High mileage check-in

[Earl]

It just started happening on the roadster at 16 years old or did you noticing it happening before then?

Can't really say. We don't drive the Roadster long distances very often. Normally, its just used for fun little jaunts locally where we don't stress the battery.
Again, I think you're trying to overthink it. There isn't enough data available and it's too early to really know.
Besides, once the Planned Obsolescence folks at the major OEMs get a hold of EVs, all bets are off. The batteries and cars will have a life that is as short as they think they can get away with, just like with ICE. Do you really think that alternators and water pumps really have to go out at 3 years, 4 months and 40,000 miles?

 

[dusty22]

The batteries and cars will have a life that is as short as they think they can get away with, just like with ICE. Do you really think that alternators and water pumps really have to go out at 3 years, 4 months and 40,000 miles?

Not to mention starters. We have electric motors in our cars that will last hundreds of thousands of miles; but starters ( electric motors ) that die after a few years.

 

[israndy]

Those motors are built cheaply, involve moving onto and back off of the starting teeth and work out in the elements. EV motors are sealed, lubricated, and cooled in a fixed permanent fashion so should never cause wear, and is filtered so any parts that do come off will be caught in the oil filters and not cause more damage downstream.

They could potentially last millions of miles. The only failures I can think of have been electrical isolation, the insulator on the wiring allowing not perfect isolation between positive and negative. Won't cause a short as Tesla has a built in test for isolation failures and will deactivate first. But has required replacements on friend's cars in the past.

 

[Earl]

Those motors are built cheaply, involve moving onto and back off of the starting teeth and work out in the elements. EV motors are sealed, lubricated, and cooled in a fixed permanent fashion so should never cause wear, and is filtered so any parts that do come off will be caught in the oil filters and not cause more damage downstream.

They could potentially last millions of miles. The only failures I can think of have been electrical isolation, the insulator on the wiring allowing not perfect isolation between positive and negative. Won't cause a short as Tesla has a built in test for isolation failures and will deactivate first. But has required replacements on friend's cars in the past.

This all assumes the engineers are designing the motors to last. As I've mentioned before, this discussion is completely academic (behaviors of mass-less elephants being pushed across friction-less sandpaper) since; Once EVs go mainstream, the planned obsolescence engineers will take on the task and things will last for the minimum time the beancounters think they can get away with.

 

[InfinitySky]

Some numbers from TeslaFi

Last Saturday night I drove Uber for 6 hours in my 2020 Model 3 SR+. This was on free-flowing roads in Canberra, mostly at 80km/h (50mph), with air con running at 18degC, basically the same temperature as outside. The odometer went from 257,689km at 10:30pm (100% SoC inc half an hour of balancing) to 257,948km at 4:40am (6% SoC). So 94% of my battery pack gave me 259km of moderately strenuous night driving.
View attachment 1024388
Immediately after that, I added 74% back into my battery (from 6% to 80%) using 32.8kWh of power (which took 4h26m). Divide by 74, multiply by 100, and that suggests my 50kWh battery pack can hold 44.3kWh, so 11.4% degradation. Meh.

For what it’s worth my 2020 SR+ has similar degradation and I have 57K miles. Rarely supercharged too. From what I’ve seen I think the SR+’s from 2020 got a pretty terrible batch of batteries in relation to other model years

Edit: actually considering your mileage you might have the best 2020 SR+ battery in the world! Anything else you can share about your high mileage vehicle?

 

[PC__LoadLetter]

From what I’ve seen I think the SR+’s from 2020 got a pretty terrible batch of batteries in relation to other model years

I'll find out in a few years. Pack replacement is inevitable, since I paid for FSD and I want the car to still work when it's eventually launched here in oz, one of these years.

Edit: actually considering your mileage you might have the best 2020 SR+ battery in the world! Anything else you can share about your high mileage vehicle?

I park under a tree most Saturdays and leaf litter always found a way into every intake. Two years ago I hit water on the highway at high speed, and flooded the intakes. For the next few weeks my cabin wouldn't dehumidify with air con on max, and my battery range dropped dramatically.

Turns out the leaf litter had congealed into a mushy coating around the air con condenser. The compressor was running at 11 but it wasn't accomplishing anything. Tesla Service knew what the issue was remotely as soon as they saw my power usage logs. Note: log such issues under climate and not range. Anyway, they ripped out the frunk and hosed it all away for $AUD135. My battery range and air con went straight back to normal.

Think of objective reasons why your range improves or worsens.

I don't use the aero covers, and I use normal tyres. I'm going to buy new wheels and tyres off Tesla in-app soon, and I'll see if EV-specific tyres make any difference then.

