There are still many myths surrounding electric vehicles despite nearly every mainstream automaker offering at least one, and some automakers appear to be actively leaning in to the misinformation machine. Tesla recently posted a chart to its Twitter account filled with such hilarious bullshit that I needed to explain why it shouldn’t be trusted. Most of the ICE stuff will never apply to the first owner of a new vehicle, and Tesla’s understating the maintenance requirements of its own cars. Let’s take a closer look.
Minimal maintenance = less $ vs comparable ICE vehicles pic.twitter.com/hAGV3jxABw
— Tesla (@Tesla) April 12, 2023
[Editor’s Note: Where’s the oil change? That’s the most obvious and frequent thing you need to do to a gas car. -DT]
According to an iSeeCars study that examined more than five million cars, the average new car buyer keeps a vehicle for 8.4 years. Line that up with the Federal Highway Administration’s research showing that the average American drives 13,476 miles per year, and we’re looking at 8.4 years and 113,198 miles of motoring for the average new car buyer before they decide on something new. Those are the numbers we’ll be using to give an accurate picture of why the average American new car buyer can’t trust this chart.
Transmission Fluid
Back in ye olde days, it was common for automatic transmissions to have dipsticks, drain plugs, and recommended service intervals. The concept of lifetime fill got off to a rocky start when owners of several vehicles found that their transmissions became boxes full of neutrals. However, most conventional automatic gearboxes now feature a car manufacturer-recommended lifetime fill interval, and it’s reasonable to expect no issues within 8.4 years and 113,198 miles of driving. While it’s still best to change automatic transmission fluid periodically, many first owners don’t change transmission fluid and don’t experience any ill effects.
Spark Plugs
We’re not living in the era of copper spark plugs anymore.
With advancements in long-life iridium-tipped spark plugs, some popular vehicles like the Toyota Corolla have a spark plug interval beyond the average first owner’s life with the car. That aforementioned Corolla can go 120,000 miles or 12 years before the spark plugs need changing as evidenced by the maintenance manual screenshot above, well beyond how long the average new car buyer keeps their vehicle.
Battery And Cables
Battery cables are considered lifetime parts and have been for decades. They’re just so simple that they don’t fail often, so replacing a perfectly functional battery cable is asinine. It’s so much non-recommended work for such little improvement. As for 12-volt batteries, Tesla also uses them, although the company has started installing lithium-ion low-voltage batteries in some models that should theoretically offer improved lifespan. However, it doesn’t take much poking around to find accounts of premature 12-volt lithium-ion battery failure on forums and stories in the media. Given the track record of the 12-volt lithium-ion batteries, I wouldn’t expect them to be lifetime parts.
Hoses
Hoses last a long time and are typically replaced on an as-needed basis. It’s common for hoses to last more than a decade, which means that the average new car owner probably won’t have to replace them during the ownership period. In addition, electric cars aren’t free of hoses. The one you see in the picture above is from a Tesla Model 3, as that car still uses hoses for various cooling functions. Many are even made out of the same molded plastic you’d find under the hood of many new cars. [Ed Note: Though it’s worth noting that Tesla strays away from rubber hoses, instead using nylon].
Power Steering Fluid Is A Thing Of The Past
In a vast majority of cases, power steering fluid isn’t something most new car buyers have to worry about. Virtually every manufacturer save for a few driver-focused obsessives like McLaren use electric power steering now, either with a column-mounted electric motor or a rack-mounted electric motor providing assistance. See the BMW steering rack above? It’s really not very different than this Tesla Model Y rack:
Not only do these systems boost fuel economy over hydraulic power steering by reducing parasitic loss, they also allow for certain advanced driver assistance systems like lane keep assist. Electric power steering is maintenance-free, meaning a well-executed system should cost absolutely nothing over the term of car ownership.
