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I think the issue is that it's $7500 in one transaction if a battery goes bad, versus the cost of fuel which is spread out over the lifetime of the car.

Robotbeat 9y ago
Batteries can be repaired, just like an engine. And the battery rarely goes immediately bad. But I think this isn't the main issue, as cars already have to deal with the same problem of being totalled.
- HeyLaughingBoy 9y ago
  A car being totalled is covered by insurance. A car whose engine blows up outside the warranty period is covered by its owner's paycheck.
  - Robotbeat 9y ago
    But as noted by another user, batteries come with long warranties. (100k miles, sometimes)
    - ilovecars2 9y ago
      Do those come strict conditions though? For example: don’t launch the car, don’t use ludicrous mode more than X times over the lifetime of the drivetrain, etc.
      - landryraccoon 9y ago
        I am curious why people fixate on the battery so much. Several of my coworkers have had Teslas for years now. To my knowledge not a single one has had a battery failure. Of all the many complaints about Teslas, I think the batteries are the least of the worries. Plus Tesla would probably cover most battery failures even if they weren't covered by the letter of the warranty, simply because they can't afford to have bad press about batteries failing.
        Robotbeat 9y ago
        Because they're used to crappy lead-acid batteries that need to be replaced regularly in ICE vehicles and which cause people to be stranded when they fail. Note that the Model Y will get rid of the 12V lead acid battery, which is a good thing (IMHO) if engineered correctly. One less maintenance item. Also, consumer phone batteries (which are more aggressively charged/discharged and which usually use a different chemistry) don't last more than two or three years before showing significant capacity reduction. Also, there were some problems with the early-year Leafs (2011-2012) losing range fast in hot climates. (Nissan solved the problem eventually via chemistry. Note this is not a problem for Teslas or Volts/Bolts due to a battery temperature management system able to cool the battery.)
NotSammyHagar 9y ago
Yes, but batteries come with long warranties. model s 100k 8 years.

Robotbeat 9y ago

Batteries can be repaired, just like an engine. And the battery rarely goes immediately bad. But I think this isn't the main issue, as cars already have to deal with the same problem of being totalled.

HeyLaughingBoy 9y ago
A car being totalled is covered by insurance. A car whose engine blows up outside the warranty period is covered by its owner's paycheck.
- Robotbeat 9y ago
  But as noted by another user, batteries come with long warranties. (100k miles, sometimes)
  - ilovecars2 9y ago
    Do those come strict conditions though? For example: don’t launch the car, don’t use ludicrous mode more than X times over the lifetime of the drivetrain, etc.
    - landryraccoon 9y ago
      I am curious why people fixate on the battery so much. Several of my coworkers have had Teslas for years now. To my knowledge not a single one has had a battery failure. Of all the many complaints about Teslas, I think the batteries are the least of the worries. Plus Tesla would probably cover most battery failures even if they weren't covered by the letter of the warranty, simply because they can't afford to have bad press about batteries failing.
      - Robotbeat 9y ago
        Because they're used to crappy lead-acid batteries that need to be replaced regularly in ICE vehicles and which cause people to be stranded when they fail. Note that the Model Y will get rid of the 12V lead acid battery, which is a good thing (IMHO) if engineered correctly. One less maintenance item. Also, consumer phone batteries (which are more aggressively charged/discharged and which usually use a different chemistry) don't last more than two or three years before showing significant capacity reduction. Also, there were some problems with the early-year Leafs (2011-2012) losing range fast in hot climates. (Nissan solved the problem eventually via chemistry. Note this is not a problem for Teslas or Volts/Bolts due to a battery temperature management system able to cool the battery.)

NotSammyHagar 9y ago

Yes, but batteries come with long warranties. model s 100k 8 years.