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Yes, that's the theory. So far Car and Driver's testing hasn't yet yielded those savings at their 30k mile update. https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a30209

Yes, that's the theory. So far Car and Driver's testing hasn't yet yielded those savings at their 30k mile update. https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a30209598/2019-tesla-model-3-reliability-maintenance/ https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a30209598/2019-tesla-mo... One of the pitches we hear often on the switch to EV ownership is that electric vehicles are cheaper to maintain. But, as we close in on 40,000 miles in a Tesla Model 3, the actual savings in service costs is turning out to be quite minimal. Sure, the Model 3 needs no oil changes, which in theory should save us significant cost. However, the Model 3's requirement that we lubricate the brake calipers every year or 12,500 miles—something specified for areas that use road salt in the winter months—has cost nearly as much, totaling $432 for three such services thus far, which often also include a tire rotation. Although that's less than the $539 we spent on maintenance for our BMW M340i or the $728 for our Kia Telluride, that savings works out to between $6 and $15 a month over the course of our nearly two years of ownership, which would be barely noticeable in an owner's budget.

jfengel 5y ago
What an odd article. The whole point is long-term maintenance. A 30,000 mile car is barely broken in these days. It's great that a new ICE car can legitimately be expected to break 250,000 miles. They're much, much less of a hassle than they used to be. My 1992 Honda was recommended for oil changes every 3,000 miles; the 2007 upped that to 5,000. These days I gather it's often 10,000. I can't imagine why they're spending $150 apiece on brake caliper lubrication. It's a ten minute job, and it doesn't require a specialized Tesla mechanic. They also seem to be getting some cheap service for their ICE vehicles. Most cars get recommended more serious service at 15k and 30k -- services that can easily run $500. I'm especially impressed that they managed to spend so little on BMW service. Do they not recommend 15k and 30k service? Because they should have spent at least that much on oil changes, much less the air filters and brake service and whatever other stuff is recommended.

jfengel 5y ago

What an odd article. The whole point is long-term maintenance. A 30,000 mile car is barely broken in these days. It's great that a new ICE car can legitimately be expected to break 250,000 miles. They're much, much less of a hassle than they used to be. My 1992 Honda was recommended for oil changes every 3,000 miles; the 2007 upped that to 5,000. These days I gather it's often 10,000. I can't imagine why they're spending $150 apiece on brake caliper lubrication. It's a ten minute job, and it doesn't require a specialized Tesla mechanic. They also seem to be getting some cheap service for their ICE vehicles. Most cars get recommended more serious service at 15k and 30k -- services that can easily run $500. I'm especially impressed that they managed to spend so little on BMW service. Do they not recommend 15k and 30k service? Because they should have spent at least that much on oil changes, much less the air filters and brake service and whatever other stuff is recommended.