![]() At that rate, we were on a path to invoke Tesla's warranty of a minimum of 70 percent retention of the battery capacity for eight years or 120,000 miles. At the 20,000-mile halfway point of our test, our car showed about a 6 percent loss, or a 19-mile range reduction. Using third-party software called TeslaFi, we could nerd out on all kinds of data about our car's driving and charging, as well as monitor its battery loss. Two things that accelerate the falloff are lots of fast-charging and charging all the way to 100 percent, both of which we did quite often. The big questions are how much and how quickly. Like a cellphone battery, the lithium-ion packs that power today's EVs lose their ability to hold energy over time. Michael Simari | Car and Driver Batteries Degrade Although not technically service costs, replacing the $1088 windshield and later the $1196 glass roof due to stone chips lightened our pockets as much as damage and destruction incidents in other long-term test cars. The Model 3's all-season Michelin tires, on the other hand, were used up after just 30,000 miles, partially because the Tesla version of this tire has less tread depth, probably for a slight boost in efficiency and range. But our car's minuscule brake wear over 40,000 miles suggests the pads should last well past 100,000 miles. Those three lubes each cost oil-change money, totaling $306. However, one regional requirement that applies to us is lubricating the oft-dormant brake calipers every year or 12,500 miles in areas where roads are salted during winter. The Model 3 has minimal scheduled service. Our overall 83 MPGe average, achieved over a 57/43 percent split in favor of home charging (we expect most owners to do far more charging at home), equates to a cost of 8 cents per mile-on par with a car running on regular gas and getting 50 mpg. ![]() The former handily beats fueling up any gas-powered car, but the latter doesn't, even with the latest spike in prices at the pump. For example, charging with home electricity during our most efficient month works out to a cost of just 4 cents per mile, while paying Supercharger prices during our least efficient month works out to 22 cents per mile. ![]() How much you plan to fast-charge makes a huge impact on the economics of EV ownership, and savings don't really materialize unless you have a regular Level 2 hookup at home (ideally, you have Level 2 capability at work too). The difference boils down to whether we were using cheaper electricity to slowly charge at home or the office, or charging faster at one of Tesla's Superchargers. Michael Simari | Car and Driver Charging Costs Vary Widely Tooįilling the Model 3 from completely empty to full sometimes cost as little as $12. It's quick, reasonably spacious, and comfortable if a bit noisy over the road. After coming to terms with the minimalist interior and lack of gauge-cluster display in front of the driver, we generally liked the Model 3. ![]() Other than that biggie, which required a new $2500 rear-motor assembly that was replaced under warranty, our car had no major mechanical issues. Another new experience was being alerted via a mobile app that our car had a catastrophic breakdown while parked. Had we instead invested that money in Tesla stock, we could've cashed out with as much as $150,000. Paying for an option we didn't receive is definitely a first, one of many when it came to the Model 3. Well, the joke's on us, because after we spent $6000 on that option (the price is now double that) in 2019, our car came and went without ever getting it. We ordered a long-term Tesla Model 3 for one primary reason: to be able to report on using Tesla's Full Self-Driving software over time. From the May 2022 issue of Car and Driver. ![]()
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