Batteries not upgradeable in the future?!

[AnOutsider]

Maybe by "size" he meant physical size/weight and not capacity?

That's what I was thinking. Oh well, if tesla doesn't, the aftermarket will.

[JakeP]

I would also wonder if this question was asked or was being answered in the context of the battery replacement insurance program.

[Al Sherman]

I'm a leapfrogger. 5 years ago I thought my Prius was the coolest car on the planet. Now i have a res for a Model S and a Model X. In 5-10 years I'm guessing I'll leapfrog again. Hopefully with Tesla. The only thing the upgrade ability will affect is the value of my Model S. Either way a new car isn't a wise investment. Do I hope Tesla gives us the ability to upgrade? Yes. Will the inability cause me NOT to leapfrog? No. I have accepted the risks of the first adopter thing.

[Zythryn]

I would also wonder if this question was asked or was being answered in the context of the battery replacement insurance program.

+1!

In addition, this is a delivery specialist, not someone that is necessarily 'in' on the long term plans and capabilities of the company.

[Zextraterrestrial]

Maybe by "size" he meant physical size/weight and not capacity?

That is only logical.
If batteries capacities change there are no problems swapping batteries. It only gets better! Even Elon hinted (If i remember correctly) at how awesome it would be able to upgrade your car with simply putting in a better cap battery

[Ceilidh]

I cannot imagine that Tesla would hogtie themselves by saying that in 8 years a battery will have to be identical to the original. In 8 years the same cells used now may not even be in production.

Personally, I am hoping that in 8 years I will purchase the largest battery Tesla is offering at the time rather than buying a whole new car. That makes the initial purchase decision a much more long term cost effective financial investment.

Having said that, by 8 years from now there probably will be someone ready to sell superbatteries that are compatible as an aftermarket add on if Tesla isn't doing it. Usually with cars, if there is a demand, then someone is ready to make a buck manufacturing something to meet that demand.

Guys (and some gals) tend to love their cars, love upgrading their cars, and love modding their cars to make them a personal vehicle that fits their personality. It would be a poor business decision to limit upgrades like that, IMHO.

Cheers.

[gg_got_a_tesla]

I think the Tesla rep may have been merely speculating there. This is rather illogical.

Having said that, my point of view is that, if I ever need to replace the pack (given degradation and such), why would I need a bigger capacity pack than what I'm going with today?!

Unless I relocate to some other (remote) part of the country, my driving habits and distances are not likely to change that much - so, if a new 60 kWh pack is more than enough for me today, I'll take a cheap, new 60 kWh pack 8 years from now.

I'm still not convinced that I should pay $10k today for a new 60 kWh pack at the 8 year mark as part of the battery replacement program but, that's another matter.

[Chas F]

I agree that the reps are more than likely discouraging the anticipation of battery replacement for the reason that it is not fiscally advantageous (at this point in time) for the company. One thing to keep clear here is that when we are talking about a "bigger" battery, we are only talking about a available capacity, i.e. same performance but more range. To throw performance increase into the equation implies a bigger current draw and has implications beyond the battery alone. Wiring infrastructure, inverter specs, control system (hardware and software) have to be re-evaluated. Not that it couldn't be done, but may be much more difficult. Perhaps the specialist assumed this is the scenario that was being discussed, leading to the best answer he/she could give today.
I believe the aftermarket will provide a few more choices around the time the warranties begin to expire. So goes this free-market system. We just may have to be prepared to accept that we will only see range improvements from the new technologies. I don't think performance enhancements to the older cars will make financial sense vs buying the car that is available at that time.

[VolkerP]

my point of view is that, if I ever need to replace the pack (given degradation and such), why would I need a bigger capacity pack than what I'm going with today?!

OK, gg, try to get a 1GB 3.5" harddrive, please. Or a 128MB DRAM bar.

I'm still not convinced that I should pay $10k today for a new 60 kWh pack at the 8 year mark as part of the battery replacement program but, that's another matter.

It is hard to judge. Might be a bargain in hindsight, but a lot of cash upfront today.

[Johan]

It is hard to judge. Might be a bargain in hindsight, but a lot of cash upfront today.

I'll take my chances on this one. If Tesla isn't offering packs I'm sure there will be after market options. If nothing else, hand in your pack to a battery shop and they can switch out the cells keeping the rest of the pack. The 18650 form factor is here to stay. Now, in 8 years the question is will the 3400mAh cells still be manufactured?