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cyb3rdud3

macrumors 601
Jun 22, 2014
4,054
2,728
UK
LOL I rest my case regarding Tesla servicing :) It is all over the place, yet things like the brake system, steering, cooling, hvac, etc aren't any different than on any other car...
 

The-Real-Deal82

macrumors P6
Jan 17, 2013
17,298
25,440
Wales, United Kingdom
Mine was two years ago and pretty simple. The fuse box had extra capacity so nothing complicated.
I’d strongly recommend getting a tethered charger. A lot less hassle. I use our untethered one at work and it’s a pain (that I’m willing to put up with for free fuel!).
Mine is a Zappi

We had an Easee charger which my wife’s work paid for and I think it was £800 all in with installation. It’s not tethered though but we didn’t want that type.
 

Apple fanboy

macrumors Ivy Bridge
Feb 21, 2012
56,914
55,855
Behind the Lens, UK
We had an Easee charger which my wife’s work paid for and I think it was £800 all in with installation. It’s not tethered though but we didn’t want that type.
Tbh I use mine so rarely I sometimes wonder why I bothered! But the cable wraps around the unit so doesn’t look too bad. Some are completely hidden now with covers.
 

diamond.g

macrumors G4
Mar 20, 2007
11,412
2,642
OBX
LOL I rest my case regarding Tesla servicing :) It is all over the place, yet things like the brake system, steering, cooling, hvac, etc aren't any different than on any other car...
to be somewhat fair, you also don't have to worry about accessory belts, timing chains, engine oil (yeah yeah i know) engine air filters, spark plugs, spark plug wires, oxygen sensors, catalytic converters being stolen, etc.
 

JT2002TJ

macrumors 68020
Nov 7, 2013
2,057
1,387
The brake lubrication service schedule is different than the brake fluid service schedule.

Fluid is check every 4 years replace as needed.
Caliper Lube is every year if in an area where roads are salted.


Edit: the fluid service interval timelines can be shortened if repeated heavy braking occurs or if you live in a humid environment.

This. Here in NY, Tesla said every 2-3 years is fine on the vehicles they see (the caliper lubrication) as long as you use the brakes every once in a while.

Brake fluid is brake fluid. Needs to be changed as it absorbs moisture.

Steering is electronic, so no fluid there. All other fluids are "lifetime".
 

JT2002TJ

macrumors 68020
Nov 7, 2013
2,057
1,387
LOL I rest my case regarding Tesla servicing :) It is all over the place, yet things like the brake system, steering, cooling, hvac, etc aren't any different than on any other car...

Brakes require WAY less servicing because they are hardly used (Tesla has one of the best 1 pedal driving), there is nothing to service with steering (no fluids), cooling (it is a lifetime fluid that never gets to ICE engine temps). HVAC, you don't have to flush radiator fluids like an engine, so no again not the same as an ICE.
 

cyb3rdud3

macrumors 601
Jun 22, 2014
4,054
2,728
UK
to be somewhat fair, you also don't have to worry about accessory belts, timing chains, engine oil (yeah yeah i know) engine air filters, spark plugs, spark plug wires, oxygen sensors, catalytic converters being stolen, etc.
Absolutely agreed. But other than the engine, on all EV you still have maintenance. I find it odd how some people suggest you don't, and even pride on it. Besides the different type of engine there are more parts common with non-EVs. Even down to rubber seals around door, windows you name it.
 

JT2002TJ

macrumors 68020
Nov 7, 2013
2,057
1,387
Nope, a relative comparison including tax remains a relative comparison including tax. Nothing changes ;) So a Plain at €123k including tax naturally should be compared against other cars that are €123k including tax...Likewise a dual motor €93K including tax can be compared against other €93K cars including tax ;) It would be silly to use the ex tax price point for one car versus including tax for another wouldn't it? Well unless one can register a car in Maryland or Guernsey or somewhere like that. But even then, relatively it remains the same comparison...

I'm not sure what you are talking about... NO ONE includes tax in the price of a car... Never... MSRP never has taxes included, since they are different everywhere. Taxes are different 20 miles north of me in CT, 30 miles west in NJ, and in every country on earth.
 

JT2002TJ

macrumors 68020
Nov 7, 2013
2,057
1,387
Absolutely agreed. But other than the engine, on all EV you still have maintenance. I find it odd how some people suggest you don't, and even pride on it. Besides the different type of engine there are more parts common with non-EVs. Even down to rubber seals around door, windows you name it.

Regular maintenance for an ICE vehicle essentially IS the engine and things associated with running it (excluding differentials)...

