Hi everyone,
My wife and I have been considering buying a Model S, so far so good. We did a test drive of the car and we just loved it. The Tesla-grin was painted on our faces for days afterwards. But the car is so incredibly expensive that we have to think about how long it will last.
Our goal would be to basically make the Model S the last car we ever buy, which for us means an expected lifespan of 30-40 years. Now obviously no car will ever run that long without some serious maintenance and maybe a few upgrades along the way.
Here are a few thoughts:
1. We would buy a S85 as it already has insanely unrealistic performance and even with 50% capacity would cover our driving needs.
2. The battery pack will probably have to be replaced 3-4 times over the lifespan of the car.
3. The suspension will have to be rebuilt probably several times over. (this is a job I am quite comfortable doing myself).
4. I expect to redo the interior at least once over the lifespan of the car.
The upsides to the Model S as I see them:
1. Aluminum construction, it won't rust away. The paint might get horrible but thats another matter.
2. Electric motors are extremely hard to kill and with maintenance it could probably run for that long.
3. Very modular construction, drive units, batteries and many other parts are easily replaceable.
4. Simple car compared to an ICE (as a hobby mechanic/software engineer I marvel at how simple and elegant the Model S is. A credit to Teslas engineering prowess).
5. It's unlikely that electricity goes away, there will always be a power plug unless civilization has collapsed, and then we have a whole different set of problems.
Things that I think could kill the Tesla:
1. No spare parts available. (IE. Tesla goes out of business and no parts from 3rd parties)
2. Legislation. If cars become fully autonomous a manually driven Tesla might be illegal on the roads.
3. Crash/accident. This may total the vehicle, but it would be covered by insurance.
So I would ask you to post your thoughts on running a Model S for 30-40 years. Ideas, things to consider, problems. Let me know what you think, even if you just think that we are insane
Cheers
/Michael
My wife and I have been considering buying a Model S, so far so good. We did a test drive of the car and we just loved it. The Tesla-grin was painted on our faces for days afterwards. But the car is so incredibly expensive that we have to think about how long it will last.
Our goal would be to basically make the Model S the last car we ever buy, which for us means an expected lifespan of 30-40 years. Now obviously no car will ever run that long without some serious maintenance and maybe a few upgrades along the way.
Here are a few thoughts:
1. We would buy a S85 as it already has insanely unrealistic performance and even with 50% capacity would cover our driving needs.
2. The battery pack will probably have to be replaced 3-4 times over the lifespan of the car.
3. The suspension will have to be rebuilt probably several times over. (this is a job I am quite comfortable doing myself).
4. I expect to redo the interior at least once over the lifespan of the car.
The upsides to the Model S as I see them:
1. Aluminum construction, it won't rust away. The paint might get horrible but thats another matter.
2. Electric motors are extremely hard to kill and with maintenance it could probably run for that long.
3. Very modular construction, drive units, batteries and many other parts are easily replaceable.
4. Simple car compared to an ICE (as a hobby mechanic/software engineer I marvel at how simple and elegant the Model S is. A credit to Teslas engineering prowess).
5. It's unlikely that electricity goes away, there will always be a power plug unless civilization has collapsed, and then we have a whole different set of problems.
Things that I think could kill the Tesla:
1. No spare parts available. (IE. Tesla goes out of business and no parts from 3rd parties)
2. Legislation. If cars become fully autonomous a manually driven Tesla might be illegal on the roads.
3. Crash/accident. This may total the vehicle, but it would be covered by insurance.
So I would ask you to post your thoughts on running a Model S for 30-40 years. Ideas, things to consider, problems. Let me know what you think, even if you just think that we are insane
Cheers
/Michael