Mr. Ly Tran is a Vietnamese living in California, USA. He is using a Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD version. This car was purchased in early 2020, replacing the hybrid Toyota Prius. After 2 years of use, the rolling distance of this Tesla Model 3 has reached 86,000 km.
Below is the owner’s evaluation of this Model 3 about the cost and convenience of the Model 3 electric car compared to a gasoline car and compared to the hybrid he previously used, the Prius.
Super cheap maintenance
According to Mr. Ly Tran, unlike the periodic maintenance of the Prius, with an electric car like the Model 3, the maintenance is based on emotion. The reason is that the structure of the electric motor does not have many complicated details like an internal combustion engine.
Specifically, the Model 3 has so far changed a new set of tires after 32,000 km, costing $ 1,200, warranty 128,000 km; cabin air filter, the replacement cycle is every 80,000 km, costs only 50 USD; Glass cleaner is replaced every time, it costs 10 USD for 2 bottles. The most noticeable point is the brake. According to the car owner, the car’s brakes only wear about 3mm because the car decelerates mainly by the electric motor itself to recharge the battery, so the car may not have to change the brake for the whole life.
Thus, summarizing after 86,000 km of using the Model 3, the cost of maintenance and replacement of parts for this car is only 1,260 USD (about 28.6 million VND). The money is mainly spent on changing tires, and other details are insignificant.
With the petrol-electric hybrid car, the owner suggested that the maintenance cost of the Prius is about 300 USD per year and the maintenance cycle is 5,000 km / time. Prius tires are more durable, only 65,000 km must be changed. It can be seen that, if used for the same time and distance, the Prius costs more to maintain.
In addition, the Model 3 has battery depreciation. The maximum travel distance is reduced from 515 km to 470 km after 86,000 km, which is a decrease of 9%. Particularly, from 40,000 km to 86,000 km, the battery only loses 2% of its capacity. However, the car battery is still in good use and does not need to pay any additional fees.
Super cheap electricity cost
The price of electricity in California for homes with a home electric vehicle is $0.17/kWh. Converted, the cost of electricity of the Model 3 is equivalent to the cost of refueling a gasoline car consuming 1.8 liters per 100 km. This is a number that no petrol car can achieve. Gasoline price here is 4.5 USD/gallon.
According to Mr. Ly Tran’s calculations, a gasoline car in the US usually costs about 10 USD per 100 km, this Model 3 only costs about 2.9 USD / 100 km, which is less than a third. This figure may be different from Vietnam because electricity prices in Vietnam are relatively high.
Convenient charging
Tesla’s charging station system is dense, very convenient, never having to worry about anything when running far. Charging from 0-80% takes about 40 minutes, while 80-100% charging will slow down on its own to protect the battery. At maximum conditions, the car charges to a speed of 1650 km / h (about 2 seconds of charging enough to go 1 km). Charge at home for about 10 hours if using 220V (48 km/h) or 11 km/h if 110V is used.
After-sales service has good points, bad points
The advantage of Tesla service in the US is home repair service. If the error is minor and can be easily repaired, Tesla sends someone to the house to do it. Customers only need to open the app on their phone and send a request, take pictures of damage if any, Tesla will see and make a decision whether the customer needs to bring the car or just stay at home.
Tesla’s emergency support was also appreciated by Mr. Ly Tran. If you need to tow your car or have a puncture in the middle of the road, just open the app and send a request, and Tesla will send someone to the place (usually takes about 1 hour). Tesla cars do not have a spare wheel, so Tesla employees will come and install another temporary wheel to borrow.
If the vehicle is forced to be repaired at a Tesla service facility, Tesla will give a $100 Uber coupon code for each day the vehicle is parked there. If it takes more than 3 days to repair, Tesla will lend another car to go (if any).
The downside of Tesla service is that it requires an appointment time of several days or more weeks to arrange a repair schedule, which can be extremely inconvenient if the car is not running and needs urgent repair.
Advice for people who want to change from gas cars to electric cars
For those who are looking to change to an electric car, the owner of this Tesla Model 3 has the advice that if you don’t have to drive a lot, electric cars are really much more convenient because just charging every night is more than enough to serve you. 99% of normal needs. Electric vehicles have almost no worries about oil or maintenance. Even if you have to go far, almost all electric vehicles come with a mini charger to plug in to charge from a normal electrical outlet, so you don’t have to worry much if you are afraid of running out of power halfway.
Electric cars also really shine when it comes to the power to run at speeds below 100 km / h and the feeling of running very smoothly, without vibration, without noise. Ly Tran’s Model 3 can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.7 seconds.
In the US, electric cars like Tesla keep their prices very well. The resale value of this car is about 12% loss from the new price. Even used cars are more expensive than new cars because buying Tesla has to wait for a long time and self-driving software increases in price.
After running an electric car, this owner said he would never want to go back to a petrol car again.
.