A Tesla Model 3 still had 88% of its original battery capacity after driving over 200K miles
Electric vehicle batteries can last well over 100,000, even 200,000 miles. However, when the bill comes due to replace them, a battery can set an EV owner back thousands of dollars. Although that’s not always the case. A UK-based auction-goer picked up a high-mileage Tesla Model 3 and was surprised to discover just how little the battery had degraded in nearly five years.
A YouTuber found a Tesla Model 3 with nearly 90% of its battery capacity after almost five years and 216,000 miles
200,000 miles is a bit of a milestone for most vehicles. For many buyers, a six-figure odometer reading starting with a two is a sign to steer clear. That the components have lived a long, arduous life covering enough distance to orbit the Earth’s equatorial beltline more than eight times. Not for everyone, though. And certainly not for the buyer of a 2021 Tesla Model 3 with 216,000 miles on the clock.
Well, it’s a Tesla. So no clock, but a large, do-everything center display in its stead. Still, the Model 3 Long Range had covered well over 200,000 miles during its tenure as a UK taxi. Now, you might think that the taxi’s hard life would warrant a new electric motor or a battery swap. However, records showed that this Model 3 was on its original battery and electric motors.
The buyer secured the former British taxi for a mere $12,000. Scoreboard: it’s a $12,000 EV with 216,000 miles. Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. Or maybe not. A battery test through a smartphone app displayed 88% of the Model 3’s original battery capacity available. If the test is to be trusted, the all-wheel drive Model 3 lost just 12% of its original capacity since new.
Of course, it’s far from a new EV. The 2021 Tesla Model 3 Long Range required a few maintenance fixes you’d expect in a high-mileage vehicle, like some new suspension components. However, it was nothing insurmountable. In short, the Model 3 appears to be a shrewd auction purchase. That is if everything holds up and you don’t mind the possibility of vandalism.
Check out the video below!
