I don't own a Tesla vehicle nor can I imagine owning one. So why am I defending how expensive Teslas are? Let's just grasp the enormity of what Tesla has accomplished and you can see that I think a Tesla is quite under-priced for what you get.
Brand new design. Most of the major auto-makers started by putting electric car bits (batteries and motors) into existing designs. Tesla's vehicles were "clean sheet" designs built from scratch without an existing manufacturing process to tweak. Their cars have won over critics, safety ratings agencies, and a legion of very passionate fans. Tesla's design isn't everyone's cup of tea - for me it's a bit 'meh' - but there's no denying the impressive feat each new line is: from the Cybertruck to the Model X and in between, Tesla keeps shattering expectations for power and comfort in their vehicle category.
Charging infrastructure. Tesla has built out a global charging network. Imagine Shell building all their service stations around the world in just a few years and also making cars, and cars that would automatically charge the owner for the fuel. I've used fast-chargers from a handful of companies (Flo, Chargepoint, Ivy, and Petro-Canada) and the experience is improving but still not easy and very inconsistent. Some need an app, others a proprietary tap card, and others you can tap-to-pay but with varying results; charging speeds also vary enormously. With Tesla, it's plug, super-charge, go - the ultra-fast charger talks to the car and together they figure out all the payment stuff, and quickly. Even though Tesla vehicles consistently have some of the longest range in the business, they have made the charging part of the equation almost painless.
software. Tesla has arguably the best software interface of any car, electric or otherwise. In our various test drives while we shopped for an electric vehicle, Tesla's in-car screens were by far the easiest and most intuitive to use. But there's more: Tesla is famous for delivering over-the-air updates wirelessly to their cars, while they are idle or charging. You could wake up in the morning and find your car has more features than it did when you went to bed. I'm old enough to remember people queuing to buy the updated version of their computer's operating system; now we just expect our phones and tablets and laptops to be updated for free. Tesla does all that without the annoying "Updating: please do not turn off your computer" message. There was no other car-maker before Tesla that even considered upgrading your car for free over its life. Tesla has succeeded in making that the default expectation. Even without the powerful (and controversial) self-driving features, their software is amazing.
the battery. It's well known that the battery pack is the heaviest and most expensive part of an electric vehicle, often more than half the manufacturing cost. The costs keep coming down but part of the reason (apart from manufacturing complexity) is that the raw materials come from all over: nickel from North America, lithium from Australia or Bolivia, cobalt from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to name a few. Thankfully, battery components can be recycled cost-effectively. Tesla has a massive head-start on battery manufacturing technology, which promises to drive their costs down and improve profits. The law of supply and demand mean that, right now, strong consumer demand for more range and limited supply of battery components will keep battery prices (and therefore Tesla prices) high. Until we get solid state batteries. Maybe.
the end of maintenance as we know it Electric vehicles have a significant simplicity advantages over petroleum-powered cars: very few moving parts, almost no vibration, and very little excess heat. An internal combustion engine (ICE) both shakes itself to pieces harnessing thousands of small controlled explosions and transmits vast amounts of unused heat. ICE vehicles require a variety of filters and fluids (engine oil, coolant, transmission fluids, etc.) that need changing regularly, and some pumps that need occasional changing.Car dealerships effectively mortgage a portion of the retail price of a new car into those maintenance items, just like telephone companies discount a smartphone with a two-year service plan. While Teslas can be very expensive to repair when they break, every electric vehicle has several thousand fewer parts to wear out and no fluids to replace other than brake fluid and windshield cleaner.
Each of these items by themselves would justify a slightly higher price point than a normal combustion-engined car. So while it's unlikely I'll ever afford a Tesla myself, I'm impressed by just how much value you get for your money. If you can afford the up-front costs, Teslas are truly amazing works of engineering on their own, and they also come with industry-leading software, charging infrastructure, and hassle-free maintenance. Put together, these five industry-transforming facets make any Tesla incredibly good value. Buying a Tesla is not just about buying a car, you buy all these other things too.
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