The repercussions of Tuomas Katainen blowing up his 2013 Tesla Model S in Finland will reverberate a lot longer than the act itself. The extreme attitude led to multiple discussions around battery pack replacement costs, and Gruber Motors decided to join them with its latest video. Pete Gruber broke down the price to check if Tesla is selling them at cost or not.
With the experience accumulated along many years servicing used Teslas, Gruber was able to point out how much each of the components of a battery pack could cost. It is a very interesting analysis that we will let you check for yourself in the video below. The bottom line is that Gruber estimated a total cost of $22,728.
The Finnish owner decided to blow his Model S after receiving an estimate of €20,000 to replace the battery pack in his car. At the current exchange rate, that means it would cost $22,678 in a direct conversion – a $50 difference. That would demonstrate that Tesla is selling these battery packs at cost.
Unfortunately, that does not solve the matter. Katainen would probably still blow up his Model S with such an estimate, whether he was sure Tesla was not making a dime in the sale or not. The main problem is that it is not worth paying $22,000 to fix a car that is worth around $25,000. It makes no sense at all.
For Tesla and other EV makers to really solve this problem, they would have either to propose cheaper servicing for defective battery packs or help and promote shops that offer such repairs. Gruber Motors is one of them. Electrified Garage, 057 Technology, and Cotran Consulting are the other companies that we know in the U.S. and Canada that also offer such solutions.
Selling new battery packs is probably the most cost-effective service Tesla can offer. It demands little time from its technicians compared to the work they would have if they were to dismantle and fix these battery packs. However, it is the best solution for the company, not its customers.
We have reported here the case of Donald Bone, who would have to sell a kidney to repair Model 3 by replacing a battery pack for $16,000. The Electrified Garage fixed his car for $700: it involved just repairing a broken nipple. If there are shops interested in this kind of service, why not give them information, parts, and tools to “support the mission,” as Tesla fans so often claim to be the case? It would be only logical – and coherent.
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