How Long Do Tesla Batteries Last? Lifetime, Replacement, Max Distance

Have you wondered, how long do Tesla batteries last?

Naturally, the manufacture explains the estimated lifetime of the battery (which can be a major cost for replacement), but what about real world applications?

Lifetime, replacement costs, max driving distance are considerations that first-time buyers of electric vehicles wonder about, and rightly so.

With traditional internal combustion engines, the life expectancy of the car was easier to quantify based on the history of past models, engine upgrades, and the simple wear and tear of everyday use.

The batteries for electric vehicles are constantly improving, but they are costly to produce and very hard on the planet.

So, how long do Tesla batteries last? This guide breaks down the facts.

How Long Do Car Batteries Last?

Currently, Tesla batteries last about 10 years before they need replaced, however, certain factors can influence that length of time.

The concept of fully electric cars has been a goal of numerous car manufacturers for decades.

Inefficiencies in batteries holding a charge were holding back the industry from advancing and preventing consumers from adopting a cleaner, greener way to travel the roads of the world.

(Image: spe.automotive⁹)

But it was just a matter of time before zero-emission cars became a reality.

In 2008, a resurgence happened with technological breakthroughs with lithium-ion battery cells that could extend the distance traveled on one charge.

Tesla has been at the forefront of this revolution, quickly moving to the production of one of their first all-electric vehicles with the first Model S prototype, the Roadster.

It was powered by a single pack that comprised 22 separate modules, and after nearly 15 years in operation, its useful life cycle was coming to an end.

This degradation in the cells resulted in the distance that the car could achieve becoming greatly decreased.

Worse still, if the battery was left for a lengthy period of time unplugged and not recharged, it would not sustain a charge at all and become what’s known as ‘bricked’ – as in as dead as a brick.

Tesla Battery Replacement Cost

After 15 years the price of Tesla batteries has escalated alongside advancements in technology.¹ Buying a completely new battery for a 15-year-old car can cost $22,000 or more.

That price is virtually the same as the value of the old car itself, so is a non-starter for most owners. A few companies stepped forward to offer refurbishing services to replace worn-out components, but it was hardly a cheap solution.

How long do Tesla batteries last was worrying new buyers who were about to shell out $30,000 to $100,000 for a new car, but didn’t relish the idea of having to spend another $20,000 to $30,000 in 10 years for a new battery just so they could maintain the same range that they had grown accustomed to.

And, of course, over that period of time the value of the car would have changed and it, too, would be subjected to the wear and tear of a typical vehicle.

The resale value, with a degraded battery pack and a reduced mileage range, would not make this car attractive to a used car buyer.

How Long Do Tesla Batteries Last Per Charge?

The original Tesla Roadster has the capacity in a laboratory setting, in other words under perfect conditions, of achieving 250 miles on one charge.

(Image: Zobeid Zuma¹⁰)

In a real-world setting where stops and starts and waiting in queues is the norm, that would be reduced.

How Much Does a Tesla Cost?

To alleviate range anxiety, driving conditions have been factored into the estimated achievable ranges per model and Tesla has created a chart to display what each model is capable of in an effort to allay those fears, and boost sales.

The company offers a Tesla battery range warranty of 100k to 150k miles or 8 years, whichever is soonest.

The Tesla Model 3 Battery Replacement Cost: How Much Do Tesla Battery Replacement Cost Now?

The warranty given by Tesla offers peace of mind, but what it doesn’t guarantee is that the battery will retain its 100% efficiency rating when purchased new.

It has been calculated that 14,000 miles is the average distance traveled by most American drivers annually, and the battery’s rating after racking up a distance of 200,000 will be between 80-90%, and take over 12 years.

So, if everything goes smoothly and there are no knocks or accidents that damage the battery’s longevity, then even after 15 years the capacity of the battery shouldn’t have fallen below 70%.

But accidents happen. They can’t be predicted and they can be expensive, and will impact how long do Tesla batteries last.

A cost of $5,000 to $10,000 will cover the cost of a new replacement battery but be aware that that price is based on each module in the battery.

The batteries on the Roadster had 11-16 modules compared to the batteries today which have 4 or 5. Even so, the cost of replacing a battery would run into the $25,000 to $35,000 range.

To soften this blow to the bank balance for those unfortunate enough to be in the market for a replacement Tesla battery, several companies are selling remanufactured battery packs at reduced prices.

Their prices range from a not-so-eye-watering range of $13,000 to $17,000 depending on the complexity of the job.

Many people are under the misconception that Tesla was his brainchild from the very beginning. In fact, it was incorporated by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning in 2003, a year before Elon Musk came on board.

