There are all kinds of myths in public discourse about the long-term reliability of electric cars in general and Teslas in particular. "The battery is significantly weaker", "The material and workmanship are not durable", "All this technology is sure to break down quickly", - everyone has heard many of these statements before. But what does the reality look like? How does a Tesla feel after over 100.000 kilometers on?
YouTuber Andy Slye has answered exactly these questions in a video. He is his Tesla Model 3 over 100 in four years.000 miles (i.e. almost 160.000 kilometers). We have summarized the most important findings for you here.
Tesla state after 100.000 kilometers
Myth 1: Battery and tires
Fact is: Batteries actually lose capacity over time. This is due to chemical reasons and cannot be avoided today. In the case of the Model 3 tested, however, the loss over 4 years was a reasonable 2.2%.
The tires also lasted a surprisingly long time for an electric car, only after almost 60.000 kilometers - a good figure even for a combustion engine. However, if you buy a more powerful Tesla with all-wheel drive, you will probably have to change the tires much faster.
Myth 2: Workmanship
As Andy Slye stated in the video, the material and workmanship are fine, but not exactly luxurious. After 100.000 miles, one or two pieces of paneling, for example on the B-pillar, had actually come off, which certainly devalued the interior visually.
If you are used to German premium brands, you may be a little disappointed here. However, it is also worth mentioning that the test car was one of the first Model 3s to be produced. Since then, Tesla's quality is known to have improved significantly.
Myth 3: Technology
As with smartphones and tablets, it would not be surprising if the performance of the central computer or -displays would decrease over the years. According to Slye, however, this is not the case, the operation feels like the first day. In addition, the possibilities have grown steadily through constant over-the-air updates and have made the Model 3 even more interesting over time.
The performance of the Autopilot had also not decreased at all and made life with the Tesla very pleasant.
