An EV in Every Garage

[Caribbeans]

25. Lots of people at TeslaMotorsClub would like to know why their battery didn't last 15-20 years

Batteries last 15-20 years, longer than most cars.

The engine in most cars built since around 1990 lasts 3-400,000 miles or more, if properly maintained - regardless of the length of time it takes for that vehicle to travel 3-400k miles.

A battery starts dying the instant it comes off the assembly line. Battery degradation is subject to both cycles and time.

This isn't discussed much because companies like Tesla don't want to talk about it. And they damn sure don't want the public talking about it.

Here's a Tesla Owners forum searched for "HV Battery replacement" (HV=High Voltage, the 12v battery goes dead and must be replaced after 1-2 years)

https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/search/7476134/?q=HV+Battery+replacement&o=relevance

Current costs to replace a Tesla HV battery are ~$15,000 remanufactured (junk with a limited warranty) and ~$23,000 for a new one. And no you don't get to keep the dead one. Also, as of a few years ago, recycling of these dead batteries costs ~$3,000 PER BATTERY. Lots of people think they will just hook it up to their house (but they will have to pay core charges!) and turn the dead battery into a house backup system. The problem is that most home insurance companies will either not allow that or insist that that dead battery be inspected and certified. Since these batteries weigh around 1200 pounds it's not like you can throw it into the back of a pickup and cart it off to the inspector.