Martin Eberhard was an electrical engineer and inventor who was concerned about global warming and wanted to make cars climate-friendly.³ With his friend and business partner who was also an engineer and technology entrepreneur, they founded Tesla Motors, Inc, in July 2003.

Elon Musk’s Involvement

Elon Musk immediately realized the possible trajectory the company was on and became the largest shareholder of the new enterprise with an investment of $6.5 million.

That was a sizeable portion of the $7.5 series A funding at the time, but not a great deal of money for Musk who two years previously had sold his stake in PayPal for $100 million.

In 2008, he replaced Martin Eberhard as the CEO, and in 2009 a lawsuit was brought forward that amended the list of co-founders to include Elon Musk.

The preceding years saw Tesla go through a progression from improved electric cars, to battery production, and to solar energy, with Musk the very visible driving force at the forefront.

He may not have been with Tesla from day one, but since becoming part of the company he has propelled it forward like no other could, making himself the second richest man on the planet at the same time.

Tesla Powerwall Cost

Just as with Tesla electric vehicles, the success and efficiency of solar panels rely on the capacity of a battery to contain a high amount of electricity for a sustained amount of time, and how long do Tesla batteries last for solar panel usage is also at the forefront of the minds of consumers.

(Image: Ben Paulos¹¹)

It is one thing to be able to harness the power of the sun but without an effective method of storing that energy. This residential battery storage system developed by Tesla has one of the biggest capacities on the market and looks sleek inside the home or outside attached to a wall.

Essentially, Powerwall is a compact home battery storage system that is compatible with all Tesla solar panel systems and is more than capable of storing all the energy requirements a home would need.

To increase that power availability, more units can be added to cover any energy shortfall needs and reduce a household’s carbon footprint and reliance on fossil fuels.⁴

A commercial version with more bang for your buck is now available and the beauty of installing either the original Powerwall or the Powerwall 2, is that your brand-new Tesla can be plugged in and charged in the comfort of your own home.

Depending on whether the Powerwall, the Powerwall 2, or Powerwall + is installed, the cost directly from Tesla would be between $9,200 and $14,200.

An average house would only require 1 or 2 units to supplement the electricity from the grid. To go completely off-grid, 3 or more units would need to be installed up to a maximum of 10.

From Tesla, there is a discount structure available where the more units purchased at the same time, the cheaper the individual unit costs work out to be.

A federal solar tax credit is available that enables homeowners to get a 30% deduction from Powerwall units and any solar panels purchased.

How To Connect Solar Panel to Battery (Batteries in Series vs Parallel)

With a bit of technical know-how, it is possible to install your own solar panels either in your home or your garden shed or study how to hook up solar panel to rv battery.

The process will be more or less the same in whichever scenario, and as long as the same steps are followed there should be no problems.

The first thing to be aware of is that solar panels should never be connected directly to the batteries. To do so will risk damaging your expensive batteries.

A solar charge controller has to be fitted between the solar panels and the batteries to manage any surges in power and prevent the batteries from overcharging and also to increase the speed of charging the battery itself.

(Image: Photo by Cody Kabus, U.S. Department of Energy¹²)

Fit a fuse between the charge controller and the battery and between the solar panel and the charge controller to prevent any problems in the event of electrical surges or shortages or electrical feedback, and then follow these steps.

1. Connect the positive and negative terminals to the battery and then connect to the charge controller.
2. Follow the instructions on programming the controller.
3. Use the connections pre-installed on the solar panels and connect to the charge controller.

These steps can also be followed even if setting up a small solar panel charging station for an electric bike such as the mid-drive e-bike kit, possibly replacing the controller for an inverter as it wouldn’t be needed for such a small project.⁵

If fitting more than one battery for extra storage, there is the option of fitting them in a series formation or in parallel. So what’s the difference between batteries in series vs parallel?

The primary distinction between wiring batteries in series and parallel is the effect on the output voltage and capacity of the battery system. The voltages of batteries connected in series will be summed together.

When batteries are wired in parallel, their capacities are added together. However, the total accessible energy is the same in both designs but batteries survive longer when connected in parallel.

There is a limit to the number of batteries that can be mounted in a series formation, while in parallel it is unlimited.

Wiring batteries in parallel provides the simplest wiring and common voltage for general boat and RV applications; but, for big installations exceeding 3000 watts of power, higher voltage series connections may be preferable. Knowing and understanding how to connect solar panel to battery systems will help you make these installations safer and easier.

Carbon Footprint of Lithium-ion Battery Production (How Long Do Tesla Batteries Last?)