People Aren’t Replacing Mufflers Left And Right
You’d really think Tesla would know a thing or two about stainless steel. This family of alloys has been used in automotive exhaust systems for decades now because of its great resistance to corrosion, and we’ve been seeing results for a while. A stainless steel muffler is considered a lifetime part with no recommendation on replacement interval, and even muffler failure in rust belt states often occurs after more than a decade of all-weather use. If the average driver is trading in their vehicle after 8.4 years and 113,198 miles, they’ll likely never have to worry about muffler replacement. [Ed Note: Tesla should have maybe mentioned catalytic converters, since those are being stolen all the time, and they’re expensive. -DT].
What Tesla Forgot To Mention
In addition to the maintenance requirements Tesla listed in the Tweet, there are a bunch of additional maintenance items worth keeping in mind. Tires are a huge expense on many electric vehicles for a variety of reasons. Lots of torque and heavy curb weights combine to be hard on tires, and replacement costs are often expensive due to specific compounds for reduced rolling resistance and noise. A single OEM-spec replacement 235/45R18 Michelin Primacy MXM4 all-season tire for a Tesla Model 3 costs $300.99 from Tire Rack, while the equivalent OEM 225/40R18 Michelin Primacy A/S for a Toyota Corolla XSE costs $246.63. That works out to a difference of $217.44 for a full set of tires. For a premium car comparison, an OEM-spec 225/45R18 Pirelli Cinturato P7 all-season run-flat tire for a BMW 330i costs $254.40 from Tire Rack, working out to a difference of $46.59 per tire or $186.36 for a set of four.
In addition, electric vehicles still require all the typical steering and suspension maintenance of combustion-powered cars. They still have dampers, bushings, ball joints, and tie rods that can wear out over time. Unless we miraculously figure out mag-lev roadways or something, suspension wear is just a fact of life.
Oh, and even though electric vehicles rely heavily on regenerative braking, they still require periodic service brake maintenance. Tesla recommends cleaning and lubricating brake caliper hardware every year or 12,500 miles on the Model 3 if its driven in an area that salts the roads in winter. Brake fluid should also be periodically flushed regardless of climate, because brake fluid is hygroscopic – it absorbs water.
Here’s something else that Tesla doesn’t mention in its Tweet: Every six years, it’s recommended to have the air-conditioning desiccant bag on a Model 3 replaced, a true oddity in the automotive kingdom. As the first Model 3s aren’t six years old yet, there isn’t much information out there on cost, so expect this to be a surprise.
Add in the cost of wiper blades, brake discs, and brake pads as cherries on top, and the conclusion is clear. Although Tesla vehicles require less maintenance than gasoline-powered cars, they aren’t nearly as maintenance-free as Tesla touts. Then again, what did you expect from a company that advertises a Level 2 advanced driver assistance system suite as “Full Self-Driving”?
(Photo credits: Tesla, ZF, Toyota, Optima, eBay, BMW, Walker)
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Yep!
Honestly as someone who loves BEVs I don’t think I’ll buy a new one. I’ve dealt with so many electrical gremlins and dead batteries in my relatively short life I find myself unable to justify buying a BEV anymore. I’ve also had power steering and power brakes fail on me in a dangerous manner and so that is leading me to vehicles that either do not have power steering or power brakes, or vehicles that require neither.
I do not understand the spicy magic that is electricity, no matter how many times I read electricity for dummies.
I know BEVs are the future, but I live in the present, and so I think I’ll stick to vehicles without power steering, without power brakes, and that have backup manual starters.
So it’s looking like an air cooled VW and or a Citroen 2CV for my car, and many different motorcycles to chose from.
If you fellow commenters know of any post WWII cars with backup manual starters I’d greatly appreciate it.
The Lada Niva can be crank-started
The MGA and Triumph 2-4 come to mind
For the best anachronisms you have to leave the automotive world. How about my Honda ATV with pull starter and electric power steering?
One of the later cars to have a hand-crank starter was the Citroen GS. Good luck finding one, though.
Great article. I had trouble processing it at first due to being shocked, shocked I tell you, that anything coming from Tesla on a Musk owned platform wouldn’t be 100% accurate and entirely free of bullshit. This really changes things for me. I have some serious reflecting to do after this profound emotional body blow of revelation. I hope I can recover someday.
