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How Much Does It Cost to Replace a Tesla Battery in 2024? What You Need To Know!
Pete Ortiz
Last updated:
Tesla might be the future of cars and the current king of electric vehicles; however, they are also prone to wear and tear. At some point, you will have to see a mechanic. They might not need a lot in terms of coolant refills and oil changes, but the battery will have to be changed after a while.
If you are thinking about purchasing a Tesla, there are a few things you should know, including the cost of a new battery for a Tesla vehicle. This article gives a detailed guide on the battery cost and other related questions.
What Calls for a Tesla Battery Replacement?
There are a couple of reasons to change your Tesla batteries. The most notable one is the loss of driving range. The more wear the battery gets, the shorter driving range you have, which directly impacts performance. The best solution is to have the battery replaced.
Additionally, when the car warranty is still valid, you may want to take advantage and get the battery fixed before the contract expires. This will save you a lot of money you would have otherwise purchased out of pocket.
Image By: Blomst, Pixabay
Cost of Replacing a Tesla Battery
The cost of a battery replacement could vary depending on the battery type and labor. Generally, the average cost ranges between $13,000 and $14,000.
There are at least three different Tesla models, including the Model S Premium, the Model 3 Entry-Level Sedan, and the Model X Premium SUV.
Apart from the cost of replacing a car battery, you will also have to pay between $20 and $200 to replace things like wiring and connectors.
The labor charges will cost between $170 and $175 per hour.
Tesla batteries are a bit complex, meaning you should be aware of any additional labor charges that may arise.
How Do You Know When to Replace a Tesla Battery?
Tesla batteries are designed to last a long time, and you can still expect them to run even past the 500,000-mile mark. Still, there are times when you’ll need to replace the battery before you reach this milestone.
Some of the most common issues with Tesla batteries include problems with the fuse and voltage. If the issue arises in one module, it will spread. The battery should remain steady across all modules, which means if there are different voltages, the entire battery will become defective.
Here are a couple of signs that your car needs the battery replaced:
Drop in driving range by more than 20%
Failure to hold the charge as normal
Notification from Tesla that there is a problem with the battery
If the underlying issue does not link to the degradation of the battery, it is recommended that you visit the service center since the problem might be from something else.
Anything from charging issues to connectors could cause a sudden loss in driving range and other battery-associated problems.
As a rule of thumb, as long as the battery is still new and has not been in use over a long period, the problem may be something else. Do not rush to buy a replacement battery until you are sure.
Image Credit: JamesQube, Pixabay
Does the Tesla Warranty Cover Battery Replacement?
Tesla battery replacements can cost a lot. It would help to know what is covered in your warranty so that you don’t spend your cash on something that could have been covered.
Tesla will cover manufacturing defects associated with high-voltage issues and certain problems before the car covers at least 150,000 miles and before the lapse of 8 years. This means that the warranty covers the cost of parts, labor, and other associated expenses.
However, there are a couple of exceptions to the repairs.
For some cases, like with the 2020 Model S and Model X, the warranty will be 8 years long with unlimited miles, but batteries with around 60 kilowatt-hours or 40 kilowatt-hours will still be 8 years at 125,000 miles.
Due Diligence in Purchasing a Tesla
You may have heard about the story of Tuomas Kaitanen, who decided to dynamite his Model S rather than pay a repair cost of at least $22,000. He had just got a used model of the car and realized the deal was not as sweet as he had thought. The colossal bill was mostly regarding battery replacement.
Kaitanen’s case is a perfect example of the level of due diligence you should do before deciding to make any car purchase. In his case, apart from the huge explosion seen on YouTube across the world, many questions about why the bill accrued to $22,000 were not answered.
If you choose to buy a used Tesla, it will help you be more diligent before making the purchase. This means taking the car to the service center to ensure the vehicle is in working condition.
You should also ensure you understand how long the battery has been in service to ensure you are aware of the time window left for healthy battery life.
Image Credit: webandi, Pixabay
What Do Tesla Batteries Use?
Tesla batteries previously used a combination of nickel, cobalt, and aluminum but have since changed to new models made of lithium, iron, and phosphate.
The Asian Panasonic company is responsible for manufacturing Tesla batteries, which use 18,650 cells that can become fully charged between 20 and 40 minutes.
Recently, Tesla reconfigured the structure of the battery pack so that it now holds 516 cells in each module, which comes down to a total of 8,256 cells. This battery can hold more than 100 kilowatt-hours of energy for a range of roughly 300 miles.
Can You Replace a Tesla Battery at Home?
If you replace a Tesla car battery at home, you may run into some problems. Unless you have invested time, money, equipment, and skill, it may prove to be quite a complicated endeavor due to software and operating systems.
It is also quite hard to come across certain plans and schematics. If you do not have prior information and expertise, there is a high chance of adding more problems than solving them.
This is a battery storage system intended to solve some of the most common issues that face Tesla batteries.
Replacing a gas generator costs $6,700, with supporting hardware costing anywhere between $900 and $1,100. So, it will cost around $2,000 to install the system.
For cars purchased before January 2017, supercharging is free. However, the cost is generally around $0.25 per kilowatt for vehicles purchased after 2017. For a full recharge to at least 250 miles, the price will be approximately $22.
It’s not often that a client will be required to pay for a new battery, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. Although it is expensive, the battery will give back on the investment since it will last long before needing another replacement, sometimes even outlasting the car itself.
We hope that Tesla owners now understand the true costs of replacing their Tesla batteries and all the additional costs associated with the process.
Featured Image Credit: ElasticComputeFarm, Pixabay
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Writer
Pete Ortiz
Pete has been working in the trades since high school, where he first developed a passion for woodworking. Over the years, he has developed a keen interest in a wide variety of DIY projects around the home. Fascinated by all sort of tools, Pete loves reading and writing about all the latest gadgets and accessories that hit the market. His other interests include astronomy, hiking, and fishing.
As the founder of House Grail, Pete's primary goal is to help consumers make educated decisions about DIY projects at home, in the garage, and in the garden.
