Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeSVX
Not trying to bash, but what is the life span of the batteries and how much to replace? Not to mention Tesla has always been bordering on the edge of bankruptcy.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Stig
Battery life is quoted to be about 7 years, and on a good day they go for about $12,000.
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Also, with Li-ion batteries (or any other chemistry for that matter), the lifespan depends heavily on the usage pattern. I can get laptops to last 2 years before their battery drops below 50% capacity, but the way I use my MP3 players I'm lucky to get 1 year before the life drops below the same threshold. Charge-drain-dead-recharge is far harder on batteries than charge-drain-drain-drain-not dead yet-recharge anyway. In a way, its sorta like waiting until your gas tank until its empty before refilling. If you do that continously, your fuel filter will clog up with gunk much faster and possibly cause pre-mature wear on your engine. Still, EV batteries cost roughly twice as much to replace as a conventional powertrain.
And a 'dead' battery is usually one that can't hold more than about 1/4 of its design capacity. So if you only use your car for short trips, its not that big of a deal. But if you've got a 60 mile (100 km) commute each way, it can be pretty problematic.