No one ever has called door seals a maintenance item... There are defective items, but they are not called maintenance items. There is no service intervals for door seals, and window motors.
 
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cyb3rdud3

macrumors 601
Jun 22, 2014
4,054
2,728
UK
Brakes require WAY less servicing because they are hardly used (Tesla has one of the best 1 pedal driving), there is nothing to service with steering (no fluids), cooling (it is a lifetime fluid that never gets to ICE engine temps). HVAC, you don't have to flush radiator fluids like an engine, so no again not the same as an ICE.
A common misconception, just because you have blended or other forms of breaking (Tesla OPD is actually relatively new even, yet everyone seems to talk about it like it was always there) doesn't mean brakes don't need servicing. Time will do that for fluids with hygroscopic qualities whether you use it or not.

Same with steering, just because some models have fully electric mechanical linkages doesn't mean it doesn't need maintenance. Just means the fluids don't need changing.

And lifetime fluids, yeah, ahem, nope. Sorry but they do need changing, just like those gearboxes from BMW or Range Rover, or Porsche are sealed for life, you better change the fluids if you want them to grow old and stay fluid (pun intenden). And yes EV have radiators as well. For HVAC they also have airconditioning gases and so on...
 

cyb3rdud3

macrumors 601
Jun 22, 2014
4,054
2,728
UK
I'm not sure what you are talking about... NO ONE includes tax in the price of a car... Never... MSRP never has taxes included, since they are different everywhere. Taxes are different 20 miles north of me in CT, 30 miles west in NJ, and in every country on earth.
Nope not true, just in the USA...Taxes are only not included when you are a business buyer in most countries in the world.
 

I7guy

macrumors Nehalem
Nov 30, 2013
35,142
25,216
Gotta be in it to win it
A common misconception, just because you have blended or other forms of breaking (Tesla OPD is actually relatively new even, yet everyone seems to talk about it like it was always there) doesn't mean brakes don't need servicing. Time will do that for fluids with hygroscopic qualities whether you use it or not.

Same with steering, just because some models have fully electric mechanical linkages doesn't mean it doesn't need maintenance. Just means the fluids don't need changing.

And lifetime fluids, yeah, ahem, nope. Sorry but they do need changing, just like those gearboxes from BMW or Range Rover, or Porsche are sealed for life, you better change the fluids if you want them to grow old and stay fluid (pun intenden). And yes EV have radiators as well. For HVAC they also have airconditioning gases and so on...
The recommended maintenance for a TM3 according to Tesla:
- brake fluid check every 4 years
- AC desiccant bag 4 years
- Cabin filter 2 years
- Brake caliper check every year or 12,500 miles if driven in an area that uses salt
- Tire rotation every 6250

We’ll take cabin filter and tire rotation off the list since they aren’t unique to any car manufacturer.

Anything else is a service on your car. And again, picking on the TM3, there are a bunch of things that can happen to cause unscheduled service as the car isn’t devoid of moving parts and things do break. But hopefully in a new vehicle that is a warranty service but that is not the conversation.
 
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I7guy

macrumors Nehalem
Nov 30, 2013
35,142
25,216
Gotta be in it to win it
The plan is to get an EV this summer, and an i4 M50 is on the short list. With the tech changing so rapidly, I'm guessing it makes sense to just lease it? I figure it's also wise to always have a German car under warranty. :p

Also, what have you guys been paying to have a charger installed in the garage? I'm sure it's pretty variable depending on the complexity of the install, but we don't move into our new house until the end of July so I can't get someone out to get us a real estimate. The house is 200A so I should be okay there, but I'm guessing they'll need to get 240V from the box in the basement up to the garage. A grand? Five grand?
$1200 for a NEMA 14-50 outlet. (The good kind of Mema 14-50 outlet)
 
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I7guy

macrumors Nehalem
Nov 30, 2013
35,142
25,216
Gotta be in it to win it
Funny this condition "if in areas where they use salt on the roads". Isn't Tesla brake hydraulics hygroscopic? That would be awesome, but I doubt it.

Seriously though, I've looked at a number of Tesla second hand cars (and new one). I think they've got the service schedule very wrong as my gosh there are a lot of sheds. Also they eat through bushes, eat tyres with the geometry setup, and driveshaft vibrations are crazy. Every single time I test drove one the vibrations were there.