If you don’t want to worry about coolant, get a Nissan leaf! Doesn’t the Leaf not have a cooling system? That’s why used ones have no range 🙁
Or an OG Bug.
Nope like most EVs the Leaf has a cooling system or two for those w/o the heat pump. One for the motor and inverter and the other for the heating system.
I thought the battery was air-cooled.
Not me being a little sore over spending $900 to replace both O2 sensors in my Prius because Toyota put the main sensor in an unreachable spot
Actually this infographic was misleading – it doesn’t mention oil changes or brakes.
Can you update Thomas and discuss these issues.
Thomas, You were doing well, until you wrote this:
Wiper blades I can agree with, but unless you are tracking your Tesla (or driving as though on a track), you should not need brake discs and pads.
You mean ever? They’ll still wear out eventually.
even if you never use them, metal still oxidises, rubber perishes, brake fluid absorbs moisture.
I’ve spent sime time lately browsing the TMC forums and I’ve come to the conclusion that these things take just as much maintenance as a well built normal vehicle(Tesla’s tend not to be well built, based on everything I have read.) They have all sorts of tire issues, alignment issues, suspension issues, and the big one…
What is the one most frustrating thing about software and electrical issues? Gremlins. What do these vehicles 100% rely on? Ah, you are seeing where this is going. Software you are at the mercy of Tesla. Something misbehaving throguh questionable programing? Tough luck, wait it out. Take it to the Service Centre and you get the same answer. Electrical gremlins? The SC’s tend to just relace parts until they go away. This may mean many visits, or 6 months+ without your vehicle. Once off warranty and ready to DIY? Have fun with the minimal amount of information you can glean from error codes, and then just follow the expensive Tesla plan of replacing things until it works again. Drive unit or battery dead? These are fun ones, becuase you could buy a $30k used Tesla, and if those go on you, your vehicle is basically a write off.
” However, most conventional automatic gearboxes now feature a car manufacturer-recommended lifetime fill interval,”
And if you want the automatic to last, not changing the fluid is a TERRIBLE idea.
I’ve had my Honda Fit now for 4 years… and the maintenance I’ve had to do included:
-SEVERAL OIL AND OIL FILTER CHANGES
-engine air filter (at least twice)
-Coolant
-Transmission fluid (yes, even manual transmissions need to have their fluid changed eventually)
-spark plugs
-VALVE ADJUSTMENT
-new lead acid battery
-New accessory belt and pulley
-Muffler
-UP AND DOWNSTREAM O2 SENSORS
-4 IGNITION COILS
The things in bold are common things ICE vehicles often need that Tesla didn’t mention. And this is just for a Honda Fit.
Other ICE vehicles needed other specialized maintenance such as replacing thermostat housings (common issue on Ford Escorts and the PT Cruiser) and dropping the oil pan to check the oil pickup screen (a highly advisable job to do on the Saab 9-3 every 100,000km that cost about CAD$400).
And that’s not even getting into things like timing belts and Audi-style timing chains that should last the life of the vehicle, but don’t… and that cost $$$$ to get done.
And I haven’t even mentioned the specific stuff diesel engined vehicles need.
So in my view, Tesla is actually UNDERSTATING the extra stuff ICE vehicles need compared to BEVs.
Valve adjustment hasn’t been common for many decades now. Yeah Hondas are supposed to have them adjusted, but the spec interval is really really long, and most owners usually just leave it until it’s noisy. Which often takes several hundred thousand miles.
You’re doing something wrong. Unless there is something wrong with Honda Fits that I don’t know about.
“maintenance I’ve had to do” had to do, or chose to do?
Coolant is lifetime, but even being pro-active should last 100-150k, no problem.
Valve Adjustment? That’s a specific problem to your lemon of a car, and a very, very unlikely fix required. You’re just as likely to have something break on the Tesla as you are to need to mess with valves on an ICE engine.
Belt and pulley. Also a strange issue to have. I don’t have a honda, and although I check them, I haven’t had a belt really go bad within 100k miles.
Muffler. As Thomas says, this really should last almost the life of the car.
