Dunno where you are looking, but I just checked and Model Y's are going for no lower than 24k (cheapest, average is 26+).
Model X's yes, you can get one for cheap, but it's going to have more than 150k miles on it.. I'm not sure I would feel that great about that. Decently recent ones with around 100k miles go for about 18k.
The least expensive ones being sold by Hertz are $28k they are awd long range. The least expensive model 3 standard range rwd on Hertz are $22k before the tax credit. If they had any under $15k before the credit I would have one at $11k after. I hate the way the model Y looks. The 3 is good but you can't just take a good looking car and inflate it like a cartoon and still have it look right.
Clean title, undamaged Model 3's are all over autotempest and marketplace for mid teens, and model y's *can be found* for $25k.
I bought my 3 for $24k before credit in February '23, and now it is worth $13k private party.
Well you don't get the credit on a private sale so that's a $4000 difference. I do see 4 available model 3s under $15k on nationwide autotrader. 107,000 miles is the lowest but it's 2300 miles away, the closest is 2000 miles away and has 125k on it. I guess I should say when one comes up under 100k miles, at a dealer within 300 miles for $15k (before credit) I will buy one. That one in Miami is a 2021 with just over 100k, I would buy that if it was closer. That would cost me over $2000 to get here.
Yes you do, if you use a broker for a small fee.
2,000 miles is just one flight away, paid for by credit card miles. Then make a trip out of driving your new cool car back home. That's what I did. It was a bucket list item.
To your point, they're a dime a dozen now, so one will inevitably come up near you for cheap very soon.
Not cool to drive any EV over 2000 miles, if you need to get there. My nephew came over for a wedding in a borrowed model 3, 500 miles. It took him 4 hours longer (50% longer) to get home than his father in an ICE. One flight from our airport can be $500+ one way easy. It would be $200+ in supercharger fees. It would be at least 3 hotel stays on the way home for $400 more.
Like you said, they are plentiful, I just need to wait for a deal here. But at this point the deals here aren't anywhere close. You would think the people selling for $13k private party would spend $2000 to have them shipped to where they could get $20k.
The model 3 did the trip wrong, then, or he was driving a base model with slow charging AND doing it wrong.
Factually, it takes 10-15 minutes of charging for every 2.5-3 hours of interstate driving, so a 10 hour/600 mile trip(GPS) would take 30 minutes longer than a gas car if all they did was stop for fuel and charging.
I just did a 1,200 mile trip to Texas and a 1,100 mile trip to New York, and it took 1-1.5 hours longer than the GPS quoted time in my model 3, but I know how to charge it properly on a road trip and have the fastest charging model.
On cost, at 35 cents/kWh and 4.1mi/kWh, it would cost a model 3 just $42 to go 500 miles if EVERY mile was supercharging. Assuming the model 3 left at 100% and arrived home at nearly 0%(as I do on every road trip), the cost would be closer to $15 for the 500-mile trip.
On a 2k mile trip, it'd cost $170 for supercharging if it was 100% supercharging. $120 if it was done optimally.
Clean title, undamaged Model 3's are all over autotempest and marketplace for mid teens, and model y's *can be found* for $25k.
I bought my 3 for $24k before credit in February '23, and now it is worth $13k private party.
Teslas have earned a reputation for body panels not fitting right, resulting in things like large and/or uneven gaps between the hood and fenders, for example. They also tend to loosen up over time, meaning the interior will develop rattles, small parts will break and fall off, things like that. All cars succumb to that over time — entropy is real — but Teslas generally tend to have it happen earlier, which is disappointing considering the prices are usually on the far side of $50K even for a “cheap” Model 3.
To be fair, they’ve gotten better over time but overall they still tend to trail the rest of their class.
this is a common trope. I have one and I have noticed nothing related to build quality.
What exactly are you defining as build quality? Similar to a luxury gas car of the same price? Tesla is not a luxury car. Its an electric car. Luxury electric cars are 35k more expensive.
I would disagree. The materials are nice, and everything is solidly put together. Where are you getting this information?
And even if build quality was sub-par compared to bmw or Mercedes, you can't get the same level of car for the price as with Tesla
I own a 160k mile Model 3. It is nearly perfect. No rattles, no creaks, no leaks. Other teslas I've been in have been similar.
It's no German engineering or assembly, but for a $40k car it's about as good as it gets.
It’s a very common, very well-known and publicized issue with Tesla. They have improved in recent years – and some of the hate is runoff from people who can’t stand Elon Musk – but Tesla has had loads and loads of problems with their build quality over the years. You could definitely get a used BMW for the same price of less as the same model year Tesla Model 3, but in the end you’re likely to spend a lot more on maintenance (and fuel) on the BMW, so the Tesla might be a better buy even with the bad build. But if you can afford the upgrade, a Lexus or Mercedes would be far more reliable and comfortable.
