"The Motor Is Supposed To Last 1 Million Miles": Man Hits 360,000 Miles On His Model 3. Is That The Norm?

There’s a misconception among some car buyers that electric vehicles are disposable modes of transportation and that they sharply depreciate in value over a relatively short amount of time. While the economics of used EV sales are affected by various factors, such as price cuts of new vehicles, the notion that battery-powered cars can’t last as long as their internal combustion counterparts is simply not true.

TikTok user @300k.mile.tesla is one of many electric vehicle owners who’ve managed to rack up serious mileage. His social media account documents his 2018 Tesla Model 3 Long Range ownership experience. In a clip posted on Feb. 1, he recorded the precise moment his car hit the 360,000 mile mark, a staggering accomplishment considering that the average modern vehicle “lasts for 200,000 miles,” according to Progressive.

Long-Range Repairs

Anticipating questions from other users on the platform, the TikToker addressed the biggest cause of concern folks have with EVs.

“So I know the comments section is going to be flooded with, “How’s the battery? Is this the original battery?” So I’ll tell you, I changed the battery at 321,000 miles. I got it from a third party called Donut Auto Parts in California. I got it in August, so it’s been seven months now. And it’s working great,” he told users.

He tells viewers that his Tesla’s electric motor is holding up great despite the amount of pavement he’s put under his tires.

In a series of separate videos, @300k.mile.tesla documented the moment his vehicle was unable to achieve its maximum charge level. In one of his clips, he showed off a series of notifications on his Tesla warning that his ride’s battery threshold had depleted significantly after 318,639 miles of use.

In another video, he says the total cost of the battery plus installation was $5,000, but he says prices may vary depending on the vehicle.

Fixing EV Batteries For Less

While EV adoption rates among new drivers have been up and down over the years, there are more electric vehicles on the road than ever before. Consequently, a number of third-party shops have begun offering battery replacement/repair solutions, with costs much lower than some service centers charge. Recurrent Auto reported that the average cost of switching out a Tesla battery can be anywhere from $15,000 to $22,000 at an official Tesla service center.

Moreover, seasoned battery pros can swap out individual battery cells instead of replacing a whole unit. InsideEVs previously reported on a man who bought a used 2014 Model S with a bad battery pack for $10,000 in 2020. The repair specialist he took it to was able to isolate that a single cell was the reason for the car’s battery woes and replace the cell for $5,000, giving him a total expenditure of $15,000—about half the price of a used Model S at the time.

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Other Tesla Woes

While @300k.mile.tesla has been able to get a lot of mileage out of his car, he has documented several hiccups. In one video, he says he kept getting warning notices that his car’s cruise control was disabled along with the EV’s automatic hold functionality.

In another clip, he vents his frustrations at having to fork over $240 for a diagnosis to assess the error issues. This left him cursing at the brand, as he believed the service center’s response was effectively a “cop out.” However, in an updated post, he says Tesla’s recommendation to swap out his tires ultimately removed those warning messages from his car’s infotainment display, and his Autopilot and automatic hold features began working again as normal.

InsideEVs has reached out to @300k.mile.tesla via TikTok direct message for further comment.

 

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