Tesla wants to replace my Model Y Standard Range battery pack with an LFP pack

[jjrandorin]

Think about that before you make a decision. For every bad story about Tesla, there are 1,000+ good stories that are never told. Every car manufacture has the same.

Im intimately aware of that. My own interactions with Tesla are generally "ok, to great". I own 2 Tesla vehicles, Tesla solar panels, and Tesla powerwalls, so Its not like I hate the company or something.

I just know what they do well, and what they dont do well, and Tesla does not do "exception" well.

I dunno .. While a RWD LFP Y is unheard of here in the states, virtually every other market gets LFP RWD Ys. That config has probably been made in the hundreds of thousands. You're not going to be left on some abandoned branch of the Tesla tree or anything.

Since I dont follow international markets this is not something I was aware of, and would change my thought process (since its not an orphan vehicle at that point).

 

[moa999]

Warranty

What went wrong with the original? And what were the symptoms?

 

[3sr+buyer]

With as poorly as Tesla handles anything that is an exception to the normal process, put me also in the camp of being wary of owning anything Tesla that is a one off / non standard item.

It has been reported that older Model 3 needing warranty replacements for batteries are getting the same offer. So it looks like this will not be a one-off item, but something that will be a standard offer for any <=60kWh warranty replacement in a Model 3 or Y.

Granted, this particular Model Y configuration is already uncommon.

 

[jjrandorin]

It has been reported that older Model 3 needing warranty replacements for batteries are getting the same offer. So it looks like this will not be a one-off item, but something that will be a standard offer for any <=60kWh warranty replacement in a Model 3 or Y.

Granted, this particular Model Y configuration is already uncommon.

I saw that, but (again for ME) model 3s getting that offer have nothing to do with a model Y, since model 3s already come in that exact configuration in the US. In fact, for the RWD model 3 its the only configuration it comes in now in the US (LFP) so instead of it being a one off, its putting in the car what all the current ones have.

Thats not the same as a model Y (at least in the US) because they dont offer that vehicle here in that configuration. It sounds like they do offer it internationally though, so if thats the case, then its not an orphan platform.

 

[E90alex]

Absolutely I would do it if I were in the same shoes. Not only do you get more maximum range, you get more usable range because you can charge to 100% more regularly instead of 80% and people actually get closer to rated range in the LFP cars. The only downside is just slower acceleration but the RWD was never “fast” to begin with so not a huge loss. Shouldn’t be noticeable in daily driving unless you floor or everywhere.

Plus you get the bonus of a refreshed suspension on a 3 year old car.

 

[Nouvelle]

I'd go for the LFP. My purchase was maybe a month or two before they switched over, and I wish I had known it was coming before then.

 

[timeshifter]

I have the exact same car. Purchased exactly 3 years ago down to the date. Im about 63,000 miles. What issues did you notice that made you take the car into service?

What went wrong with the original? And what were the symptoms?

Was leaving Costco one day and saw a message.

BMS_a079
Unable to to charge - Maximum charge level reached
Reduced maximum charge level - Schedule service

When I got home I plugged in to try to charge. I was at 69%. As soon as I plugged in I got the message Charging Complete (like you'd normally see). So the car wasn't taking a charge. By the next morning it was at 58%. I had already scheduled an appointment but the earliest was about 1.5 weeks away. No way the car would make it that long, so I dropped in unannounced at they took it in at the service center.

 

[timeshifter]

Plus you get the bonus of a refreshed suspension on a 3 year old car.

Could you expand on what that means. I'm not too familiar with suspension systems and how they work. I know they're changing some things because the car will be heavier. What do you think they're changing? Will it make my car last longer - i.e. won't need suspension work down the road or less likely because it's newer? Don't care about the acceleration that much, but I do wonder about other driving characteristics. Maybe I won't notice. Might be hard to tell because I'll have been in a loaner LR AWD for a month by the time I get my car back.

 

[Iron]

Is acceleration boost available for your car? Given the 0-60 reduction, I would have asked that they throw that in. It wouldn't be a deal breaker if they said no tho. You're getting a brand new battery 3 years on in.

 

[E90alex]

Could you expand on what that means. I'm not too familiar with suspension systems and how they work. I know they're changing some things because the car will be heavier. What do you think they're changing? Will it make my car last longer - i.e. won't need suspension work down the road or less likely because it's newer? Don't care about the acceleration that much, but I do wonder about other driving characteristics. Maybe I won't notice. Might be hard to tell because I'll have been in a loaner LR AWD for a month by the time I get my car back.

Not exactly sure what they’re replacing but probably springs or shocks or both. Shocks will wear out over time.

