This Tesla Model S has an effective cost of only $ 5,060



[ad_1]

CAN A TESLA STOP A FIVE-LARGE COST?

As any electric vehicle owner will explain, the higher purchase price of an electric vehicle is partially offset by fuel and maintenance savings, and by many buyers, by federal incentives. and states. Tesla has always emphasized this fact – when you order a vehicle online, the website takes into account the incentives and savings on operating costs at the right time to calculate your effective price. Years ago, Tesla's online savings calculator even built in the time saved by not going to gas stations (at $ 100 an hour!), Until its embarrassed fans convinced the company that it went a little beyond marketing techniques.

* This article is provided by EVANNEX (which also manufactures Tesla accessories for the aftermarket). Author: Charles Morris. The opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily ours at InsideEV.

Above: Tesla Model S (Image: Tesla)

Now it's one thing for a company to take advantage of the savings generated by its product, but in the case of Tesla, many satisfied customers have also done so. Greg Autry is the latest to have caught our attention. He recently reported in Forbes that after traveling 50,000 km in his Tesla Model S, he calculated the actual cost at only $ 5,060 – a good price for a luxury. vehicle. In addition, Autry calls his Model S "the best product I have ever bought".

When Autry went to buy an electric vehicle for the first time, he tested a Ford Focus Electric. The salesman told him that "electric cars just do not go fast." As he points out, it's "not surprising that Tesla has eaten his electric lunch." (After years of negligible sales, Focus Electric has been shut down and Ford does not have an electric model in its lineup.)

Autry has bought a 2014 Chevy Volt, which he describes as "a comfortable and decent-looking plug-in hybrid that could barely allow me to work. [a charge]. "Although it does not seem to have found the exciting Volt, it revealed:" the low total cost of ownership (TCO) and the benefits associated with the lifespan of electric vehicles. "

These benefits are many, but can the actual price of a Model S really be as good as five thousand dollars? Continue reading …

Autry paid $ 95,000 (taxes, registration, and usual extras) for its S model and took advantage of a $ 7,500 federal tax credit and a $ 2,500 incentive. State of California, bringing down the original cost to 85 fat. Unfortunately, new buyers will not get the full credit of $ 7,500, but you can still get $ 3,750 if you buy in the first half of 2019.

At home, Autry charges his Tesla with the solar energy generated on his roof, and on the road, he recharges for free using the Supercharger network. "No gas bill for 50,000 km traveled allowed me to save $ 5,000. The Model S cost up to 80,000 dollars, "he jubilates. Unfortunately, most new buyers will not benefit from free overfeeding, and although energy from the sun may be free, the signs needed to capture it are not. However, there is no doubt that running on electricity costs less than burning gas: their price varies considerably from one country to another, but the general rule is that to drive electricity you will save about two thirds of your fuel bill.

Above: Inside the Tesla Model S (Image: Tesla)

"I do not spend money or time on service either," says Autry. "The only real service I have had is the warranty replacement of the standard 12v battery that supports the car's computers and infotainment system. No oil change, no cooling rinse, no braking (mainly magnetic), no maintenance of the transmission and no waste of time.

Tesla recommended maintenance includes replacing the batteries in the key fob, checking the wiper blades and wiping the washer fluid. The company suggests, but does not require, to replace the brake fluid every 25,000 km.

"The estimated savings of 20 oil changes at $ 50 each and $ 50 for my lost time rise to $ 2,000, plus two or three cycles of cooling and braking = $ 2,500. The Model S cost up to $ 77.5K, "says Autry.

Mr. A thinks he will keep his Model S for 150,000 km, which is not unreasonable for a modern vehicle. This will bring the fuel and maintenance savings to $ 22,500 and the actual cost of the car to $ 63,000. Once he has decided to sell, he can expect a very decent resale value. A report by Loup Ventures published in 2018 revealed that Teslas tended to retain its value better than other vehicles in its class (and much better than other electric vehicles). After 50,000 km, Wolf estimates that a Model S type loses 28% of its value, while a Mercedes S-Class loses about 36% and a BMW 7 Series about 40%. According to Autrynomics, this higher retained value is worth $ 10,400, reducing its actual cost to $ 52,560.

We are now entering the field of advanced theoretical mathematics. The long life of the Tesla means that Autry will not have to buy another car, which will save him half the purchase price, or $ 47,500 – about the price he would have paid for a car. other car. "So, my Tesla will only cost $ 5,060 if I drive 150,000 kilometers!", He concludes happily.

Is Professor Autry's economic reasoning valid? Some are based on verifiable numbers in dollars and cents, others on benefits that are not available to all buyers, and some may be a bit fancy. On the other hand, there is no way to put a price on Tesla's top security rating, the convenience of live updates, or on the tons of carbon dioxide and other pollutants that electric cars do not throw in the air.

Above: Zero rejection of exhaust in a Tesla Model S (Image: Tesla)

According to a well-known marketing maxim, buyers make decisions based on emotions and then logically justify them. If you need a certain logic to justify the purchase of a Tesla (or perhaps to convince your important interlocutor), many facts and figures are available – Mr. Autry is far from the sole owner of Tesla to have celebrated the low total cost of ownership of his vehicle. We reported on a study conducted last January and another in February, both of which revealed that electric vehicles offer a lower TCO than traditional vehicles. In December, we had told the story of Marco "Speedy" Jeanrenaud, a Swiss car enthusiast, who had prepared a spreadsheet containing data from several cars he owned, and had concluded that it was "less expensive to drive a Tesla than anything else.

===

Written by: Charles Morris

* Editor's note: EVANNEX, which also sells replacement equipment for Teslas, has kindly allowed us to share some of its content with our readers, free of charge. Our thanks go to EVANNEX. Check out the site here.

[ad_2]

Source link