Atto 3 is the first in the line of electric cars. Photo courtesy Majella Waterworth.
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Our Tesla Model 3 is now seven years old and we are about to trade the car in for a Tesla Model Y. The reason? Is it because we have done over 180,000 km (about 112,000 miles) and will be likely to require expensive maintenance? Is battery degradation a problem? Is it because we want new tech? Is the car getting shabby? Are we trying to beat depreciation? To stay in fashion? Has the lease run out?
George T. Wolseley, part of British Leyland and Tesla 3 the future of motoring. Photo courtesy of Majella Waterworth.
In the good old days that everyone longs for (’50s and ’60s), if you got 100,000 miles out of your car, you were doing well. It was easy to know when to let George go — all of the above. Now, cars are built much better, they are rust proofed, and they have higher quality engineering. I know Uber drivers who are pushing half a million kilometres who are happy to keep driving the same car. I asked my friend Nathan Merritt of Ride4U when he would consider trading in his Model 3 — and he said after 700,000 km — perhaps. We have also have discussed battery degradation in the past, and he confirms that like us, he has lost about 10% of range.