 

[mborkow]

Is acceleration boost available for your car? Given the 0-60 reduction, I would have asked that they throw that in. It wouldn't be a deal breaker if they said no tho. You're getting a brand new battery 3 years on in.

I don’t think RWD has AB

 

[FatFalcon]

Could you expand on what that means. I'm not too familiar with suspension systems and how they work. I know they're changing some things because the car will be heavier. What do you think they're changing? Will it make my car last longer - i.e. won't need suspension work down the road or less likely because it's newer? Don't care about the acceleration that much, but I do wonder about other driving characteristics. Maybe I won't notice. Might be hard to tell because I'll have been in a loaner LR AWD for a month by the time I get my car back.

How often do your take your car to the drag strip? How often do you autocross? If the answer is 'never', it's highly unlikely you'll notice. It's like .5 seconds 0-60 on the 3, which is a lighter car to begin with so it should have even less of an effect on a Y. I've driven both an SR 3 and an LFP 3, I felt no difference.

 

[Iron]

How often do your take your car to the drag strip? How often do you autocross? If the answer is 'never', it's highly unlikely you'll notice. It's like .5 seconds 0-60 on the 3, which is a lighter car to begin with so it should have even less of an effect on a Y. I've driven both an SR 3 and an LFP 3, I felt no difference.

And yet, .5 second is what Acceleration Boost gets you and Tesla thinks that is worth $2K. I get what you mean though.

 

[E90alex]

And yet, .5 second is what Acceleration Boost gets you and Tesla thinks that is worth $2K. I get what you mean though.

And yet AB barely feels any different to me on my 3LR . In theory 3.7 vs 4.2 should feel like a bigger difference than 6.6 to 7.1 or whatever the RWD is.

 

[mborkow]

And yet AB barely feels any different to me on my 3LR . In theory 3.7 vs 4.2 should feel like a bigger difference than 6.6 to 7.1 or whatever the RWD is.

I demo drove a LR Y and RWD 3 back to back and didn’t feel the RWD 3 was really any slower (and that’s a full second).

 

[timeshifter]

I demo drove a LR Y and RWD 3 back to back and didn’t feel the RWD 3 was really any slower (and that’s a full second).

I've been driving the SR Y for three years. For the last couple weeks been driving the LR Y. Today I test drove a 2019 Model 3 LR. Both those LRs are noticeably peppier than my SR Y.

 

[tgrobbo]

LFP RWD MY is the most common Tesla produced globally nowadays so you won’t struggle for parts. I would take the LFP pack in your situation but there definitely some downsides to LFP.
Slower charging - but this also means limited regen down a big hill which can be annoying
Cold weather seems to drain them a bit quicker
The 100% thing is as much of a pain as it is a bonus - you feel guilty charging to less than 100% when you’re in a hurry but it sits at 99% for 30 minutes a lot of the time
I also personally feel guilty leaving it at 100% for extended periods which quite often happens
They are only more durable for cyclic ageing - ie great for Uber or Taxis, but degrade just as fast (perhaps faster) over time than NCA. (Calendar ageing)
They’re heavier as you’re now aware
I wonder if the lower 0 - 60 time is due to protecting the battery rather than the extra weight too - LFP doesn’t seem to like rapid charge or discharge apparently
I would be surprised if your car was any less efficient - LFP MY’s seem to be extremely efficient.
You can’t get AB on LFP cars
I doubt you’d notice any difference in cornering/handling - LFP MY’s handle the corners extremely well for their size IMO.
The ride might be a little firmer though!

 

[cbdream99]

It sounds like a no brainer to me. One concern is if in the future, if after an accident, when the shop has to order parts using the VIN, then the system may not have the upgraded components in the database, so you have to make sure they are aware of that and they are modifications done by Tesla, so they won’t put the wrong parts on it or worse case refuse to work on it, keep all your records.

 

[ajstan]

I don't think I saw anyone mention this, but the LPF batteries are limited to charging at 32 amps, whereas the 2170 Li-ion batteries charge at 48 amps. It doesn't really matter charging at home since we charge overnight. While we haven't used a supercharger on my wife's M3RWD, I'm expecting the charge time would take 50% longer than my MYLR, plus additional time if needed to charge above 80% to get sufficient range.

The OP could check the M3 forums to see what the LFP supercharging experience is like.

 

[MP3Mike]

I don't think I saw anyone mention this, but the LPF batteries are limited to charging at 32 amps, whereas the 2170 Li-ion batteries charge at 48 amps.

The smaller, i.e. SR, 2170 packs are limited to 32 amp AC charging as well... So, no different than what they already had.