Quote:
Originally Posted by MaDalton
i don't know what Teslas policy is on that but one of the biggest downsides of electric cars is that they become pretty useless after a couple of years
the batteries lose capacity and replacing them (unless separately rented like some companies do it - or covered by guarantee) will cost more than the rest of the car is worth.
result: no one will buy older electric cars, you either keep it and live with the shrinking range or you have to heavily invest in new batteries which eliminates the advantage lower costs per mile or you have to sell it for peanuts
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I'd be hesitant to suggest that a Tesla is a disposable car. We're not talking about Hyundai or Ford here. Tesla has a huge stake in brand perception and I don't believe they would allow that to happen.
When Tesla launched their leasing program, they guaranteed a very generous residual value. Now that they own their own battery factory, there is no reason to believe that they would release their lease returns in anything but A1 condition.
The biggest issue people will have is deciding between a second hand Model S or a new Model E for about the same price.
We are at least a decade away from embracing and having the infrastructure for FCVs. They also have to overcome that scary hydrogen word that makes non-techies nervous.