‘3 Cents Per Kilowatt’: Veteran Says He’s Saved $829 In the 4 Months He’s Had an EV. In Fact, He’s Only Spent On One Thing
'What if something breaks?'
A new Tesla owner answered whether or not owning a Tesla will really save drivers money. A military veteran, who posts under the TikTok handle @howtomilitary shared his 4-month ownership experience with a Model Y. From the onset of the clip, he shows his charging usage statistics, indicating that 99% of all his charging was conducted at home. Conversely, 1% of all the charging he conducted took place at a Supercharger, culminating in $56 spent on energy, as per Tesla’ estimation.
He adds that he saved an estimated $829 in gas over the course of four months. That’s because he claims to spend around “3 cents per kilowatt hour” while charging at home. So, when compared to fueling up an internal combustion engine vehicle at the pump, there’s a massive cost disparity. Conversely, supercharging costs around “40 cents per kilowatt hour,” he says.
He urges folks who plan on getting an EV to ensure they have an at-home charging option available, too.
What About Vehicle Service?
Energy concerns aren’t the only expenditures drivers have to worry about when it comes to their cars, however. The military man went on to tell folks interested in purchasing a Tesla what they should expect with regards to maintaining their vehicle to keep it road worthy and safe for daily commuting.
“From like a maintenance perspective you really don’t have any other…any maintenance other than windshield washer fluid. You got the tire rotations, new tires when you need them, and air filters,” he says.
The increased weight of EVs due to their massive lithium-ion battery packs, and torquey driving dynamics means tires wear out more quickly. However, manufacturers like Hankook are indeed crafting tires specially designed for EVs that should make this concern a thing of the past. So folks may not need to swap out their wheels as often on electric vehicles.
Additionally, the TikToker tells viewers a new set of tires for their Tesla will probably run them anywhere from $1,400 to $1,500. As for tire rotations, which Tesla recommends performing every 6,250 miles, the veteran says drivers can expect to pay around $60 whenever they need to do that.
He says that Teslas require specialized “pucks” along with an “extended lift bay” in order to adequately prep the car for rotations.
‘What If Something Breaks?’
Moreover, the veteran also pre-empted concerns folks may have with Tesla’s build quality. Twenty-five percent of all Tesla’s recalls in 2024 had to do with the brand’s electrical systems. Also, many Model 3 owners have complained about premature control arm breakage on their vehicles. The issue became so prevalent, that Tesla instructed Model 3 owners to proactively seek out replacements for their front control arms. Fixes for this problem are indeed covered under the brand’s 50,000 Basic Vehicle Limited Warranty.
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The military veteran points out that Tesla’s batteries are covered for 100,000 miles. Which means that individuals concerned about costly battery pack replacements can have some peace of mind. Tesla writes that rear-wheel drive Model 3’s and Y’s are covered up to 8 years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first. Long Range and Performance variants of these models receive an additional 20,000 miles of coverage on their battery packs. Model S, X, and Cybertrucks are covered up to 150,000 miles and 8 years.
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On top of this, Tesla also states that if battery packs dip below their 70% capacity threshold during this time, they can be replaced under warranty, too.
The veteran does state that windshield repairs and others not covered under warranty do tend to cost more than other vehicles. So that drivers interested in getting a Tesla should “be in a financial position” to be able to cover these expenditures.
The TikToker went on to state that folks thinking about purchasing the car will want to be prepared to shell out for any unforeseen repair costs.
He capped off his video by stating that it’s still early to give a total assessment on his car. As it stands, the 2023 model has 16,000 miles on it. He remarked that if it gets to 100,000 miles without any major repairs, he’ll certainly always own a car from the manufacturer.
InsideEVs has reached out to @howtomilitary via TikTok comment for further information.
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