Electric cars are changing the cost of driving

Discussion in 'General' started by Ken Murchison, Nov 13, 2019.

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  1. https://qz.com/1737145/the-economics-of-driving-seven-teslas-for-2-5-million-miles/?utm_source=pocket-newtab

    Few have driven a Tesla to the point at which the vehicle really starts to show its age. But Tesloop, a shuttle service in Southern California composed of Teslas, was ticking the odometers of its cars well past 300,000 miles with no signs of slowing.

    The company’s fleet of seven vehicles—a mix of Model Xs, Model 3s and a Model S—are now among the highest-mileage Teslas in the world. They zip almost daily between Los Angeles, San Diego, and destinations in between. Each of Tesloop’s cars are regularly racking up about 17,000 miles per month (roughly eight times the average for corporate fleet mileage). Many need to fully recharge at least twice each day.
     
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  3. interestedinEV

    interestedinEV Well-Known Member

    BEVs (not PHEV, HEVS, ICEs) have fewer parts to begin with as a motor has less parts than an ICE and less number of precision engineered parts as required in an engine or transmission. Motors also do not have to deal with extremely high temperatures generated as a result of combustion, though they have their own cooling problems. Transmission is also less complex and does not need counter weights and balancing in a EV. Hence it is not surprising that these cars have lower maintenance and lower cost of ownership over say 5-8 years. This video explains the differences between the two technologies and why EVs have lesser maintenance.
    https://evannex.com/blogs/news/new-video-illustrates-the-basic-differences-between-evs-and-gas-burners

    The article does talk about battery changes under warranty but if they had to change it out of warranty, it could throw the calculations underwater as that could go into tens of thousands. There is a big "if" i.e. can they can get cheap replacement battery packs? Or they have to just dispose the car, if the battery performance continues to deteriorate over time (it would have been fully depreciated), and buy a new one, which means the cost per mile will not decrease further. In other words, the more miles they can put on it before replacement reduces the total cost of ownership on a per mile basis. It is now on par with ICEs and could go lower if they can continue on the current battery pack. There could be a limitation on how low it can go, not due to moving parts such as transmission (which is usually the case in an ICE), but due to the battery replacement costs.

    So clearly there is a lower total cost of ownership for fleet usage. And that is why Tesla wants to retain all leased vehicles and convert them to fleet usage as they can have a second life after 3 years of personal ownership. However, the differences between the two may not be as stark as made out. As the article itself acknowledges, the yet unknown cost of battery replacement needs to be considered.
     
  4. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web Well-Known Member Subscriber

    A minor correction but battery temperature management is both heating and cooling:
    • 45-50 C - best fast DC charging temp for speed and lithium deposition on anode.
    • 20 C - best temperature for operational use.
    Nissan ‘fornicated the pooch’ with abysmal thermal management. Battery temperature management is more than just cooling and heating. But everything else is SPOT ON!

    Bob Wilson

    ps. Toyota and others share the same Nissan problem <GRUMBLING>
     
  5. gooki

    gooki Well-Known Member

    Seldom is a complete battery replacement required. More often it’s just a cell or two that have gone bad.

    For reference in NZ you can replace a Nissan Leaf battery at 50% SOH for a salvaged battery with a minimum 70% SOH for $1,500 including labor.
     
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