Potential 2018 Tesla Model 3 Performance purchase
- Thread starter 92saturnsl2
- Start date
Please provide your data. I'm pretty sure my '18 Mid Range is still in service and I see a ton of the early Model 3's on the road; you can tell by their chrome door handles.
The battery warranty for that '18 M3P is 8 year/100K with a minimum 70% battery retention capacity.
The early Model S batteries had problems, but the current cars' batteries easily go 200k to 300K, and beyond.
The batteries seem to degrade as much as 5% in the 1st year but very slowly after that.
My new car, the 2024 Tesla Model 3 Performance battery has an 8-year or 120,000-mile warranty, whichever comes first. This warranty also includes a guarantee that the battery will retain at least 70% of its original capacity.
Here's one article. There are many more. There are plenty of 7 year old Teslas on the road. About 5M have been sold world wide; 2018 and 2019 were the 1st banner years. Time will tell how they age, but so far Tesla batteries have exceeded expectations.
What is the warranty on tool batteries?
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No need for such a fast car on public roads…..
I don't think there's any need for mall queen lumbering pickups & giant SUVs as a daily driver. To each their own.
As long as you don't break the law, why not have a car that can be fun? If towering over others is your thing, all the power to you.
I agree 100%.
@92saturnsl2 how do you like your M3P?
or opinionated old people, we should just whack everyone over say 45 and all drive Yaris's to 1200 square foot boxes and wear all white.... you know everything alike, no room for any differences... right comrade?
4WD
$50 site donor 2025
Well, I just left an EU shipyard where massive cruise ships came and went - figure when that ends - we really mean business …
To say blown away would be an understatement. My only complaint is the learning curve. After completing the sale, the wife and I probably looked like idiots trying to figure out the "card tap" to turn it on just to drive home. We've now completed the transfer fully (through Tesla) and now "starting" with a phone is a breeze. I sweated throughout the drive home because I couldn't figure out how to set the HVAC temperature. Those challenges are easily overcome once you learn/play with all the features, or if you buy from a Tesla dealer that can teach you.
Those that have never driven one and have formed opinions based on what "you've heard/read" need to get in the driver's seat of one. This car rides like it's on rails and I'm speaking to ride comfort as well. Wind noise at hwy speed is nearly non-existent (not sure how they manage that), all you hear is the tires. Given the low profile of the tires you definitely feel/hear abrupt changes in road surface / potholes but it's not terrible.
Acceleration / fun factor for a daily driver that I don't have to fill up-- the numbers speak for themselves and it's unlike anything I've ever experienced in a gas powered vehicle that is even remotely affordable. The ability to drive with one pedal is the cherry on top, I think I've had to hit the brake pedal only a couple times.
Very pleased with it so far. The charger that came with the car only does 115V / 10A (equates to about 3 mi / per hour of charge) so haven't been able to put serious miles on it yet. I'm picking up a mobile connector w/ 240V plug tomorrow.
After awhile, my guess is you will find the home fueling; starting every day with a full tank, is amazing.
Our car knows which way you need to go, forward or reverse and gets it right most of the time. People hear about the tech, but you need to live with it for awhile to appreciate it. Sounds kinda dumb, but other cars seem dumb and slow... Flame suit on! Ha!
Happy to see other people shopping for used Teslas. This one caught my eye personally. 2022 M3P with 25K miles on it for $24.9K.
https://www.alphamotorsport.net/use...mance-fredericksburg-virginia-22408/vd/575657
https://www.alphamotorsport.net/use...mance-fredericksburg-virginia-22408/vd/575657
That's a bargain IMO. The mods on in has me questioning whether it's off-lease or a repo.
There are differences in cell chemistry, no question about it. Dewalt uses NMC batteries designed for high drain situations, resulting in lower energy density and 500 cycle life (charged to 100%). Dewalt probably uses the highest quality 2170 cells in the power tool world and they do last 10 years when properly treated.
Tesla uses NCA cathode materials optimized for range with high individual cell capacity, lower maximim drain, and higher cycle life. Tesla also manages the cell temperatures via active cooling. 1000 cycle lifespan, or roughly 300K miles.
But differences aside, they truly are similar enough to compare. Treat each type well (in moderation with regard to charge, discharge, and temp) and the similarities merge with regard to cycle life, overall life and capacity.
Very good points. But here's where the two diverge: There's no easy way to prolong the life of a power tool battery, unless you take the time to do it manually. That means keeping the SOC between 20-80% which is best practice for nearly all Li-Ion chemistries. This won't apply to folks using their tools for a living, but I hear gripes from DIY/homeowner crowd that sets their batteries on a shelf at 100% ready to go, uses them a few times a year, and all the sudden 2-3 years later they're complaining they won't hold a charge and have to pony up another $50+.