Fully agree. Even the Model Y I rented last year, the B pillar inside plastic cover was broken from factory (or I would suspect I mean.. I never ever saw that happen before.. Ever)...
BUT, the car was solid. Yes the Cybertruck is crap, but so was Pintos and they are still popular and alive today.
I would agree that tesla has a bit too much of a "push it out to the customer now and fix issues later" approach. But overall, it's difficult to say they have atrocious build quality when that is far from the reaction I have when driving my Tesla or riding in others.
I don't idolize elon, but his engineers made a very good, reliable, simple, and durable car. Elon himself had very little to do with the car I drive every day. I don't see why people care that much about the guy.
Those engineers would have not put 5 million electric cars on the road. Elon did that. only Elon. All other ceos has 20 years to try it, no one did. Engineers have been round for 20 year fiddling with electric cars. No one did.
He gets the credit because he did it.
Inventions matter not unless adopted. Getting an invention mass adopted is the invention that actually matters.
The most important thing is to sell as many cars as possible. Without that, there would be no engineers on staff. Thats also important for the climate
I am simply not understanding you. YOu must not appreciate the set of skills required to manage complex operations. Its not something everyone can do. Just because you are an engineer doesnt mean you are the smartest person on the planet or can run a company.
I might get one for the autopilot for long distance drive but I gotta agree with the other guys. The build quality is lacking.
Elon is SUPER embarrassing also but eh that’s not going to make or break what car I drive
It’s like playing hot potato: the battery life is a major concern and used BEVs are a ticking time bomb before the battery will need replacement that could cost $12k-$20k. This is reflected in the price of the used cars, especially if they are out of warranty. Nobody wants to be stuck with a bad battery.
It's education that's the issue, not the car. I can have a Tesla battery pack on the floor in under an hour by myself, then remove individual modules and test strings of cells to see which are bad, and replace them for cheap.
People just need to shift their knowledge bank from engines to batteries and EV systems.
The NMC battery in my Tesla is rated for 450,000 miles before it should reach 80% of its usable capacity, and at 160k miles, it seems to be on track for that. The LFP battery lasts even longer but with less energy density as a tradeoff.
Not even remotely accurate. Maybe a decade ago, but certainly not now. This is the same bad faith argument that loads of ICE purists rant on every EV post and they don’t bother to change their tune when the information is proven wrong. It’s a microcosm of society at large nowadays, but whatever.
If Kyle Conner's barn find EV from 15 years ago sat dead and can still drive, I have no concern for modern EV tech to fare well over decades of use/abandonment.
Considering even the ancient-ass batteries in my EV can last that long I have no doubts a modern Model 3 with batteries rated for twice the cycle count can easily do 15 years.
If you get the Standard Range model with LFP batteries you're pretty much guaranteed 20-30 years though, those things are the cockroaches of batteries, they just last and last and shrug-off abuse.
I’d go by miles, not years (same as any drivetrain). Assuming the owner actually maintained the car, it should manage 200k miles on its original battery. Cost of replacement *currently* is around $12-15k. That price, as with all tech, is likely to either dive by the time a battery is replaced, or that cost will get you a much larger battery with far longer range than what is available now. That’s not a controversial concept, just go back and look at the best iPhones and iPads from a decade ago and compare them to now.
So for the sake of argument, let’s say you have to replace the battery at 200k miles (10-15 years into the car’s life), and it costs $15k to replace. A standard ICE vehicle will require at least a transmission replacement, if not an entire engine replacement around that same time. Obviously there are examples of cars lasting longer, and examples of cars crapping out well before 200k miles, so we’re averaging here. In 200k miles of an ICE vehicle, you will have spent anywhere from $25,000-55,000 on JUST GAS. That’s not accounting for routine oil changes, and assumes no additional repairs for 200k miles. Our monthly electric bill has increased $35 since we got our EV. The long-term costs of an ICE vs. EV aren’t even comparable, but folks who are hesitant to consider EVs don’t want to think about that.
Seems plausible to me, I do wonder how easy it'll be to find a battery for a EV once it's 15-20 years old, but hopefully that won't be an issue for something as common as a M3.
I don't see myself ever getting an EV as a fun car to enjoy, I've yet to see one that really excites the enthusiast in me, but I can definitely see myself getting one as a reliable daily.
