When it comes to electric vehicles, one of the most controversial topics of discussion is the cost of replacing a battery. There’s a good reason for it, too. Like it or not, electric vehicle batteries are wildly expensive, and that’s especially true in the case of Tesla models.

However, one interesting thing you won’t hear many folks discussing is the ability to repair Tesla batteries. Rightly so, because most folks don’t even know that’s a possibility. In fact, Tesla does not currently offer a service for repairing batteries, and their standard procedure is to replace the whole battery. That being said, some independent repair companies like QC Charge are capable of doing repair work that Tesla won’t do.

What does a Tesla battery cost?

Alex Bessinger of QC Charge gave us a tour of the shop and a rundown of the services they offer. One of which is repairing Tesla battery packs. Make no mistake; it is a very tedious job. However, it can save thousands of dollars compared to a battery replacement.

Bessinger states that a battery replacement from Tesla typically costs between $10,000 and $15,000. In some cases, a new battery from Tesla can cost upwards of $20,000, depending on which model and what size battery it is. Instead, he says a repair typically costs between $5,000 and $6,000.

According to Bessinger, the vast majority of that repair cost comes from the labor involved. With the battery pack’s lid being glued in place and the delicate nature of working with the batteries, it’s a very time-consuming process.

Overall, it still isn’t the cheapest automotive repair in the world. However, saving five figures on a repair is something everyone can appreciate.

How do you repair a Tesla battery?

Tesla battery packs are broken down into modules. Within the modules are bricks of battery cells. Losing one brick is enough reason for Tesla to want to replace a customer’s battery. However, Bessinger explains that these modules can be replaced and repaired instead of replacing the entire battery pack.

“What we can try to do in a lot of cases is open up the pack like you see here, pull the module out, and isolate which cell bricks are bad. Then, see if we can isolate which individual cells are bad in the bricks,” says Bessigner.

From there, it can go a couple of ways.

“If we can find a bad cell, we can isolate it from the rest of the pack. Or, in a worst-case scenario, and we’re in sort of a rough spot, we can try to replace the whole module,” Bessigner continues.

He states that replacing a whole module can create some issues on its own, such as battery charge balancing. It’s not easy, but it is possible.

Overall, the repair and maintenance of electric vehicles is still a pretty new game. Fortunately, companies like QC Charge are at the forefront of finding more affordable solutions to keeping these vehicles on the road.