A car battery goes a step further in that what you're seeing on the dashboard as 100% state of charge isn't exactly that. There's extra capacity there that goes unused so that an EV battery lasts 10+ years (even when abused) whereas a power tool battery, the company isn't going out of business or having people ditch their brand if it dies prematurely. I think CEO of the company put his money in his mouth when he said they should go 200-300K. I don't think we're quite there yet where we can fully believe him, but getting close as these cars age further. I don't mind being the guinea pig!
Sure you can compare them, they are both batteries. But this all started with the post about buying a 2nd hand Tesla due to battery issues.
If Tesla battery life was a big problem, we would be hearing about it. While EVs are still in relative infancy, Tesla battery life has exceeded expectations.
The post said "buying a used EV" is a more general statement than a specific M3P battery with a known mileage. Certainly the early Nissan Leaf batteries were horrible. Off brand power tool batteries are not the same the Makita batteries I buy.
So regarding comparison, IMO what matters most is the bottom line.
I would invite @92saturnsl2 to report back with his experiences with his used Model 3.
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Definitely will!
Correct they get charged to 100% every time. And even with the power tool abuse, they last 10 years for me. Although it is good to note that oversized power tool batteries are less stressed during high load use, and will tolerate it better. The same seems to go for EV's. Those with larger battery packs seem to do better.
All of these cells cycle out and age out. An educated consumer will do their best to manage the battery pack for their needs in the hopes of a long service life. Slower charging seems to be a factor. Some Uber Model 3 drivers torment their cars by supercharging 3-4x per day and then cry about needing a battery earlier than expected.
Yeah, I've got great life out of my Ryobi power tool batteries. These are surely made as cheap as possible, and I don't give them an easy life. I use them very rarely but then I stick them on a "fast charger" (takes like 20m to full or something?) and then sit them there until I need them. Yet, somehow of the like 10 I bought in the last 5-10 years I've only had one or two die.
By all means, a good quality, properly designed EV at least kinda taken care of, will give these batteries a long, happy life. A typical NMC EV battery that is charged to 80% each night on a L1/L2 charger, maybe taken to 100% a few times a year for a road trip, then DC fast charged on average twice a month, will probably outlast the rest of the car. LFPs apparently should be charged to 100% more often and may last longer, but my point stands. And sure, degradation happens, but if your car does 200 miles instead of 250 miles after it's 10 years old, who really cares?
While there are definitely people with failed Tesla batteries, you mostly only here about it on cars that are, at this point, almost 10 years old, and even then, the majority of the early Model Ss are still out there driving around. And if we look at other cars, there are still plenty of first gen Volts around, even the early ones with black trunks. Sure, hang out in the Volt FB groups and there are plenty of people with failed batteries, but I see TONS of those cars around still. Whether it's a Tesla or a Volt, you can buy them used for pretty cheap and most of them still have the original battery. And battery technology and awareness of how they should be treated has come a long way since then.
I'm closing in on a month of ownership, zero complaints. I'm shocked how good a commuting car this is, I actually look forward to driving. For this application, I don't miss my old ICE vehicle a bit. Enough storage for errands and plenty comfortable as long as you don't need to stuff 4 or 5 people in it.
Received my first electric bill which has roughly 2 weeks of overnight charging. Didn't even make a dent, in fact I used nearly the same amount of electricity for the month of April as last year. Currently paying 0.097 per KWh. Wife has been using it in the afternooons / evenings after I get off work to cart kids around to sports & activities, range has never been an issue. I charge it to 75% overnight and I'm usually in the low 50's when I get home from work (70 miles round trip). I'm still getting a feel for what the climate setting (heat/air) penalty is on range, thus far it doesn't seem to be a big factor. I suspect in the dead of winter I'll certainly notice it.
All of the charging has been done at home despite the app recognizing some as "other."
Received my first electric bill which has roughly 2 weeks of overnight charging. Didn't even make a dent, in fact I used nearly the same amount of electricity for the month of April as last year. Currently paying 0.097 per KWh. Wife has been using it in the afternooons / evenings after I get off work to cart kids around to sports & activities, range has never been an issue. I charge it to 75% overnight and I'm usually in the low 50's when I get home from work (70 miles round trip). I'm still getting a feel for what the climate setting (heat/air) penalty is on range, thus far it doesn't seem to be a big factor. I suspect in the dead of winter I'll certainly notice it.
All of the charging has been done at home despite the app recognizing some as "other."