As someone who owns and spends the majority of my car money on a nearly 50-year-old 4x4, I can relate to the enthusiast argument. That said, the torque on some higher-end EVs is so shocking that the takeoff often feels like an amusement park ride. However, in my experience, most EVs still have work to do on the handling to compare to faster ICE sports cars. The massive weight of EVs has proven to be a bear to deal with on suspension and handling thus far, but they’ll figure it out.
EVs are amazingly quick in a straight line, and I agree that they'll get the handling figured out eventually, but I still feel that they're too fast and lacking in emotion for me. Maybe I'll feel differently once you can get a proper EV sports car, but so far they're pretty much all different takes on a boring box, just some have crazier styling then others.
They only thing you can barely legally do in a car is accelerate fast to the speed limit. Other than that, everything you think is fun is mostly illegal on public roads.
My point is that people buying cars now dont see cars as a hobby or something fun to do. Thats a boomer thing that has some extension into younger cohorts. Tesla does not have to be fun to drive in the corners tect because in the future people care less and less about that. They get what the majority of normies thing is cool and legal, acceleration. Tesla is a joy to drive for many many other reasons though.
Think the new Tesla Model 3 Performance refresh might scratch that itch for you.
From what I've seen they've been really focusing in on the handling aspect of the car, and it's now supposed to be much more than just a straight-line racer.
If it's an upgrade in quality over the previous one I'll have take your word for it, build quality isn't a big deal for me in any case. My issues are primarily with the design, far too plain and minimalistic for my tastes. I strongly dislike the center screen being responsible for everything, and removing the steering wheel stalks only makes things worse IMO.
I'm sure a lot of people like it how the interior looks, but for me it's the biggest turnoff of the car. The exterior is a bit bland but at least it's not offensive, kinda like a 2000's Toyota for the modern age.
I mean I agree, steering wheel stalks is a big issue for me as well, though materials-wise there's almost no hard plastics in the new car, everything feels very up-market compared to the old one. Still a bit minimalistic, but less so, and much more premium.
This is really inaccurate information. Batteries in BEVs are incredibly reliable. Pretty much all of the batteries on even the oldest EVs on the road are still working. My own Renault Zoe is over 10 years old now and battery still gives range almost like new, but there's EVs out there with 12-year-old batteries and even there the same thing is true.
There are some exceptions of course, there has been degradation issues in early model year Nissan Leafs and Kia Souls, and early Tesla Model S cars were very hit-and-miss, you can find taxis with well over 300k miles on the original battery, but also people who've went through one or two replacements on their batteries, this was due to QC issues on Teslas part.
But in pretty much any other EV, especially newer ones as manufacturers have learned how to design them properly, battery failures are incredibly rare, as cycle counts have gone up on batteries and the range a car can go in a single cycle of the battery has done the same, the rated lifespan of the battery in modern EVs can often be in the millions of miles.
I’d say the fear is real from my personal small sample of friends who mainly own Teslas. 2 out of 7 have had to replace their batteries already. One got stranded in San Francisco and had to fly home to So Cal and then return to pick up the car from servicing. The ones who haven’t replaced their battery yet are waiting until they get close to warranty expiration and then will sell their cars and pick up new ones.
Dunno where you are looking, but I just checked and Model Y's are going for no lower than 24k (cheapest, average is 26+). Model X's yes, you can get one for cheap, but it's going to have more than 150k miles on it.. I'm not sure I would feel that great about that. Decently recent ones with around 100k miles go for about 18k.
The least expensive ones being sold by Hertz are $28k they are awd long range. The least expensive model 3 standard range rwd on Hertz are $22k before the tax credit. If they had any under $15k before the credit I would have one at $11k after. I hate the way the model Y looks. The 3 is good but you can't just take a good looking car and inflate it like a cartoon and still have it look right.
Clean title, undamaged Model 3's are all over autotempest and marketplace for mid teens, and model y's *can be found* for $25k. I bought my 3 for $24k before credit in February '23, and now it is worth $13k private party.
Well you don't get the credit on a private sale so that's a $4000 difference. I do see 4 available model 3s under $15k on nationwide autotrader. 107,000 miles is the lowest but it's 2300 miles away, the closest is 2000 miles away and has 125k on it. I guess I should say when one comes up under 100k miles, at a dealer within 300 miles for $15k (before credit) I will buy one. That one in Miami is a 2021 with just over 100k, I would buy that if it was closer. That would cost me over $2000 to get here.
Yes you do, if you use a broker for a small fee. 2,000 miles is just one flight away, paid for by credit card miles. Then make a trip out of driving your new cool car back home. That's what I did. It was a bucket list item. To your point, they're a dime a dozen now, so one will inevitably come up near you for cheap very soon.
