Featured Image Credit: Steve Fowler/Independent
Talk about getting bang for your buck, as one man has revealed what it's like to drive a Tesla that has a jaw-dropping 250,000 miles on the clock.
The average lifespan of an electric car is anywhere between 100,000 and 200,000 miles, with a battery lasting between eight to 15 years.
That's some improvement on the average car going for 100,000 miles for petrol and 150,000 miles for diesel, but pushing a Tesla to 250,000 must take quite some doing.
As we see the battery in our smartphones become less efficient over time, electric vehicle batteries also face the same problems.
Advert
So, you might be shocked to learn the battery life of a nine-year-old Tesla Model S that was driven by Steve Fowler. Fowler sells and services used EVs, speaking to The Independent about their benefits and how you could potentially grab a bargain on second-hand electric vehicles.
In the video, Fowler explains that while sales of new electric cars are a little slow, the used car market is 'booming'.
Discussing the cons of EVs, Fowler said: "When it comes to longevity, batteries don't always have the best reputation."
He then gets behind the wheel of the Model S, showing its 'whopping' 257,384 miles on the clock. During the car's nearly 10-year lifespan, Fowler says all the owners have replaced are the tires and the carpet mats.
Fowler was shocked to learn that while the Model S had clocked up some serious mileage, it was still working with 84% capacity on its battery. Saying, "That's pretty impressive," he goes on to explain how the car can still do the best part of 250 miles on a single charge. Going to Tesla's base in West London, he asked the professionals what they thought of the Model S' impressive lifespan.
He adds: "Tesla tells me that my 10-year-old car is nothing unusual, you'd normally see less than 10% degradation in the first few years."
"Tesla has also promised that it will continue to support older models like this one, and that includes things like software over-the-air updates."
Saying that when it comes to buying an EV and the tech, Fowler continues: "The chances are the EV could be better used than it was new. That includes the battery tech and efficiency."
Tesla has its own 'Certified Pre-Owned' scheme for reselling EVs, with each car undergoing rigorous testing and a 90-point check.
This means that every pre-owned car will get enhanced autopilot and self-parking capabilities.
In terms of 'charge anxiety', Fowler assures us it's a thing of the past thanks to one new public charger being installed every 25 minutes in the United Kingdom. America has seen the Biden-Harris Administration double the number of publicly available EV chargers, while approximately 1,000 new ones are being added every week. Like with any used car, Fowler says it’s important to do your homework, but with this one running at over 250,000 miles and still being in great condition, you might want to give EVs another chance.
