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maintenance costs each year ?

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vince198

New Member
Feb 23, 2010
2
1
hi,

I would be glad to know, how much are the average maintenance costs of the tesla roadster are ? can you calculate that?

for example the battery lasts for 7 years I heard. So I have no costs in rely on batteries for the first 7 years

would be great If I can get a exact value.
 
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Assuming an average 10,000 miles per year, a 7 year battery life:

Battery cost up-front: $12,000
Rear tires last 7,500 miles Yokohama Neova AD07 LTS: $270 each
Front tires last 20,000 $192 each
Washer bottle fluid $5
Annual inspection by Tesla $0-a few hundred depending on if you take it to them or they come to you.

So that's about $1,714 for battery, $867 for tires and $5 for sundry items = $2,586.

I'll skip insurance at ~$1,000 per year as that's so variable.

How does that compare to a 911 GT3?
 
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Annual inspection by Tesla $0-a few hundred depending on if you take it to them or they come to you.

The annual inspection is included (besides getting the car to them, or them to the car)? I don't remember that being spelled out anywhere (maybe I haven't paid enough attention). Mine is just under 6 months away from its first annual inspection.
 
The annual inspection is included (besides getting the car to them, or them to the car)? I don't remember that being spelled out anywhere (maybe I haven't paid enough attention). Mine is just under 6 months away from its first annual inspection.

you mean you do not have to pay for the annual inspection?
it´s included at all?

I just want to know exactely the average annual maintenance costs of the tesla roadster. so I know the battery costs me 12.000 bucks at the 7th year, so for a year it would be 1714 bucks, only for the battery. what about normal maintenance costs each year, like (inspection, fluids,etc.)

so 1714 + other maintenance costs (other costs excepting tires, insurance, electricity)

thank you for that
 
servicef.jpg


Annual Inspection Checklist:

1. Inspect operation of all parts of the car electrically including lights

2. Evacuate and recharge the A/C refrigerant

3. Check chassis/tires/brakes

4. Remove PEM and clean air cooled heat sinks

5. Test motor and cable integrity

6. Update firmware level

7. Reset service indicator

8. Apply all outstanding bulletin/campaigns

9. Charge Battery

10. Clean car


Some Service FAQs:

Q: Why do you check the HVAC charge? No other OEM’s recommend regular A/C service?

A: True, other OEMs recommend HVAC service as needed, but not as part of regular scheduled service. On Tesla Roadsters, we rely on HVAC to cool the battery during charge. If the HVAC is undercharged or not functioning properly, it may cause charging issues. It is important to know the system is properly functioning properly so charging is not affected.

Q: Why do we remove the PEM during service?

A: The PEM is air cooled and the heat sinks used for cooling are on the underside. To access these, we must remove the PEM and turn it upside down. At this point we check the motor and cable too. A high level of current is passed through the motor cable. If any degradation exists, the cable may breakdown over time and cause the car to not drive. It is possible through testing to mitigate this .

Q: Why does the brake fluid need changing every two years regardless of mileage?

A: Brake fluid is hydroscopic, which means it absorbs water. Over time the brake fluid will accumulate moisture. When the brakes are operated they generate high temps in the brake fluid. If moisture exists, it may cause the water to boil and steam and cause an air pocket in the fluid line. The result may be a spongy pedal or brake problem.

In a nut shell, you can drive this vehicle 15,000 + miles a year for less than $1,200 ($0.03 mile x 15,000 = $450 + $599 annual service)... less than what it costs to fuel most sports cars on a yearly basis!

Hope this helps...
 
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In a nut shell, you can drive this vehicle 15,000 + miles a year for less than $1,200 ($0.03 mile x 15,000 = $450 + $599 annual service)... less than what it costs to fuel most sports cars on a yearly basis!

Not that it makes a significant difference, but I thought that annual service was one year or 12,000 miles (not 15,000).

The 2010 Owner's Manual:
Take your vehicle to Tesla Motors at the
regularly scheduled maintenance intervals of
every 12 months, or every 12,000 miles
(20,000 kms), whichever comes first.
 
Not that it makes a significant difference, but I thought that annual service was one year or 12,000 miles (not 15,000).

I was using the 15,000 mile example for the energy usage calculation which is shown on the EPA labels within Monroney Labels affixed to all new cars.

If you did it based on 12,000 miles year it would be ($0.03/mi x 12,000) + $599 = $959
 
Thanks Seneca_Chicago, add $600 to my number for service then; so:

So that's about $1,714 for battery, $867 for tires, $599 service and $5 for sundry items = $3,185 per annum.

Let's add fuel for that 10,000 miles. At a hearty 280wh/mile (I range from 190-350 depending upon mood), that's another $336 at $0.12 per unit of electricity.

(compared to a 18mpg GT3 at $2.80/gal that's $1,556)

The grand total then:
$1,714 for battery, $867 for tires, $599 service, $336 for power and $5 for sundry items = $3,521 per annum.
 
Thanks Seneca_Chicago, add $600 to my number for service then; so:

So that's about $1,714 for battery, $867 for tires, $599 service and $5 for sundry items = $3,185 per annum.

Let's add fuel for that 10,000 miles. At a hearty 280wh/mile (I range from 190-350 depending upon mood), that's another $336 at $0.12 per unit of electricity.

(compared to a 18mpg GT3 at $2.80/gal that's $1,556)

The grand total then:
$1,714 for battery, $867 for tires, $599 service, $336 for power and $5 for sundry items = $3,521 per annum.

