In an admirable bid to alleviate common concerns about battery longevity and warranties, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors has posted on the company blog more details of what owners might expect, should the worst happen.
Highlights of his blog are as follows;
- Fully loaded Model S Performance 85 cars or Tesla Roadsters as loaners
- Tesla will seamlessly valet the loaner cars to your location
- $600 annual service now optional with no effect on warranty
- Unconditional warranty for Model S battery, even for user error
The last point being the one of particular note and which should help regain confidence in Tesla’s batteries despite some concerns and a few reports relating to older Tesla cars becoming, what is fondly referred to as, a ‘brick’ – whereby the battery completely drains and the vehicle becomes immobile, necessitating the use of trolly jacks or rolling platforms to move the car and a battery replacement too.
Referring to the Tesla Roadster handbook, it says this much in relation to the warranty and depleting the battery completely;
Note: If the Battery reaches 0% when driving in Range mode or after you’ve cycled the key to access final reserve, there is no reserve and you must charge the Battery immediately.
FULLY DEPLETING THE BATTERY WHILE IN RANGE MODE OR IN RESERVE, AND NOT CHARGING IT IMMEDIATELY, CAN DAMAGE THE BATTERY.
Caution: Damage to the Battery caused by failing to charge it immediately when its charge level falls to 0% is not covered by the New Vehicle Limited Warranty. If you are unable to charge the vehicle, contact Tesla Motors immediately.
Source; Tesla Motors Blog – Elon Musk
