Typically, a vehicle with more miles tends to have experienced more wear and tear. However, this isn’t necessarily the case for Tesla vehicles.
As climate change becomes increasingly evident each year, many people are turning to electric vehicles (EVs) to help reduce dependency on fossil fuels.
People are not only attracted to EVs for their environmental benefits, but also because they tend to be more cost-effective to operate and maintain their performance over time.
Take, for instance, an individual who purchased a Tesla Model 3 and has since driven it for 100,000 miles over five years.
He primarily charges his vehicle at home, which is far more economical than using Superchargers. As a result, he estimates saving around $200 monthly on fuel by switching to an EV.
However, not everyone can afford a new electric vehicle like a Tesla, prompting car expert Steve Fowler to test a nine-year-old Tesla Model S with over 250,000 miles.
The high mileage might concern some, but the driver revealed that the car’s battery retained 84 percent of its original capacity.
He also noted that in the past nine years, the only replacements the Tesla required were new tires and car mats.
“I think that’s pretty impressive,” Steve remarked about the battery condition in a video for The Independent. He added that the nine-year-old car could still achieve nearly 250 miles on a single charge.
After consulting a Tesla expert, Steve learned that such minimal battery degradation is typical for these cars, with most experiencing less than 10 percent degradation during the initial years.
While battery charging is a significant advantage of owning an EV, it can pose challenges in winter conditions.
In colder weather, car batteries may take longer to charge. However, there’s a method to accelerate the charging process.
TikToker @TrunkToFrunk shared a technique to prompt your vehicle to precondition the battery for charging.
To activate this, simply enter your destination into the Tesla’s GPS. If the system determines you lack sufficient range, you can use voice command to locate the nearest supercharger. Once you set the navigation to the closest one, your Tesla will start ‘preconditioning’ the battery by warming it for optimal charging upon arrival.