- A base-spec Tesla Model 3 from Australia is doing the rounds on the internet thanks to its impressive battery degradation stats.
- The one-owner EV went to an independent shop to fix a judder, but the technician was surprised when he pulled the battery statistics.
- The car used nearly 50,000 kilowatt-hours of energy, with most of the charging being done from an AC source.
We love a high-mileage electric hero, and this is one for the books. An entry-level 2021 Tesla Model 3 from Australia has driven an impressive 254,619 miles (409,770 kilometers), and it’s still on its original electric motor and battery.
The car, which is regularly used for Uber rides, was taken to an independent repair shop in Port Kennedy to diagnose and repair a weird judder under acceleration. That’s when the technician at EV Workz discovered the EV’s battery stats and posted them on a Facebook group after getting permission from the owner.
Photo by: EV Workz
After driving a quarter of a million miles, the rear-wheel drive EV’s lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery still has an estimated state of health between 88% and 90%. In other words, it’s only lost 10% to 12% of its original capacity, which is outstanding for this many miles.
“Today we had a quite special vehicle in our workshop: a one-owner 2021 Tesla Model 3 with 409,770 kilometers on the clock,” the technician wrote. “I know, I know—there is a Model S in the UK with 600,000 kilometers and what not, but this is the highest mileage Tesla I have personally seen and had the privilege to work on.”
On a comparable gas car, after 255,000 miles—especially after the rigors of ride-share driving—you could be looking at the replacement of any number of engine and transmission components, if some hadn’t been replaced already. But the lower-maintenance nature of EVs can mean high miles matter less, since there are fewer mechanical parts to wear down. So long as the battery’s good, the car should be too.
The rather low degradation rate could have something to do with the owner’s charging habits. According to the mechanic’s post, this high-mileage Model 3 has used nearly 50 megawatt-hours of energy, with 71% of its coming from an AC source and 29% from DC fast chargers.
Some studies have shown that limiting the amount of DC fast charges can prolong the life of a lithium-ion battery, but it’s unclear how this can affect LFP packs in particular. This type of chemistry is known for its higher resilience compared to nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) batteries and lower manufacturing costs, but also for its lower energy density. In this car’s case, though, it’s doing a great job so far
As for the problem that prompted the owner to take the car to a repair shop in the first place, it was merely a set of motor mounts. They were replaced, and the car is still as good as new.