Batteries are core components in electric vehicles and solar panel arrays, and without technological advancements that have increased their discharge and charging efficiencies, neither would be as viable as they are today.

(Image: Tesla¹³)

The concern over how much charge batteries can hold and how long do Tesla batteries last, has held back these industries for years.

Lead-acid and lithium batteries lacked the capacity to store large quantities of energy, and their life spans were somewhat limited.

When lithium-ion battery production became commercialized in 1991 it soon became apparent that with their longer life spans, 5 years compared to the 2 years for lead-acid batteries, they had the capacity to revolutionize the electric car and solar panel industries.

Further advancements have increased that life span even further, improving their charging capabilities, and the capacity to remain functional after hundreds, if not thousands, of charge cycles.

Lithium-ion batteries will undoubtedly benefit current efforts to replace gas-powered vehicles that release CO₂ and reduce greenhouse emissions.

Unfortunately, despite the clean image of batteries, their use does come at a cost. The carbon footprint of lithium-ion battery production poses a negative environmental impact.

The mining process to extract the raw materials to manufacture the batteries is incredibly water intensive and often contaminates the local ecosystem.

After that, fossil fuels such as coal are burned in furnaces at temperatures of up to 1000 degrees, releasing tons of CO₂ into the atmosphere and accelerating climate change.⁶

Research into cleaner methods of battery production is constantly being reviewed. The benefit of these improved batteries, even after the downsides in the production methods and mining of the raw materials, is still paving the way for a greener and cleaner future.

Solar power and electric vehicles are much better alternatives to gas-powered modes of transport and burning fossil fuels to generate electricity.

These batteries may not be perfect as yet, but with time they will be greatly improved and that can only help to combat climate change.

The Tesla Powerwall: Lifetime and Replacement

The question of how long do Tesla batteries last is also going to refer to the Powerwall just as much as the batteries that run their vehicles.

With each Powerwall purchase, a 10-year warranty is given from Tesla, but different systems have varying performance abilities depending on if they were designed for interior usage only or if designed for outdoor living.

Factors that determine the longevity of the storage systems will be the charging cycle rate, how often it is recharged, and scheduled maintenance tasks.

It is feasible to conclude that during the 20-30 year lifetime of the solar panels installed in your home, the Powerwall storage system is going to have to be replaced at least once.

Just like the photovoltaic cells, there will be a degradation in efficiency and power conversion as the years go by.

So, even though the Powerwall will still convert, store and deliver electricity, it will do all of those at a reduced level that may or may not be sufficient for the energy needs of your household.

How Long Do Tesla Batteries Last? Max Distance for Future Cars

Research into new battery technology will be able to extend the range of EVs far beyond what they are capable of today. The top 10 performers that are available for purchase now are

Electric vehicles from Tesla feature in the top performing cars 4 times.

That is pretty impressive considering the level of competition, but you get the impression that the company wants all of their vehicles to be in all the top 10 positions in the near future.⁷

They are constantly upgrading the battery packs by increasing the density without increasing the weight with the intention of being able to cover distances of over 700 miles on one charge and for the battery to last for 1 million miles.

If that can be achieved, and they are confident that they will be able to reach this milestone in the next few years, then it would mean the battery would basically last the lifetime of the vehicle owner, never mind the vehicle.

8 Battery-Powered Facts

Batteries are taken for granted. Their implementation into our everyday products and devices is often not given a second thought.

(Image: Tesla¹³)

But without batteries, our portable devices would not be portable, and solar panels and EVs would be nothing but mere pipe dreams.

Let’s see what we actually don’t know about this invaluable product:

1. Gaston Planté is credited with inventing the first rechargeable lead-acid battery in 1859.
2. Improved lithium batteries didn’t become commercially available until the 1970s.
3. The prototype for the more stable and effective lithium-ion battery occurred in 1985 and was finally brought to the market by Sony in 1991.
4. It wasn’t until 2019 that John B. Goodenough, M. Stanley Whittingham, and Akira Yoshino, were honored for their contributions towards lithium-ion batteries that enabled them to be used in notebooks and cell phones. Each was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
5. Not all the materials in a battery pack can be recycled as some of them are toxic if handled incorrectly.
6. Manufacturing and selling batteries is a global industry worth over $60 billion.
7. It wasn’t until the 1950s that the batteries in our watches that we take for granted came to market.
8. New batteries do not have expiry dates even if a date is stamped on the package. They can last for decades and still be usable, but just with a reduced capacity.

So, how long do Tesla batteries last, the answer will be different for everyone based on environmental factors, use, and other elements, but typically, the answer is around 10 years.

Frequently Asked Questions About How Long Do Tesla Batteries Last