New O2 sensors? Again, unless your engine is running poorly, or you use a lot of strange additives to your gas, they should be fine for a long, long time.
Ignition coils? See above.
Your things in bold are absolutely not “common” nor frequent for most quality ICE vehicles.
And there is no way to justify that Tesla is understating it. They are obviously disingenuous. Belts, maybe, pulleys? NO.
Battery, sure in 6 years or so, but CABLES? No, never. And shall we compare the cost of a Tesla battery when it goes bad in 10 years?
Fuel filter? No, pretty much all cars have the filter in the tank now.
Transmission fluid? No, for 99% of owners this is lifetime, and there are plenty of 200k+ mile corollas, etc. driving around to prove it.
And they didn’t even mention OIL CHANGES! Which they would have if they had actually put any intelligent thought into the list.
I think the person writing the list has never actually owned an ICE vehicle.
How old is your Honda Fit and with how many miles/kilometers done?
Wait until DT finds out how much the i3 tires cost and the choices available (theres only 1).
He will pull a Torch and take a chainsaw to some wide jeep tires, cut them in half, then have 2 for 1 !!!
I actually tried to look up alternate wheel sizes the i3 could take and still came up short.
They should’ve used smaller wheels and a more-common size like 175/80-13 or something
Here in the UK I can choose between Bridgestone, Continental or Michelin tyres for our i3 and they are £10 cheaper (£150 each) than the equivalent tyre for our zafira
The stan comments are even worse than the content of the original tweet.
I love that they claim you don’t have to maintain a battery in an electric car.
It’s interesting the graphic omits the one ICE maintenance item that’s undeniably missing from EVs: engine oil and filter changes every 5k-10k miles.
I agree the graphic is a little misleading, but all those things still add up to a lot of things that can go wrong, even in the 8.4 years the average person owns a new car. EVs aren’t without failure modes, obviously, but you can’t deny there are fewer parts to fail. (Of course the ones that can fail, fail expensively! But ask me about expensive failures on the 135i I used to own.)
I agree!
What did one BMW owner say to the other BMW owner?
Nothing, they just gave each other a knowing look and went their separate ways without using blinkers.
Oh yeah… oil changes are a big one they missed. In my post above, I basically made the case that Tesla is actually UNDERSTATING the amount of extra maintenance ICE vehicles need… using my own Honda Fit as an example.
How old is that Honda Fit though? Most of what you posted as needing repaired/replaced on that car would not be required on a new car for a LONG time. This article is comparing new to new, not new to 10 year old Fit.
Years ago on the Tesla forum there was a thread entitled “Will EVs put mechanics and repair shops out of business?”. Naturally this was a hot button that I couldn’t avoid so I assured the readership there that parts stores and repair shops would be just fine. I was so ridiculed that you would have thought I’d just declared the earth was flat. They were sure I was just mad because my business was about to fail.
It’s an 11-year old thread, but I found it, so to make things easier I’ll just quote part of one of my replies here.
“The Model S weighs, what, almost 5000 pounds? How much of it is the battery? What accounts for the rest? I guarantee it isn’t made of unicorn farts. Any component built by humans is prone to failure, even an electronic piece (especially an electronic piece). Also consider how many electrical connections might be in a Model S. One of my TVs randomly stopped working over the winter, and it sits stationary in a climate controlled environment, and has no moving pieces. The Model S (and any other mainstream, non-limited-practicality EV, unlike the Roadster) are going to be asked to perform day after day, in good conditions and bad, exposed to rain, snow, heat, dirt, cold, pothole impacts and God knows what else, while also keeping its occupants warm (or cool), entertained and comfortable. It’s a lot to ask of a product, one which I reiterate is the most complicated thing you will ever own (it’s a miracle that cars do what they do).
So there will be plenty of parts for us to sell, notwithstanding all the inventory currently in my building which has nothing whatsoever to do with a gasoline engine. Therefore there will also be plenty of work for mechanics of all types to perform. And since the EV revolution is not going to happen overnight, as in our little hypothetical here, I am not too worried about a sudden and precipitous drop in our sales.”
