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Keep in mind dealers are not the ones who offer the Update/Upgrade you are dependent on aftermarket services which tend to be more expensive (It's easily more e

by kenrikm 12y ago

Keep in mind dealers are not the ones who offer the Update/Upgrade you are dependent on aftermarket services which tend to be more expensive (It's easily more expensive to restore a "normal" car then buy a new one) However in Tesla's case they can roll the restore into a easy to perform upgrade because of their limited number of models and prior engineering of things like battery swaps to be quick/easy. While it might take a hundred hours to do a restore of a normal car Tesla can swap a pack, some body panels, electronics and interior in a days labor.

ams6110 12y ago
I do agree that if, as seems to be the case, Teslas are designed for upgradability, that is a key difference. However I still maintain that from a purely financial perspective it's cheaper to maintain an old car than buy a new one, especially when you account for depreciation. You can keep an old car going almost indefinitely if you do the maintenance. Most people don't WANT to keep their old car forever though, and I don't see any clear reason why Teslas will be any different in that regard.
hnnewguy 12y ago
>While it might take a hundred hours to do a restore of a normal car Tesla can swap a pack, some body panels, electronics and interior in a days labor. Any source for this? I spend some time on the Tesla forums. There are threads of people get into minor collisions and receiving estimates of 100+ hours of labour to replace some front end parts and paint, along with bills over $20,000[1][2]. So, I don't think it's as simple to replace these parts as you suggest. [1]http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/showthread.php/26326-Cost-of-repair-crazy-high http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/showthread.php/26326-Cost-of-... [2]http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/showthread.php/39325-Owning-a-Tesla-is-awesome-until-you-get-into-an-accident http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/showthread.php/39325-Owning-a...
- kenrikm 12y ago
  Replacing undamaged body parts is orders of magnitude easier then replacing something that's been in a crash. Most bumpers or fenders can be removed in under an hour and install time is similar. (Source: I worked at a body shop while I was a teenager and I used to build AutoX/Drift/Rally cars after that) You can charge insurance insane amounts for parts if the value of the car is high enough that it's not going to be a total loss. That "cost" is separate from the actual cost of the parts/labor. Along the same lines MRIs really don't have to cost $10,000 regardless of what your hospital puts on the bill. When you can go to the phone book and get the same MRI for $500 from many sources.. but you're not going to be price shopping when you're in the ER with a broken leg. What's the real market rate?
  - hnnewguy 12y ago
    >*What's the real market rate?" Considering you have to go to a Tesla certified dealer, I'd say that is the market price. It's not like there's a shop on every corner. And, no, replacing undamaged parts is not "orders of magnitude" easier. Of course, it depends on how badly parts are mangled, but that's exaggeration. Read the threads, they're interesting.

by kenrikm 12y ago

ams6110 12y ago

I do agree that if, as seems to be the case, Teslas are designed for upgradability, that is a key difference. However I still maintain that from a purely financial perspective it's cheaper to maintain an old car than buy a new one, especially when you account for depreciation. You can keep an old car going almost indefinitely if you do the maintenance. Most people don't WANT to keep their old car forever though, and I don't see any clear reason why Teslas will be any different in that regard.

hnnewguy 12y ago

>While it might take a hundred hours to do a restore of a normal car Tesla can swap a pack, some body panels, electronics and interior in a days labor. Any source for this? I spend some time on the Tesla forums. There are threads of people get into minor collisions and receiving estimates of 100+ hours of labour to replace some front end parts and paint, along with bills over $20,000[1][2]. So, I don't think it's as simple to replace these parts as you suggest. [1]http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/showthread.php/26326-Cost-of-repair-crazy-high http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/showthread.php/26326-Cost-of-... [2]http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/showthread.php/39325-Owning-a-Tesla-is-awesome-until-you-get-into-an-accident http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/showthread.php/39325-Owning-a...

kenrikm 12y ago
Replacing undamaged body parts is orders of magnitude easier then replacing something that's been in a crash. Most bumpers or fenders can be removed in under an hour and install time is similar. (Source: I worked at a body shop while I was a teenager and I used to build AutoX/Drift/Rally cars after that) You can charge insurance insane amounts for parts if the value of the car is high enough that it's not going to be a total loss. That "cost" is separate from the actual cost of the parts/labor. Along the same lines MRIs really don't have to cost $10,000 regardless of what your hospital puts on the bill. When you can go to the phone book and get the same MRI for $500 from many sources.. but you're not going to be price shopping when you're in the ER with a broken leg. What's the real market rate?
- hnnewguy 12y ago
  >*What's the real market rate?" Considering you have to go to a Tesla certified dealer, I'd say that is the market price. It's not like there's a shop on every corner. And, no, replacing undamaged parts is not "orders of magnitude" easier. Of course, it depends on how badly parts are mangled, but that's exaggeration. Read the threads, they're interesting.