While gasoline and diesel vehicles have proven to be long-lasting, the future of electric vehicles is still up in the air.
A California based company known as Tesloop got into the limelight a few years ago due to its Tesla Model S. This car dubbed eHawk had been driven more than 643k kilometers by the shuttle service provider.
Throughout the three years, the company kept track of all expenses. The total operational costs were €56,873 (£48,243), which equates to €0.088 (£0.075) per km.
These were impressive figures, especially considering that a Lincoln Town Car would have cost €26,541 more.
Status Of Batteries?
Batteries are the most vulnerable part of EVs. That’s why Tesloop had to change the batteries of eHawk twice.
The first battery pack was replaced at 312 kilometers and the second was replaced at 521k kilometers.
After nearly 321k kilometers, the first battery pack only showed a 6% degradation. The second battery pack, on the other hand, showed significant signs of deterioration, having lost 22% of its health after 521k kilometers.
It was later discovered that such a significant decline in battery health was caused by faulty battery voltage assembly.
Factors Of Battery Health Degradation
The company’s practice of fast charging the batteries several times per day was a major factor in their rapid deterioration.
Tesla itself suggests not to fast charge the battery up 100%. Besides this, it also recommends that the battery should not be fast-charged every day.
Car’s Interior
Tesloop had done an excellent job of maintaining the eHawk’s interior. The seats appeared to be clean and in good condition. So good in fact that they don’t need any treatment for the next several years.
This is especially impressive given that Tesloop is a shuttle service provider, and thousands of customers must have used the vehicle during its three-year 643k kilometers journey.
Another Example Of High Distance
Tesloop’s Model S isn’t the only Tesla crossing the 643k kilometers distance.
Another owner that initially used his vehicle for Uber also claims that his Model S70D has been driven more than 682k kilometers.
This vehicle from 2015 has been driven more than 112k kilometers annually on average.
However, in this case, the battery health didn’t see much degradation. So, it was changed at 402k kilometers under warranty.
And to our surprise, the interior of even this Model S looks in perfect condition even after so much use. Here is a look at it.
Replaced Parts
After so many kilometers, some of the parts had to be changed. These included:
– Front motor, replaced at 611k kilometers;
– Front Upper Control Arms;
– Rear Upper Links;
– Front Lower Fore Links;
– Media Control Unit.
However, it makes perfect sense because, as with conventional vehicles, parts must be replaced as the vehicle’s distance increases.
GeoTab’s Unique Tool
GeoTab provides a one-of-a-kind tool that can assist EV owners in determining the battery degradation over time for any specific car.
We experimented for a 2015 Tesla Model S and here is what the results showed.
Key Takeaways from GeoTab’s research are as follows:
– Battery degradation varies depending upon the car’s model & type. Here is how the battery degradation of Tesla Model S and Nissan Leaf vary;
– The EV’s battery, if properly taken care of, can outlast the car’s life;
– Battery degradation is normally in the range of 2.3% annually;
– EV battery degradation is non-linear. Here is how it looks in real life:
Final Verdict
In terms of battery degradation, the eHawk appears to be an outlier. Even Tesloop has a Model X with a stock battery that has only exhibited 10% battery degradation after 483k kilometers.
And, as previously mentioned, the battery in the Model S70D worked flawlessly for the 402k kilometers.
Aside from that, the standard 8-year warranty provides EV owners with additional support if any item needs to be replaced.
This demonstrates that electric vehicles are durable enough to last for extended periods.
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