NAPA currently has a full line of Tesla Model S brake, suspension parts and bearings. Teslas use coolant and have radiators and hoses. I even have a Tesla oil filter for the gearbox that I bought off eBay as a novelty. Also, anecdotally I’ve heard a lot of Tesla service nightmares over the years.
EVs being cheaper to maintain is a fallacy that’s been sold for years.
The infographic isn’t terribly misleading. Electric cars require less maintenance. The bandwagon comments are even worse than the misleading article. Blah.
FYI I drove a Chevy bolt for 3 years. Have never wanted a Tesla. Don’t like battery cars overall, and not going back anytime soon.
Nissan CVTs need periodic maintenance if you don’t want them to go bad fast. I don’t treat any lifetime fluid like that, cheaper to maintain a transmission than replacing it. I would never own one anyway lol
The expensive maintenance item from my 17′ Chevy Volt so far was to flush the 3 coolant loops (Around $400). Brake pads still original, only oil changes and some filters replace so far (knock on wood)
I thought Nissan CVTs needed periodic replacement.
what is also not acknowledged is the rear drive unit issues. Hiding possible leaks inside lubrcation voids is bad MMKAY. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdMaQyRJneo
Oil changes: $100
Radiator flush: $125
Not driving a car that attaches you to the worlds greatest douche: Priceless
especially when it takes the product from the previous title holder to start the thing.
Oil changes: $100
Radiator flush: $125
OUCH! That should be MUCH less if you DIY:
In my experience a DIY oil and filter change (Costco or Wal-Mart Supertech full synthetic) runs about $25 and a radiator flush should be 12-$15, unless you’re stuck using proprietary coolant, then $25. Neither are difficult or should require special tools but of course YMMV.
Why? Because Tesla posted it. The end.
Fuck Elon.
Chris with low wattage
Me no like Elon this year. Electric car bad this year.
That was funny, maybe. Maybe not. I’m not sure. Is this supposed to be an insult?
I wonder why Toyota recommends EFI Tank Additive only for one engine and only in Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Saipan?
I assume climate related, but what specifically?
And proceeding from that assumption, is there something meaningfully different in those islands’ climates than that of say, Miami?
Edited because I just realized it might be something different in the gas shipped there?
How did they get Saipan but not Guam? They’re the same island chain. Whatever the factor is in Saipan would be in Guam too.
My guess is the additive is for high-ethanol content gasoline, which some of those islands may have, and some not?
Also, how much does it cost to replace the battery pack when it’s down to just 2/3 of original capacity after 150,000 miles (ca 3-4 years of driving for me)?
70% after 150k is considered within spec for Tesla and would not be covered under warranty, but that’s still a lot of missing miles it would be nice to get back.
If you drive that much in 3 or 4 years then you are pretty much always depreciating your car to almost zero value, anyway. No doubt you’ll find someone that will gladly take a 66% Tesla off your hands for at least some amount of money, and in the meantime you’ve saved enough in gas to not worry about the extra depreciation hit you’ll take on resale.
Hilariously misleading stuff like this must be why
ElrondElon wants to change the business name to “Titter”.I read this article and immediately thought of the ZF8, which both my cars use. Enthusiasts will find out from a forum that the fluid is supposed to be changed with the filter between 50-70k miles per ZF’s documents, but most will just let it ride. I’ve even seen reports in groups/forums of dealers straight up refusing to do a trans service because it’s “lifetime fill”.
So pretty much the manufacturers here are saying “if it does fail, it will be out of warranty, so fuck it”.
It’s not unheard of to get 10 years out of an AGM battery. One of my cars has an AGM battery with a 2016 date code on it and it’s still kicking. I guess it makes up for it by needing spark plugs every 40k miles.
So they DO have a PR team after all
Marketeers
Interns
10,000 monkeys with typewriters.
Tesla putting misleading information on Twitter? Well that demands an investigation, call Matt Tiabbi and get him on it right away. We must get to the bottom of who would allow such a thing on Twitter, the land of free speech clear of bots and misinformation.
Matt is on the outs now, he had the audacity to make money outside of twitter…