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2008 Vin #314 with only 429 miles

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autos.aol.com Tesla-Roadster-2008

$90,000
Location: Charleston, SC, 29407
Mileage: 429
Exterior Color: not provided
Interior Color: not provided
Engine: Electric
Transmission: Automatic
Body Style: Convertible

Details: Air Conditioning, Anti-lock Brakes, Front Airbags (Driver), Front Side Airbags (Driver), Heated Seats, Power Seat (Driver), Power Windows, Traction/Stability Control
VIN: 5YJRE11B981000314
 
http://palmetto-ford-lincoln-mercury-2.site.webmakerx.net/Preowned-Inventory/2008_Tesla_Roadster_Charleston_5YJRE11B981000314.aspx
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Who owns a car like this and only puts 429 miles on it in 2-3 years?

Speculators? (If so, it didn't quite work out for them.)
People with large car collections?
I bet there are some people with 6 different houses spread around the world each with a Roadster in the garage in case they visit.
To some it could have been a status symbol just to have it parked in the driveway even if they weren't using it.

Hopefully the next owner puts it to good use.
 
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Speculators? (If so, it didn't quite work out for them.)
People with large car collections?
To some it could have been a status symbol just to have it parked in the driveway even if they weren't using it.

Occasionally Tesla checks in on cars that should be up for service. They will drive the cars than need miles. Like any other car, EVs need to be driven.
 
Occasionally Tesla checks in on cars that should be up for service. They will drive the cars than need miles. Like any other car, EVs need to be driven.

Probably less so than a gas car, but still all cars have tires that can develop flat spots, and most have lubricants in bearings and gearboxes that ought to circulate once and a while.
 
Actually they said it was more about the battery.

Hmm. I wonder how that works. From what I have read, (properly treated) batteries are degraded mainly on two factors:
cycle life, and calendar life. So the Roadster pack will wear out eventually if just left sitting after some time even with no usage.
By running down the battery then back up again repeatedly also wears it out.
So, I always assumed that a Roadster left in a proper storage mode, able to keep the batteries at a proper SOC would only be battling the (relatively fixed) calendar life clock.
Why would not using it, assuming that it has proper maintenance charge, harm the batteries?
Anyone know?
 
Why would not using it, assuming that it has proper maintenance charge, harm the batteries?
Anyone know?
Batteries are really just a bunch of chemicals. There are many chemicals which react and deteriorate over time; batteries are no exception. Any amount of heat at all can be a catalyst for chemical reaction (change). Now, if you were somehow able to maintain the batteries at 0° Kelvin, then perhaps there would be absolutely no chemical change and they would maintain their initial state forever, but considering that a frozen battery (273°K) is at severe risk of damage, then I doubt it would even be possible to preserve a battery that way.
 
Which doesn't seem to explain why an unused battery sitting in a partially discharged state would age any faster than one that is being cycled. I know with the LiFePO4 cells the recommendation for storage is discharge to around 50% SOC and cooler temperatures and ignore them. Cycling cells physically stresses them. My guess, since the Roadster uses power even at rest the cells are charging and discharging somewhat even in storage mode. Over time without being taken to a higher state of charge where balancing occurs the cells could get out of balance. A full cycle or two every now and then would allow full balancing as well as show up any weak cells.
 
Which doesn't seem to explain why an unused battery sitting in a partially discharged state would age any faster than one that is being cycled.
Hmm, I have not seen any claims that an unused battery deteriorates faster than one that is used. I merely thought that people generally expect a battery to maintain its health if unused, but unfortunately it still wears out, although I assume much more slowly. If you have a link to information (preferably from Tesla Motors) claiming that leaving the Roadster sitting unused will age its battery faster than normal use, then please let me know.

I know with the LiFePO4 cells the recommendation for storage is discharge to around 50% SOC and cooler temperatures and ignore them.
Basically the same as the Tesla Roadster Storage Mode, which allows the SOC to drop to 50% and then maintains it there.

My guess, since the Roadster uses power even at rest the cells are charging and discharging somewhat even in storage mode. Over time without being taken to a higher state of charge where balancing occurs the cells could get out of balance. A full cycle or two every now and then would allow full balancing as well as show up any weak cells.
Does anyone have numbers on how high the SOC must be for balancing to occur? Also, what damage occurs if cells are unbalanced? As far as I understand, the 69 paralleled cells in a brick would automatically balance, and the 99 series bricks should not really care whether they all have balanced voltages - unless, of course, one brick could drift significantly above or below the ideal 50% SOC for storage (but I assume that 50% target has a high degree of slop ... it doesn't have to be precisely 50%, does it?).
 
I don't have any information that an unused cell would age faster than a used one, I'm just speculating as to why Tesla would recommend occasionally driving a car in storage because of the batteries as was suggested.
Yes the paralleled cells are essentially a single cell as far as balancing is concerned and can be treated as such. 50% SOC for storage is not an absolute, 30% SOC would probably be just as good, but you do want to allow some capacity for self discharge or the car losing charge power for some reason. The series bricks being balanced only really matters near the bottom and top SOC. If your car has been sitting for a long time without being charged up enough to balance the cells and then you go for a drive it's possible that some of the series bricks are out of balance and are at different SOC. That means some of them could be driven down to a very low SOC, or even zero, which is not good. I'm pretty sure the BMS would not allow this and would stop the car but you might be left stranded prematurely. Other than maintaining balance I don't understand why a stored Roadster should be driven occasionally to protect the pack.
 
I got my 1 year old 2.0 with 470 miles for $95k - sport model, hardtop, hpc, premium paint, etc. so definitely overpriced for a 1.5 non sport.
But definitely negotiate because the listing price isn't final - I had to haggle too ;)