Also, how extreme is your local climate? I drive in absurdly hot summers, but mostly at night, so I miss the worst of that. As for winter, yes, it gets below zero degC in Canberra at night, cutting my range by a third. But a quick DC charge 3 hours into my ubering is no big deal, a few months per year. Or I just go home, plug in here for an hour or two, and spend some time with my cat, before heading back out. At 32 amps I add about as much per hour plugged in as I use per hour driving.

 

[Hiline]

Among current users of TeslaFi, this one seems to have the highest-mileage Model 3:

13% degradation after 3.5 years and 180k miles doesn't sound too bad. Not sure what the rated range at purchase of this car was though.

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

Among current users of TeslaFi, this one seems to have the highest-mileage Model 3:

View attachment 1026969

13% degradation after 3.5 years and 180k miles doesn't sound too bad. Not sure what the rated range at purchase of this car was though.

310. 17.4% in miles. 19.5% in energy. 62.7kWh vs 77.8kWh start point. (I’m including first owner or whatever.)

Not great TBH. It is what it is; I guess I won’t be there for another 12-15 years.

Most likely 7% or so lost in the first year/46k miles. And then 12.5% subsequently.

 

[Hiline]

310. 17.4% in miles. 19.5% in energy. 62.7kWh vs 77.8kWh start point. (I’m including first owner or whatever.)

Not great TBH. It is what it is; I guess I won’t be there for another 12-15 years.

The way I see it, assuming declining battery degradation, this car can probably make it to 300k miles with 25%-30% total battery degradation. 220 miles is not the best range, but by then there will likely be enough Supercharger coverage to make any range above 200 miles not a necessity.

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

220 miles is not the best range, but by then there will likely be enough Supercharger coverage to make any range above 200 miles not a necessity.

Technically at about 300Wh/mi (that's about what you get at freeway speed with this vehicle), 220 rated miles is 54kWh which after deducting 10% for buffer and margin ends up at about 160 miles.

Doable but that's with a charge to 100%. So on a road trip charging to 70%, expect 110-120 miles between charges. Rather than 150.

 

[israndy]

I like that as our range is degrading over time Tesla is adding more splitters, Superchargers that cut down the distance travelled to the next charge, so I'll be able to live with my degraded battery (weather it's degraded by miles to by time), I may never *need* a new battery in either car unless I get an outright failure.

 

[gottagofast]

You mean in real life or on a forum somewhere? If the latter, can you share a link? A Model 3 can be at most 6 years old at this point, so I have not even heard of one near 200k miles, let alone 300k.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1768851724901466383

He’s at 420k miles now

 

[Hiline]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1768851724901466383

He’s at 420k miles now

Wow. Really wonder how much longer this battery is going to last!

 

[Bouba]

Wow. Really wonder how much longer this battery is going to last!

I worry more about how long the driver will last

 

[Bouba]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1768851724901466383

He’s at 420k miles now

Is it on the original battery ?…if I had to guess, I would think yes…because he would have got through the battery warranty in months

 

[gottagofast]

Is it on the original battery ?…if I had to guess, I would think yes…because he would have got through the battery warranty in months

It was on the original at 369k, he didn’t say otherwise at 420k so I’m guessing yes

 

[Hiline]

It was on the original at 369k, he didn’t say otherwise at 420k so I’m guessing yes

We'll see next time he shares the range on the vehicle.

 

[boriszima]

I like that as our range is degrading over time Tesla is adding more splitters, Superchargers that cut down the distance travelled to the next charge, so I'll be able to live with my degraded battery (weather it's degraded by miles to by time), I may never *need* a new battery in either car unless I get an outright failure.

My guess or hope, "soon" we can replace batteries without too much issues.

Tesla starts offering LFP battery retrofits for earlier Model 3 under warranty

Tesla is starting to offer LFP battery pack retrofits for earlier Model 3 vehicles as it starts running out of...

electrek.co

One question would be, by then, would it be worth replacing a batter on X years old car?

I am almost at 50k miles. 100% charge at 270 miles, Supercharging a handful of times over the life, but yeah degradation is a bitch.

 

[gottagofast]

My guess or hope, "soon" we can replace batteries without too much issues.

Tesla starts offering LFP battery retrofits for earlier Model 3 under warranty

Tesla is starting to offer LFP battery pack retrofits for earlier Model 3 vehicles as it starts running out of...

electrek.co

One question would be, by then, would it be worth replacing a batter on X years old car?

I am almost at 50k miles. 100% charge at 270 miles, Supercharging a handful of times over the life, but yeah degradation is a bitch.

270 from what

 

[Big Earl]

Checking in at 190,000 miles. Just had the rear drive unit replaced with a reman unit. Car is still great!

Update before our trip to Texas for the eclipse:

Currently at 207,000 miles. Full charge is about 273 rated miles (out of 310). 88% of new capacity.