Source: cnBeta
With the spread of electrification, so is the need to buy, drive and maintain electric vehicles. However, if you want to assess the actual cost of using a car, electric vehicles are still quite different from traditional fuel vehicles. On the one hand, power batteries account for the majority of the cost of electric vehicles, and the depreciation rate is faster, not to mention the different electricity bills in the United States. On the other hand, although Tesla has an entry-level Model 3 model with a price as low as $47,000, the average starting price for consumers is still about $60,000.
Admittedly, electric vehicles do have many advantages and are even considered by many to be the first choice for future mobility. However, with the record number of orders, the construction of charging station infrastructure and the attenuation of battery performance in extreme environments such as high temperature and cold have also become a topic that cannot be avoided.
By 2022, the price of electric vehicles is still not affordable enough compared to fuel vehicles. Kelly Blue Book notes that the average trading price for electric vehicles in April 2021 was $51,532, compared to just $22,798 for compact fuel vehicles and $31,033 for gasoline SUVs/crossovers.
Even though manufacturers have repeatedly stressed that electric vehicles can save a lot of fuel/maintenance costs in the future, many people still notice its hidden costs. For example, it is often reported that the cost of replacing the Model 3 battery is $15,800.
However, compared with Nissan, Chevrolet, Hyundai and other competitors, Tesla's replacement cost is still much higher. Recurrent notes that batteries account for about 1/3 of the Model 3's total price.
Of course, if you want to resolve this embarrassment, you must wait for power battery technology to become more efficient and affordable. Bloomberg estimates that by 2030, the cost per kWh may fall below $100 (or even $58).
However, from the perspective of the battery supply chain in recent years, lithium metal and other elements used in batteries will still cause certain obstacles to the downward trend of EV power batteries.
It is reported that Tesla's official Model 3 regular model / long-life version of the battery warranty is 8 years, or 10 / 120,000 miles (first come). In addition, Tesla certified used cars have a battery warranty of 4 years, or 50,000 miles, and will be supplemented by an additional 1 year, or 10,000 miles of warranty.
When enforcing the terms of the warranty (capacity decay to less than 70%), Tesla has the option to repair the damaged battery or replace it with a new battery pack. But the reality is that only a few batteries cannot restore electric vehicles to a new "full blood" state.
What is more likely to be overlooked by EV owners is that the official warranty only deals with malfunction or damage caused by manufacturing defects, and does not include problems caused by collisions, water and fire, unauthorized repairs, improper maintenance, and "force majeure factors" such as earthquakes, storms, and off-road.
That's why we've seen many EV owners significantly reduce out-of-warranty repair/maintenance costs with a variety of alternatives.