Nope, a relative comparison including tax remains a relative comparison including tax. Nothing changes ;) So a Plain at €123k including tax naturally should be compared against other cars that are €123k including tax...Likewise a dual motor €93K including tax can be compared against other €93K cars including tax ;) It would be silly to use the ex tax price point for one car versus including tax for another wouldn't it? Well unless one can register a car in Maryland or Guernsey or somewhere like that. But even then, relatively it remains the same comparison...
I don’t know how the roads are where you are nor how people drive, but me being on the east coast of the US do not know any Tesla owners where tires are eaten through or there is a drivetrain vibration. If you flog any car hard enough it will ear through tires - you know those people who treat their cars as if they had two speeds, on or off.

And those people whose cars can do that type of acceleration, the tires are just as expensive as EV tires. My son just had the tires on his civic replace and the total cost was a bit under $250 a tire. The tires on my TM3 are $350 installed.
 

avro707

macrumors 68020
Dec 13, 2010
2,255
1,650
And those people whose cars can do that type of acceleration, the tires are just as expensive as EV tires. My son just had the tires on his civic replace and the total cost was a bit under $250 a tire. The tires on my TM3 are $350 installed.
I suspect that is a lot of the issues with EV tyre wear, among the faster EVs - people love the dragster acceleration and use it all the time and that punishes the tyres.
 

Tagbert

macrumors 603
Jun 22, 2011
6,237
7,271
Seattle
Nope not true, just in the USA...Taxes are only not included when you are a business buyer in most countries in the world.
In the US, taxes are not included in advertised prices. One reason is that the tax rate, which ranges from about 0 - 10%, various across many localities. Each state has different tax rates and then individual cites can levy their own additional taxes. It would be complicated to get the prices right if you included taxes.
 

AlaskaMoose

macrumors 68040
Apr 26, 2008
3,585
13,429
Alaska
There are a lot of options now.



That is why I said "(almost none)". Maintenace for Tesla's are Brake service every 2 years (if in areas where they use salt on the roads), air filters every 2 years, Hepa filter every 4 years, 12V battery every 3-4 years ($120 installed by Tesla) if you don't have the newer 16V batteries, and lastly washer fluid. I don't know anyone who has had to replace brake shoes with <150k miles

My last 3-series was a long list, my A4, I can't even easily list them there was so much.



A TM S/X Plaid is $90k. A regular S/X starts just under $70k (€54k)... So less than 1/2 of what you are saying.
The cabin air filter should be replaced a least once per year. If you drive your car in a dusty environment, then you may have to replace the cabin air filter more often. It is not only dust and larger particles from tree leaves and such that accumulate on the top surface of the filter, but bacteria can grow in the air vents and filter. This bacteria produces a very unpleasant smell. When this happens it is best to replace the filter, plus also spray one of the numerous AC ducts (vents) with a deodorizer made for this purpose.
 

groovebuster

macrumors 65816
Jan 22, 2002
1,250
101
3rd rock from the sun...
I have a traditional combustion engine car. Bought it 6.5 years ago (new) and since I take very good care of my stuff, it is still in a very good condition. I don't see any reason to buy an EV any time soon. To produce a new car costs a lot of energy. So much, that it doesn't make any sense to replace an existing car in a good condition from an ecological point of view. The costs for buying the EV are also significant. I get 38mpg out of my car (no, not a Diesel), which is not too shabby. A broken battery is still the death penalty for an EV these days (a new battery in most cases costs as much as a new car). Way too risky in my book.

Maybe in 10 years, when my current car will become too unreliable, I will take a look at the EV market again... Hopefully we will have the next generation EVs then, without the flaws today's models still have.
 

diamond.g

macrumors G4
Mar 20, 2007
11,412
2,642
OBX
I suspect that is a lot of the issues with EV tyre wear, among the faster EVs - people love the dragster acceleration and use it all the time and that punishes the tyres.
I'm not sure how many folks realize that OE EV tires tend to not have the same tread depth as the off the shelf version.

Tire pricing IIRC is basically a wash, as far as OE vs Non-OE is concerned. Now tire sizes and types matter a lot. Tesla's use fairly expensive tires, most econo-boxes do not. I'd say Teslas are closer to BMW or Mercedes on tire choices and pricing than Honda or Toyota.
 
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The-Real-Deal82

macrumors P6
Jan 17, 2013
17,298
25,440
Wales, United Kingdom
A broken battery is still the death penalty for an EV these days (a new battery in most cases costs as much as a new car). Way too risky in my book.

Maybe in 10 years, when my current car will become too unreliable, I will take a look at the EV market again... Hopefully we will have the next generation EVs then, without the flaws today's models still have.
I can’t think of any EV manufacturers who do not provide a battery warranty? Most are 7 to 10 years or 100k+ miles, which ever comes first. Batteries also aren’t the price of a new car and in many cases they are around £5k to £8k. I still see people quoting that batteries cost £20k but now with the EV segment growing rapidly, the cost of parts comes down. I haven’t heard of anybody having a whopping bill for a battery except for these sorts of claims on social media from EV doubters to be honest. Buy wise like with any car and you’ll be fine.
 

