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Engines, transmission, emission systems / catalytic converters, timing belts... there are dozens of components in an ICE which start failing or performing badly

by zaroth 7y ago

Engines, transmission, emission systems / catalytic converters, timing belts... there are dozens of components in an ICE which start failing or performing badly around 80k-120k which contribute to maintenance fatigue at that point. When you start spending $3-5k per year making all these expensive repairs to an old ICE car it feels like throwing good money into a pit. The other big item is the software in the car becomes slow, dated, and no longer inter-operates properly with the latest phones. Both of these factors are significantly mitigated with an EV with OTA updates. Particularly when the manufacturer makes their latest generation hardware field upgradable, you can buy a new MCU and slot it into a late-model car and get all the latest features and performance. The Model 3 in particular has an esthetic which IMO is particularly timeless and will not feel dated in 10 or even 20 years. No car is maintenance free. The question is predictability and TCO. If A) maintenance is predictable, B) TCO remains low, and C) performance is consistent, then people will hold onto their EVs for more miles than their ICE equivalents.

bluGill 7y ago
Every car I own has > 140k miles with no such problems. The timing belt is a maintenance item. It isn't $3-5k/year it averages out to about 1.5k/year - some years it is 5k, but other years it is much less. Most people give up on the car at the first 5k estimate not realizing they just fixed/replaced the expensive parts which are now good for more years.
Unklejoe 7y ago
> The Model 3 in particular has an esthetic which IMO is particularly timeless and will not feel dated in 10 or even 20 years. Maybe the physical appearance of the car, but I guarantee the interior and infotainment system will age poorly in 10-20 years, just like any other car. In fact, it might even age worse. Try using a 5 year old Android tablet and you'll see what I mean. > people will hold onto their EVs for more miles than their ICE equivalents Some people, but there are a lot of people who buy cars for status, and they won't want to be driving a 10 year old car whether it's financially practical or not. This aspect will not change just because the cars are more reliable.

by zaroth 7y ago

bluGill 7y ago

Every car I own has > 140k miles with no such problems. The timing belt is a maintenance item. It isn't $3-5k/year it averages out to about 1.5k/year - some years it is 5k, but other years it is much less. Most people give up on the car at the first 5k estimate not realizing they just fixed/replaced the expensive parts which are now good for more years.

Unklejoe 7y ago

> The Model 3 in particular has an esthetic which IMO is particularly timeless and will not feel dated in 10 or even 20 years. Maybe the physical appearance of the car, but I guarantee the interior and infotainment system will age poorly in 10-20 years, just like any other car. In fact, it might even age worse. Try using a 5 year old Android tablet and you'll see what I mean. > people will hold onto their EVs for more miles than their ICE equivalents Some people, but there are a lot of people who buy cars for status, and they won't want to be driving a 10 year old car whether it's financially practical or not. This aspect will not change just because the cars are more reliable.