteries can charge in 20-40 minutes, depending on usage. It is, however, the fastest any battery pack can charge. The most popular Tesla battery pack has nearly 7,104 18650 cells divided into 16 444 cell modules. The 18650 batteries can store around 85 kWh of energy.
Recently, Tesla engineers reconfigured the battery structure of the pack to hold 516 cells in each module for a total of 8,256 cells. This restructured battery pack can hold slightly more than 100 kWh of energy, driving up to a 300-mile range.
A Tesla battery pack can fail due to fuse problems, voltage problems, or other minor issues. The entire battery pack gets affected if the issue happens within a single battery module. The voltage across all battery modules needs to be steady. If the voltage values differ across modules, the entire battery pack will get defective. Get your car to the company if this happens. Instead of replacing a module, they will install a new or refurbished battery pack on your car. They will send the damaged one to their battery plants for repair and refurbishing.
Don’t try to repair your Tesla unless you have invested time and money in training and equipment. You need to know how to work with the car’s operating system if you want to diagnose the issues correctly. Also, be mindful that specialized parts, schematics, and plans are hard to get. So, unless you’re skilled in electric car maintenance or prepared to risk damaging your Tesla, you shouldn’t do it.
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