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Was a potential new Tesla owner....
- Thread starter imiS
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Going through that link i'm struggling even more to understand how they can justify the extortionate prices of the maintenance plan. This really should be included in the deal which is standard practice with many other premium manufacturers.
Update
Insurance under my name would be 799 which is bizarre as I pay 560 for my Porsche - so that doesn't make any sense.
Think we will pass on the Model X for now and either take delivery of our Model 3 when the time comes of wait out for the Model Y - perhaps by then Tesla will address the cost of the maintenance plan & the market in the UK will offer more realistic prices on insurance, until then i'll keep tuning in to see whats happening in the world of Tesla.
WannabeOwner
Well-Known Member
Sorry to lose you.
Only suggestion, in case you fancy it and/or it sways your heart, is to ask Tesla for a loaner for a weekend so you can try some actual drives - commuter traffic on AP, just getting from A-to-B and so on.
For me I couldn't consider going back to ICE now, I so much prefer electric fuel and drive.
Never refilling on a smelly forecourt, outside in the cold whilst I stand-and-pump and then queue-to-pay ...
So much more refreshed at arrival after longer journeys using AP
Overtake on a short straight on a country road. Of course I could do that with (Sporty) ICE too, but I'd change down before the bend to "be ready" - and then maybe find that the road was not clear. Now I don't even have to know the road - straight available and clear? Punch it. Avoids all that noise and drama which was the stuff of my Boy Racer days which I am SO happy to leave behind!
I'm saving GBP 100 per month (on fuel) for each 10,000 miles p.a. I drive. I'm 25,000+ miles p.a. so that's £ 250 per month that I can stuff into Insurance / Finance and still be evens. Doesn't work for low mileage drivers of course.
Only suggestion, in case you fancy it and/or it sways your heart, is to ask Tesla for a loaner for a weekend so you can try some actual drives - commuter traffic on AP, just getting from A-to-B and so on.
For me I couldn't consider going back to ICE now, I so much prefer electric fuel and drive.
Never refilling on a smelly forecourt, outside in the cold whilst I stand-and-pump and then queue-to-pay ...
So much more refreshed at arrival after longer journeys using AP
Overtake on a short straight on a country road. Of course I could do that with (Sporty) ICE too, but I'd change down before the bend to "be ready" - and then maybe find that the road was not clear. Now I don't even have to know the road - straight available and clear? Punch it. Avoids all that noise and drama which was the stuff of my Boy Racer days which I am SO happy to leave behind!
I'm saving GBP 100 per month (on fuel) for each 10,000 miles p.a. I drive. I'm 25,000+ miles p.a. so that's £ 250 per month that I can stuff into Insurance / Finance and still be evens. Doesn't work for low mileage drivers of course.
Terry_B58
Member
WannabeOwner
Well-Known Member
Yes, assumes E7 and charging at night. In practice I charge more than 50% at work, and "some" at Superchargers, so my rate is probably better than that.
If you are coming from a Super-Eco car then the savings won't be that good, I'm starting from a similar sized car as a basis.
Assuming 30 MPG for existing car then:
Petrol = 4.54 (Litres) * £1.20 / 30 = cost per mile = 18p / mile
Assuming 3 miles per kWh and £0.08 per unit for E7:
£0.08 price per kWh / 3 = 2.5p / mile
10,000 miles saving = 10000 * (0.18 - 0.025) = £130 per month - if you don't have E7 (well ... get it fitted!), or your comparison-car is better than 30MPG you'll be nearer £100 per month
If you are coming from a Super-Eco car then the savings won't be that good, I'm starting from a similar sized car as a basis.
Assuming 30 MPG for existing car then:
Petrol = 4.54 (Litres) * £1.20 / 30 = cost per mile = 18p / mile
Assuming 3 miles per kWh and £0.08 per unit for E7:
£0.08 price per kWh / 3 = 2.5p / mile
10,000 miles saving = 10000 * (0.18 - 0.025) = £130 per month - if you don't have E7 (well ... get it fitted!), or your comparison-car is better than 30MPG you'll be nearer £100 per month
Terry_B58
Member
Many thanks. I don't have E7 (yet) but as I do around 25k miles a lot away from home, I expect to use superchargers when away.
Good to know your figures though.
Reciprocity
Active Member
I would shop around on insurance, I have heard of discounts for Tesla's with autopilot. Personally, I found huge differences between different insurance companies.
Even though the maintenance plan is very expensive, at the end of the day it’s still peanuts on a £100k car. You can roll the £2600 into the PCP to spread it out and that’s probably what I will do on mine. I don’t think skipping maintenance is a viable option on PCP as the GMFV absolutely needs to be preserved. No way am I buying the car out at 49% of list price after 4 years!
Insurance is hit or miss, but definitely worth shopping around if your quote seems out of line. Many insurance companies still don’t seem to understand EVs, which probably doesn’t help.
Insurance is hit or miss, but definitely worth shopping around if your quote seems out of line. Many insurance companies still don’t seem to understand EVs, which probably doesn’t help.
I got recommended to NFU mutual by Tesla Birmingham when I bought a 65 plate in September 2016. I renewed in September 2017 at £503.29. I was previously paying £295 on a 11 plate BMW 335i. Both were based on maximum no claims, garaged when not in use and personal mileage of 12K pa.
I have to say that so far I've got nothing to report on their Customer service as I haven't had cause to use it (lucky me).
I have to say that so far I've got nothing to report on their Customer service as I haven't had cause to use it (lucky me).
WannabeOwner
Well-Known Member
We're with them too (and around £500), but my understanding is that they now won't take new business (for Tesla insurance), so only any good if you are already with them for household or somesuch.
Worth a call though - in case their new-Tesla customer policy has changed.
