Photo: Tesla
One of the main arguments for people to buy electric vehicles is that they do not require as much maintenance care as combustion-engined vehicles. Rich Benoit and the guys from Electrified Garage often reinforce that EVs actually have different demands. A recent survey from SRA (Sécurité et Réparation Automobile, or Vehicle Repair and Safety) shows that it is even more complex: Tesla has the second most expensive cars to repair in France.
SRA makes studies about the costs of repair and parts for French insurance companies. Considering how the European market is connected, we would not be surprised if their findings could be applied to all countries in the region.
According to L’Automoble, what SRA discovered is that Tesla repairs are 61.1% more expensive than the industry’s average. It is only beaten by Porsche, which presents maintenance services 131.9% higher than those most other customers have to pay.
SRA also makes those comparisons per market segment, and Tesla did not go well in these individual procedures. The Model 3 presents the most expensive costs (23.1% above average) among D-segment sedans, followed by the Mercedes-Benz C-Class (14.4%) and the Renault Talisman (5.2%).
The Model S even distorted the average, being 40.9% more expensive to repair than its opponents. The closest rival is the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, with a repair cost of 3.6% below the average of E-segment sedans. Among the SUVs in the same segment, the Model X is also the least affordable to repair, costing 38.4% more than the average to service. It is followed by the Porsche Cayenne (27%) and the BMW X5 (-2.4%).
Those numbers explain why insurance premiums for Tesla vehicles are much more expensive than those charged for other cars. With battery packs that can cost €20,000 to replace, things get even more complicated. Tesla rapidly expanding its insurance policy to Europe to try to fix that would be a predictable move.
Another option would be to seize local production in Germany to bring down repair costs, but that would only help if the Model 3 were made there. Tesla does not manufacture the Model S or the Model X in any other plant apart from Fremont in the U.S.
As popular as the Model Y promises to be, we seriously doubt it would help Tesla bring down its repair costs in Europe. For that to happen, the company would need to tackle that in all its markets worldwide, which also implies fixing Tesla Service Centers. We have not seen any signs that Tesla is worried about that until now despite its customers desperately asking for improvements. We’ll let you know if that changes in the future.
According to L’Automoble, what SRA discovered is that Tesla repairs are 61.1% more expensive than the industry’s average. It is only beaten by Porsche, which presents maintenance services 131.9% higher than those most other customers have to pay.
SRA also makes those comparisons per market segment, and Tesla did not go well in these individual procedures. The Model 3 presents the most expensive costs (23.1% above average) among D-segment sedans, followed by the Mercedes-Benz C-Class (14.4%) and the Renault Talisman (5.2%).
The Model S even distorted the average, being 40.9% more expensive to repair than its opponents. The closest rival is the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, with a repair cost of 3.6% below the average of E-segment sedans. Among the SUVs in the same segment, the Model X is also the least affordable to repair, costing 38.4% more than the average to service. It is followed by the Porsche Cayenne (27%) and the BMW X5 (-2.4%).
Those numbers explain why insurance premiums for Tesla vehicles are much more expensive than those charged for other cars. With battery packs that can cost €20,000 to replace, things get even more complicated. Tesla rapidly expanding its insurance policy to Europe to try to fix that would be a predictable move.
Another option would be to seize local production in Germany to bring down repair costs, but that would only help if the Model 3 were made there. Tesla does not manufacture the Model S or the Model X in any other plant apart from Fremont in the U.S.
As popular as the Model Y promises to be, we seriously doubt it would help Tesla bring down its repair costs in Europe. For that to happen, the company would need to tackle that in all its markets worldwide, which also implies fixing Tesla Service Centers. We have not seen any signs that Tesla is worried about that until now despite its customers desperately asking for improvements. We’ll let you know if that changes in the future.
Google News