Not everyone purchases the Battery Replacement option or replaces tires annually which would significantly lower your annualized cost to $940. Your scenario is an "all-in" case and everyone's is different. But the old adage seems to apply nonetheless; "you've got to pay to play"
 
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Thanks Seneca_Chicago, add $600 to my number for service then; so:

So that's about $1,714 for battery, $867 for tires, $599 service and $5 for sundry items = $3,185 per annum.

Let's add fuel for that 10,000 miles. At a hearty 280wh/mile (I range from 190-350 depending upon mood), that's another $336 at $0.12 per unit of electricity.

(compared to a 18mpg GT3 at $2.80/gal that's $1,556)

The grand total then:
$1,714 for battery, $867 for tires, $599 service, $336 for power and $5 for sundry items = $3,521 per annum.

This comparison with a GT3 intrigued me as I have a friend who is looking to purchase a GT3 in about the next six months.

When I found out he was very seriously looking into getting a GT3 I brought up the Tesla Roadster and how it's a great car that's more fun to drive than a 911 Turbo, GT3, or practically any other sports car due to it's instant and constant torque, among other things.

His first question was "How far will it go?", I told him "about 230 miles" and he said "I couldn't even drive it to Cedar City", which is about 240 miles from where he lives.

I'm not sure how often he drives down to Cedar City but I don't think it's very often. I'm trying to convince him to get a Tesla Roadster instead of a GT3 but I'm not having much luck. The only argument I've heard out of him against getting a Roadster is the range, maybe if I can convince him to go to Colorado for a test drive he'll change his mind. :tongue:
 
Get him behind the wheel!

On maintenance.

Rear tires every 5000 miles. Fronts at 10,000.


Q: Why do we remove the PEM during service? A good cleaning. Those heatsinks underneath need to be kept free of dustbunnies.



Be careful with that battery price. It's only 12K if you buy it now. We don't know how long that offer will last or when now becomes the future. :confused:

That is, if you prepay for a battery it's 12K. If you get a new one 7 years from now without prepaying, it may well be 30K. It's an unreleased number. -On the good side, that expensive battery will most likely have at least 20 percent more range than today's batteries. Try that in your GT3.
 
I'm planning to go to lunch with him tomorrow so I'll talk to him about it, especially if he brings the GT3 up. Unless he changes his mind on spending in the Roadster/Roadster Sport range for a car I'll see if I can convince him to make a trip to Colorado for a test drive.

This is a bit pre-mature (and sorry to go a little OT) but if someone in Utah has a Roadster that they wouldn't mind letting him test drive that would be even better than making a trip to Colorado. Send me a PM and we can exchange contact information if it works out that he wants to test drive one.

Whatever he decides to do I'll be sure to keep the forum updated.
 
Those Yokohama (Neova Advan AD07) production batches are erratic. I know someone whose rears lasted 14k miles and could have gone another 1k; same Roadster's original front Yokos are doing very well at 20k. A different owner experienced first new rears at 15k, but needed new ones again at 20k (little change, if any, in driving pattern or style).
 
... -On the good side, that expensive battery will most likely have at least 20 percent more range than today's batteries. Try that in your GT3.

I find this to be one of the coolest attributes to the Roadster. The modular design allows one to easily upgrade to something better in the future. Hopefully Tesla will make upgradeable parts for interested parties and offer them for sale.
 
per mike/km

Looks like 32c per mile or 20c per km. Not bad at all for a high end sports car.

- mnx



Thanks Seneca_Chicago, add $600 to my number for service then; so:

So that's about $1,714 for battery, $867 for tires, $599 service and $5 for sundry items = $3,185 per annum.

Let's add fuel for that 10,000 miles. At a hearty 280wh/mile (I range from 190-350 depending upon mood), that's another $336 at $0.12 per unit of electricity.

(compared to a 18mpg GT3 at $2.80/gal that's $1,556)

The grand total then:
$1,714 for battery, $867 for tires, $599 service, $336 for power and $5 for sundry items = $3,521 per annum.
 
Battery Life/Cost

I was in one of the showrooms last week and was told the estimated battery life is about 100,000 miles with the replacement cost estimated (they do not have an exact cost) at somewhere between $30,000-$40,000. Even if you assume it'll take you 10 years to get there, the idea of having to pay that much to have a functioning vehicle is a bit daunting.

hi,

I would be glad to know, how much are the average maintenance costs of the tesla roadster are ? can you calculate that?

for example the battery lasts for 7 years I heard. So I have no costs in rely on batteries for the first 7 years

would be great If I can get a exact value.
 
I had a test drive 2 weeks ago and aske dabout range & battery replacement. Sales guy said that $12k (when you buy the car) will get you a replacement of the SAME CAPACITY in 7-10 yrs or 100k miles. So if you have a 2010 w/244 mi range (at 30-40mph) when you replace it in 2017 you will get a pack with the same range.

Being a recovering engineer, I know tech advances every 18-24 months so capacity and capabilities will have improved at least 3 times by the time you are ready for replacement. If batteries follow memory & disk storage trends, we are looking at a 400% increase in capacity for the same price.
 
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I was told when I took my test drive that if you pre-bought a new battery, when the time came to get a new one, it would be their latest and greatest technology.

Another thing to consider about pre-buying a battery is manufacturing costs will almost certainly be less in the future (and perhaps materials), so they may actually be less expensive than they are now.
 
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