We choose NFU (originally, before Tesla) because their Any Driver policy suited us.
But Any-Driver policies seem to be getting worse and worse so I can see us switching to named-drivers only, and then having the hassle of adding a driver every time we need to do that ...
Reciprocity
Active Member
WannabeOwner
Well-Known Member
Canuck
Well-Known Member
I just finished 4 years of the maintenance and I can't see it being worth the price but still at only $500Can/year it was small potatoes and I got to know the service people, and not as much was known about these vehicles and service when I ordered over 4 years ago.
But if the cost of service and insurance put you over the edge, I find it odd you're even considering a Tesla. I wanted my money to make me money and only bought a significantly depreciating asset (Tesla) when it didn't make a difference to my finances and I could do so in cash. I only used credit for mortgages because land almost always goes up -- not vehicles -- because they always go down -- and fast -- since that happens right as you drive them off the lot. But I understand everyone is not the same and we live in a credit, instant gratification society.
I checked and it looks like you are correct and you still can't add it to your PCP. So it is a more painful single cost. But if you are planning to do less than 50K miles over a 4 year PCP, then you only really need the 3 year plan at £1800 (for Model X) and you don't have to pay it until the end of the first year. So if pennies count, you could put aside £150 a month and pay for the plan at the first service interval with nothing more to pay in years 2, 3 and 4.
I think you only need the 4 year plan (£2675 for Model X) if exceeding 50K miles and thus triggering the 4th service interval. Unless they get really shitty about handing the car back after exactly 4 years with well under 50K miles. Out of principal, I would not order another Tesla if they insisted on charging me £950 at that point for a service the car didn't really need and that I would get zero benefit out of!
I decided not to take the maintenance plan partly because my ownership history would suggest I'll chop it in before the 4 years are up anyway. I did ask if any unused services could be transferred to a new car if I did p/ex early and the answer was yes. A very vague "don't think I've been asked this before" type yes, so not reliable enough for me to act on.
In common with many other owners I'm doing more miles than I thought I would and have booked my car in for its first service in early Jan (picked up car 1st March) when I'll have hit 12.5k miles. Financially I just divided the total anticipated servicing costs by 48 and am putting that aside monthly.
Depending on my mileage over the next 6 months I may also start accruing for excess mileage charges in case I do end up having the car for the full term (my PCP is assuming 10k PA). My GMFV is ridiculously high at 54% of cash price. I cannot see my car being worth that at 4 years, and suspect the p/ex may well reflect that fact between year 3 and 4.
There are so many variables I just decided to keep options open. As far as them getting shitty, the maintenance schedule is 12.5k miles OR 12 months, so at the 48 month hand back time it is due a service irrespective of mileage. That would certainly be an interesting conversation to have though...
Exactly. They could technically insist that you pay for the annual service at full retail price even though you are handing the car back. I might run this scenario past the sales team just to see what they have to say i.e. 3 year vs 4 year maintenance plan on a 4 year 10K pa PCP. I fully expect the GFMV depends on this last service being paid for, but if I was ordering a new Tesla I would expect some goodwill. It's not asking much, considering that they will have to inspect the car anyway before moving it on to their used inventory.
As for chopping the car in before the end of the 4 year term, I expect that would be a financial disaster. What residual are they seriously going to offer you without being legally forced into an inflated figure? I bet it would be nowhere near the 54% you are guaranteed at the end of your PCP. Or do they legally have to offer above that value during the PCP term for consistency? That's something I've never thought about before.
The actual saving by paying for these maintenance plans up front is relatively peanuts anyway (£200 on a 4 year Model X plan). That's not enough to get me to buy it upfront anyway. Of course they may increase future service costs, making the upfront saving effectively bigger, but they could also reduce future service costs in the face of future competition. It's not like they are competitive at the moment!
Non of this is a show-stopper for me, but it does seem like they are milking the service costs on what should really be an inherent saving with an EV.
The GMFV is contractual only so no requirement to offer anything other than their perceived market value at any other time.
It wasn't for me either, although there was another factor in my reasoning not to prefund it, and that was Tesla going to the wall. In the event of that happening potentially losing the servicing costs would have been rubbing salt into the wound!
The servicing costs seem high given the relative simplicity of an EV, but I do wonder whether the costs are with half an eye on the warranty claims that are made. Countless door handles, 12v batteries and a myriad of other items have been replaced without any hesitation - and fair play to them for that, but one can't help but wonder whether the costs of these are somehow factored in.
@DJP31. If you do decide to chop it in early, I would be interested to know what p/ex they offer you. I'm going into this on the basis that I will need to keep it for the full 4 years to get the full GMFV. Any sooner and I expect there will be serious negative equity on the deal. But that's okay, 4 years and 40K miles is fine for me. I'll probably go slightly over that and pay the excess mileage in reality.
I agree on your servicing cost theory. Also they must have invested a fair bit of cash in the SCs for a small volume manufacturer and they are not competing with each other like traditional franchised dealers. So it's perhaps not that surprising that maintenance costs are relatively high.
I think I'll probably pay as I go too on maintenance as it spreads the cost out and the saving on the plans are pretty minimal anyway. I'll try hard to get out of the 4 year service too when I hand the car back! I'm hoping I'll enjoy the car enough to order another one, which should give them some incentive to play nicely.
I agree on your servicing cost theory. Also they must have invested a fair bit of cash in the SCs for a small volume manufacturer and they are not competing with each other like traditional franchised dealers. So it's perhaps not that surprising that maintenance costs are relatively high.
I think I'll probably pay as I go too on maintenance as it spreads the cost out and the saving on the plans are pretty minimal anyway. I'll try hard to get out of the 4 year service too when I hand the car back! I'm hoping I'll enjoy the car enough to order another one, which should give them some incentive to play nicely.
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