Calculating battery life and its replacement costs are an uncertain result. Tesla offers a “guaranteed battery exchange” for the 85kw pack which essentially is an insurance plan. For $12,000 up front when you by the car, you could have the battery replaced at 8 years. However, you will be getting a refurbished battery and the life of that battery would be uncertain. A new 85kw pack will cost $25,000 today with talk about lower costs later. How much lower is uncertain. Also, as the battery life declines, what type of situation is the owner going to find when he wants to trade in or resell? I am sure that the answers to my questions translates to one hell of a wallop to you wallet. And the bang for the buck? You are burning lots of money to save on gas.
“A new 85kw pack will cost $25,000 today with talk about lower costs later.”
So now we start to SWERVE into the facts, as opposed to the fiction and emotion attached to these vehicles.
If a battery pack lasts 100,000 miles and costs $25,000, that means the cost to drive is 25 cents per mile, plus the cost of the power to recharge it.
That’s a lot of money and it also explains why no electric car company is willing to swap-out batteries (as opposed to making sit around for hours waiting for a charge)...as they would have to factor-in that depreciation.
...and once that depreciation is understood, then it’s over for people bragging about the economics.