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How much does Tesla service charge for a 12V Lithium battery?
- Thread starter teethdood
- Start date
MY1stEV
Member
Parts catalog entry for the 2021 Model S
Doubt it is a drop in replacement for a previous generation vehicle.
Doubt it is a drop in replacement for a previous generation vehicle.
I had mine changed last month under warranty, and didn't think to ask about the LI-ION. The price listed above isn't that much different than the price for the Lead-acid 12V battery it replaces, and since there are LI-ION battery direct replacements out there, it may be a possibility the Tesla replacement is a drop in. If anyone has done this, please let the rest of us know.
I think I recently read that the LI-ION battery is NOT a direct replacement. More specifically, that it has a communication port/cable that has to be connected. If that information is accurate, then there would be nothing to connect the battery to in prior versions of vehicles where the vehicle wasn't designed for that battery, and it would therefore be incompatible. If this is true, then it wouldn't be a drop-in, most likely the BMS wouldn't be built-in on these batteries like it is with the drop-in replacements.
I was at my local service center this past Monday. I inquired whether they do 12V Li-ion batteries and was told that while new MSs come with Li-ion, they still do lead acid replacements. No word yet as to when Li-ion roll out would occur. I will check again in a couple weeks when I come in for tire and MCU2 replacements.
Because the charging circuit for a Lithium battery is different than one for a SLA (sealed lead acid) battery, a change entails more than just the battery.
It would have to include both hardware changes and software updates.
While everyone thinks software is easy, the battery is just the tip of the iceberg.
Very unlikely the current AGM lead acid battery will ever be replaced with Lithium. The design specs regarding charging are wildly different. It is a warranty item. Just keep replacing it. I learned from my last 12V swap (two weeks ago), that Tesla considers the 12V battery service, to be a high priority item. I opened a ticket around 3:00 PM, service was scheduled at my home, the following morning.
I asked about putting in something like the Ohmmu LifePO4 when my mobile ranger was replacing the 12V SLA battery in our Model X. I use the LifePO4 batteries in the marine control systems I design and they are a superb choice, typically last 8+ years in rugged environments. But the LIfePO4 are quite expensive (around $450 for a size to fit the Model X vs. the $75 Tesla presumably pays for the SLA batteries). He said that would void the Tesla warranty and really no big deal to replace the SLA battery every couple years - so apparently Tesla has no plans to change us over to any type of lithium battery.
Tam
Well-Known Member
That's consistent with the Tesla that I know. It is very reluctant to retrofit older cars with very few exceptions like pre-paid FSD.
Otherwise, in this case, if I want a 12V lithium battery for my 2017 Model X from Tesla, I just need to buy a whole new 2021 Tesla S or X.
I agree with your premise.
However, it is interesting that MIC MY's are being delivered with Lithium 15V batteries ..... according to the web blogs.
Shanghai sources their components mostly in China, so it may be cheaper for Tesla to do Li there than it is in North America.
NEW cars will very likely change to Li-Ion, if they haven't been already (I've been told that new S/X already have the new design). Because the charging characteristics are wildly different between AGM and Lithium batteries, it is much more complicated than simply swapping them in.
Yep, that was my point. Existing cars with AGM should leave them in place, if for no other reason, to keep the warranty intact. New cars (X & S anyway) are being delivered with new Li-Ion. That is okay. But it is dangerous to simply replace an AGM with Lithium, without adapting to adjusted charging requirements.
It is possible the expensive LifePO4 batteries have been adapted to look more like traditional Lead-Acid, but for me, it makes no sense to spend the crazy amount for them, when Tesla will keep replacing them for free (warranty). I am on my third (replaced twice).
As I mentioned earlier in the thread, charging circuits and software will change if Lithium batteries are used.
So there's no ability to just swap in a Lithium 12V battery.
Whether Tesla decides to put Lithium 12V batteries in new North America MY and M3 vehicles is unknown.
My point was simply that they ARE doing so in China builds.
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