A Tesla Owner Reveals Battery Condition After 250,000 km and Five Years of Fast Charging

A prospective car buyer typically examines the features of a vehicle thoroughly to ensure it meets their needs and intended use. The goal is to minimise future issues and ensure it fits all requirements.

Beyond conventional brands, cars like those from Tesla also pique the interest of motor enthusiasts due to their technical specifications. In this regard, Lawrence, a Tesla owner, showcased the condition of his car five years later on the YouTube channel 'Tesla Joy'. The video was uploaded a year ago, so this model is now approaching its sixth year.

This is a Tesla Model 3 from September 2018. The owner has driven approximately 155,000 miles, which equates to 250,000 kilometres.

One concern about electric cars is battery endurance. In his case, he notes a loss of between 8% and 10% capacity, although the Tesla Tessie app indicates a loss of around 11%. Lawrence explains that he expected newer models to lose less, but they perform similarly.

In this instance, the owner explains he cannot use slow charging, so he relies on supercharging. "People say supercharging is bad or worse for the battery, but I wanted to measure and compare with others who use slow charging, but there doesn't seem to be much difference. Maybe one or two percent," he highlights.

This Tesla user notes that after five years, he hasn't replaced the original battery: "I haven't done much maintenance until 233,000 kilometres." He assures that his intention was to see how far the car could go with basic or minimal maintenance.

During nearly three years of using this car, Lawrence mentions he has encountered few problems and shares the total cost of repairs he has had to undertake.

The first issue, related to the battery, was the replacement of the charging plug, which cost about $600. He also replaced the 12-volt battery for around $125 and changed the upper control arms due to squeaking for a few hundred dollars. "The total expense has been about $1,000," the owner states.

Regarding the tyres, the car originally came with Michelin 4S, but he didn't find them necessary and opted for more economical brands.

This driver states that after five years, he still "loves" driving the vehicle. After this time, "everything remains 99%" similar to when it was new. The car's wear is almost the same, it's easy to clean, slightly worn but very good, and you don't notice much of the car's age," he concludes.