Are you curious about the lifespan and warranty of the Tesla battery?
We are aware that this is the most pertinent query for all EV owners, but there is a catch to it. This page walks you through every aspect of the Tesla battery, including its lifespan, warranty, and variables that affect it. It also includes some essential advice that you should follow to extend the life of your Tesla battery.
The Average Tesla Battery Life
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, claims that the automobile batteries were designed to withstand up to 300,000 to 500,000 miles, or about 1500 cycles of charging and discharging, before requiring a replacement. Nonetheless, the Tesla vehicle batteries have a 336-mile range on a single charge. However, bear in mind that the range of each Tesla model on a fully charged battery varies.
Here, we’ve included the total number of miles that the batteries in each Tesla model can cover on a single charge.
| Models | Mileage Range |
| Model 3 Standard | 267 miles |
| Model 3 long range | 334 miles |
| Model 3 performance | 315 miles |
| Model S | 375 miles |
| Model S Plaid | 348 miles |
| Model X | 332 miles |
| Model X Plaid | 313 miles |
| Model Y Long range | 318 miles |
| Model Y Performance | 303 miles |
Tesla cars have outstanding battery ranges when compared to other electric vehicles that are available on the market. The Model S is the longest-range Tesla, with a 375-mile range, while the Model 3 basic has the lowest range at 267 miles.
About the Tesla Battery Warranty
The battery and drive range of the Tesla warranty are covered separately and vary by model. The premium models, including Models S and X, have more mile protection. However, budget-friendly models, including Models 3 and Y, have shorter mileage protection.
The Tesla battery and drive unit warranty covers 2 things:
- Miles driven or length of time depending on the model (8 years or 100,000 to 150,000 miles driven), whatever comes first.
- A guaranteed battery capacity of 70% of its starting capacity during the warranty period.
Here, we have shared the battery warranties for all Tesla models.
| Tesla Model | Warranty | Battery Capacity Retention |
| Models S | 8 years or 150,000 miles | 70% over the warranty period |
| Model X | 8 years or 150,000 miles | 70% over the warranty period |
| Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive | 8 years or 100,000 miles | 70% over the warranty period |
| Model 3 long range | 8 years or 120,000 miles | 70% over the warranty period |
| Model 3 performance | 8 years or 120,000 miles | 70% over the warranty period |
| Model Y All-Wheel Drive | 8 years or 120,000 miles | 70% over the warranty period |
| Model y long-range | 8 years or 120,000 miles | 70% over the warranty period |
| Model y performance | 8 years or 120,000 miles | 70% over the warranty period |
Consequently, after 8 years of use, or 100,000 to 150,000 miles of range, whichever comes first, the Tesla Model S’s battery capacity is less than 70% of what it was originally designed to carry. In the event that any of the circumstances materialize, you are entitled to any complimentary replacement that is required to accurately fix any material faults.
Factors that Impact Your Tesla Battery Life
Do you wonder why there is such a wide variation in the battery life range of Tesla cars? The reason behind this is that several components in every Tesla vehicle affect how long the batteries survive. These are the variables that affect the Tesla battery’s life range.
- The Size of the Battery
Greater capacity and longer runtime are provided by larger batteries. For this reason, the Tesla Model S has a battery that holds 98 kWh, whereas the Tesla Model 3 has a battery that holds 80.5 kWh. Therefore, it makes sense that the Model S’s battery life is greater than the Model 3’s.
- The Powertrain Tech
The smoothness, friction between the wheels and the road, car weight, and clutch system are some of the powertrain technologies used in electric vehicles, and these factors affect how long Tesla batteries last in miles. The powertrain technology maximizes battery life by storing energy more efficiently. Because of their lighter weight and improved powertrain technology, the more recent Tesla models are able to utilize stored electricity more effectively than their earlier counterparts, which have bigger frames and less effective powertrains.
Other Factors Impacting the Range of Tesla Battery Life
- Improper battery charging can cause a strain on the ability of the battery to hold a charge. If your car’s battery is fully charged, then you have charged the battery to fill up more. It will reduce the battery’s life and ability to hold a charge.
- Landscape: Driving in a hilly landscape can affect the range as your car has to work harder and needs more energy consumption to climb hills.
- Battery Degradation: after extended usage of your Tesla, its battery loses some of its ability to hold the charge, which is another factor that impacts the battery range of your Tesla.
- Temperature: Extremely hot or cold weather can reduce the range of your Tesla. Hot temperatures affect the batteries negatively and require more energy to cool them down. Instead, the cold temperature reduces the efficiency of the battery and limits its ability to deliver power.
- Regenerative Braking: Regenerative braking takes energy whenever you brake; this energy is then used to recharge the battery.
- Excessive Load: Booming extra loads like passengers and cargo can reduce the range as your car requires more energy to move the load.
- Wind Resistance: Strong winds at high speeds can also impact the range of the battery as they increase the smooth resistance, which requires more power to maintain the speed.
- Tire Pressure: Overblown tire pressure increases rolling resistance. It needs more energy to move the vehicle, which impacts the range of your Tesla battery life.
6 Tips to Increase Your Tesla Battery Life
- Drive smoothly: aggressive driving, like sudden acceleration, driving within an extended speed limit, and hard braking, can reduce the battery life span more quickly. So, you must drive gently to extend your Tesla’s battery life.
- Avoid Fast Chargers: Fast charging produces heat, which is harmful to the battery pack. Using Tesla superchargers can increase battery degradation. However, it is recommended that you never charge the battery over 90% and never let the battery drop under 20%, as it cuts off the battery life.
- Turn off features when you might not need them. Switch off features like sentry seat heaters, lessen the screen brightness, close windows to reduce wind resistance, and turn the steering to a standard mode to save the battery.
- Continues the consistent charging cycles: when you continuously charge the battery at the same time every day, it can contribute to a longer battery life.
- Use battery-saving mode: Tesla uses batteries even when you are not driving it. Using the battery-saving mode on the Tesla X or S model can reduce battery usage when it is parked. However, in Tesla Models 3s and Ys, the battery-saving mode will automatically enable itself when the battery percentage drops below 5%.
- Avoid carrying an excessive load: The less you carry the load in a Tesla, the less it weighs, and the less the car has to use the power to move, the more efficient its battery is. That is why you should avoid carrying excessive loads when you are driving a Tesla.
FAQs
Q: How far does a Tesla go on a single charge?
The farthest you can go on a single charge with a Tesla car is almost 405 miles.
Q: How much time does it take to charge a Tesla car?
It takes almost an hour to 12 hours to charge a Tesla car; thus, the time fully varies depending on the model and the type of charger. Standard outlets are the slowest, offering almost 3 miles of range per hour. However, the superchargers are the fastest and offer nearly 30 minutes of full charge. At the same time, the wall connectors take almost 8 to 10 hours for a full charge, but it depends on the model of the car.
Q: What is the average life expectancy of a Tesla car?
According to the Tesla owners, their car lasted well over a decade with proper maintenance.
Q: How often does a Tesla battery need to be replaced?
Tesla batteries are designed to last almost 8 years, or around 100,000 to 150,000 miles, as per the warranty. But factors like usage, model, driving conditions, and charging habits depend on how often you should replace a Tesla battery.
Q: What is the cost of a Tesla battery replacement?
Replacing a Tesla battery module may cost almost $5000 to $7000. But a complete battery pack replacement may cost $20000 to $30000. But keep in mind that the cost depends on your precise situation and the number of replacements required.