JT2002TJ

macrumors 68020
Nov 7, 2013
2,057
1,387
The cabin air filter should be replaced a least once per year. If you drive your car in a dusty environment, then you may have to replace the cabin air filter more often. It is not only dust and larger particles from tree leaves and such that accumulate on the top surface of the filter, but bacteria can grow in the air vents and filter. This bacteria produces a very unpleasant smell. When this happens it is best to replace the filter, plus also spray one of the numerous AC ducts (vents) with a deodorizer made for this purpose.

My TMY has a Hepa pre-filter. The cabin filter is between the pre-filter and the cabin. You can clearly tell when the cabin filter in a TM3/Y needs to be changed, the cabin starts to smell like someone left dirty socks inside. The smell is more noticeable when the ac is first turned on.

Yesterday during these messages, I had Tesla Mobile service replace the original cabin filters in my 2021 TMY. They came out to my car in my work parking lot in Brooklyn NYC and changed the 2 cabin filters for $82.09 (including tax). Before someone complains about the $82.09 price, the 2 filters come to a total of $34, labor was $41 for someone to drive out to my vehicle and swap the filters.

I have done the filters on my TM3, you have to remove the passenger side kick panel, remove a trim piece in the center section to the left of the passenger's feet, remove a cover and change the filters. On the older vehicles like my 2019 TM3, the screw that holds the filter cover on is WAY up and a PITA to change. They have since put the bolt on the bottom. Either way, it is well worth the $41 to have someone do it while I'm working.
 
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JT2002TJ

macrumors 68020
Nov 7, 2013
2,057
1,387
I can’t think of any EV manufacturers who do not provide a battery warranty? Most are 7 to 10 years or 100k+ miles, which ever comes first. Batteries also aren’t the price of a new car and in many cases they are around £5k to £8k. I still see people quoting that batteries cost £20k but now with the EV segment growing rapidly, the cost of parts comes down. I haven’t heard of anybody having a whopping bill for a battery except for these sorts of claims on social media from EV doubters to be honest. Buy wise like with any car and you’ll be fine.

x2. I have seen TM3 battery replacement receipts posted on Tesla forums at or under $12k. There is no way to get a new TM3 for $12k... It would be hard enough to find a USED TM3 for that price...
 

wonderings

macrumors 6502a
Nov 19, 2021
954
946
Looking at getting a Tesla Y Long Range through work. Did a test drive yesterday and it certain takes getting used to a very different approach to how a car is laid out, or not laid out and everything just digital. One pedal breaking took a bit to get used to but in the end I really liked it. Did a test drive of the Y as well as the new model 3. 3 is way to small for me, but very smooth and the power was insane. It was the long range version. I really liked the feel of the Y, and loved even more the self driving. This would get used daily for my hour long drive to work through quiet country roads.
 

stevemiller

macrumors 68020
Oct 27, 2008
2,057
1,607
Just added my name to the long waiting list at the dealership for a Prius Prime. I've had my Prius C for 12 years now with zero complaints, and the Prime felt like a good next step in the direction of going electric. I do think I'll miss the compact cuteness of the C.
 
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JT2002TJ

macrumors 68020
Nov 7, 2013
2,057
1,387
Looking at getting a Tesla Y Long Range through work. Did a test drive yesterday and it certain takes getting used to a very different approach to how a car is laid out, or not laid out and everything just digital. One pedal breaking took a bit to get used to but in the end I really liked it. Did a test drive of the Y as well as the new model 3. 3 is way to small for me, but very smooth and the power was insane. It was the long range version. I really liked the feel of the Y, and loved even more the self driving. This would get used daily for my hour long drive to work through quiet country roads.

I made the move to Teslas because of 2 things, the price was on par with vehicles in my price range (3-series, C-class, A4), and the fact that they had Autopilot/Full Self Driving Beta. I commute 26 miles each way to work, which accounts for 3 hours a day (1 hr in early in the morning, and 2 hrs home). I use FSDb, or now known as FSD Supervised for around 90% of my driving. It honestly makes life SO MUCH easier. I am less stressed when I get home.

To address getting used to the layout and lack of buttons. It really is something you get used to. It takes time to setup your profile, but once setup you really don't miss buttons. Everything just works. I personally think Telsa's UI is the best in the business, if it wasn't, it would be a serious problem. You need buttons when the UI isn't as good as it is.
 
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