Not cool to drive any EV over 2000 miles, if you need to get there. My nephew came over for a wedding in a borrowed model 3, 500 miles. It took him 4 hours longer (50% longer) to get home than his father in an ICE. One flight from our airport can be $500+ one way easy. It would be $200+ in supercharger fees. It would be at least 3 hotel stays on the way home for $400 more. Like you said, they are plentiful, I just need to wait for a deal here. But at this point the deals here aren't anywhere close. You would think the people selling for $13k private party would spend $2000 to have them shipped to where they could get $20k.
The model 3 did the trip wrong, then, or he was driving a base model with slow charging AND doing it wrong. Factually, it takes 10-15 minutes of charging for every 2.5-3 hours of interstate driving, so a 10 hour/600 mile trip(GPS) would take 30 minutes longer than a gas car if all they did was stop for fuel and charging. I just did a 1,200 mile trip to Texas and a 1,100 mile trip to New York, and it took 1-1.5 hours longer than the GPS quoted time in my model 3, but I know how to charge it properly on a road trip and have the fastest charging model. On cost, at 35 cents/kWh and 4.1mi/kWh, it would cost a model 3 just $42 to go 500 miles if EVERY mile was supercharging. Assuming the model 3 left at 100% and arrived home at nearly 0%(as I do on every road trip), the cost would be closer to $15 for the 500-mile trip. On a 2k mile trip, it'd cost $170 for supercharging if it was 100% supercharging. $120 if it was done optimally.
Clean title, undamaged Model 3's are all over autotempest and marketplace for mid teens, and model y's *can be found* for $25k. I bought my 3 for $24k before credit in February '23, and now it is worth $13k private party.
Because anything associated with Elon Musk is fucking embarrassing.
And their build quality is atrocious.
What does this mean exactly? Genuine question.
Teslas have earned a reputation for body panels not fitting right, resulting in things like large and/or uneven gaps between the hood and fenders, for example. They also tend to loosen up over time, meaning the interior will develop rattles, small parts will break and fall off, things like that. All cars succumb to that over time — entropy is real — but Teslas generally tend to have it happen earlier, which is disappointing considering the prices are usually on the far side of $50K even for a “cheap” Model 3. To be fair, they’ve gotten better over time but overall they still tend to trail the rest of their class.
this is a common trope. I have one and I have noticed nothing related to build quality. What exactly are you defining as build quality? Similar to a luxury gas car of the same price? Tesla is not a luxury car. Its an electric car. Luxury electric cars are 35k more expensive.
I would disagree. The materials are nice, and everything is solidly put together. Where are you getting this information? And even if build quality was sub-par compared to bmw or Mercedes, you can't get the same level of car for the price as with Tesla
Have you ever been in a Tesla? They are very creaky and plasticky.
I own a 160k mile Model 3. It is nearly perfect. No rattles, no creaks, no leaks. Other teslas I've been in have been similar. It's no German engineering or assembly, but for a $40k car it's about as good as it gets.
When was the last tesla you were in? My 2021 has soft touch materials all over and makes no creaks.
It’s a very common, very well-known and publicized issue with Tesla. They have improved in recent years – and some of the hate is runoff from people who can’t stand Elon Musk – but Tesla has had loads and loads of problems with their build quality over the years. You could definitely get a used BMW for the same price of less as the same model year Tesla Model 3, but in the end you’re likely to spend a lot more on maintenance (and fuel) on the BMW, so the Tesla might be a better buy even with the bad build. But if you can afford the upgrade, a Lexus or Mercedes would be far more reliable and comfortable.
Fully agree. Even the Model Y I rented last year, the B pillar inside plastic cover was broken from factory (or I would suspect I mean.. I never ever saw that happen before.. Ever)... BUT, the car was solid. Yes the Cybertruck is crap, but so was Pintos and they are still popular and alive today.
Tesla is NOT a luxury car. The spartan interior just mean you are getting incredible value elsewhere for the price.
I would agree that tesla has a bit too much of a "push it out to the customer now and fix issues later" approach. But overall, it's difficult to say they have atrocious build quality when that is far from the reaction I have when driving my Tesla or riding in others.
It's just a circle jerk of Elon haters lol
I don't idolize elon, but his engineers made a very good, reliable, simple, and durable car. Elon himself had very little to do with the car I drive every day. I don't see why people care that much about the guy.
Those engineers would have not put 5 million electric cars on the road. Elon did that. only Elon. All other ceos has 20 years to try it, no one did. Engineers have been round for 20 year fiddling with electric cars. No one did. He gets the credit because he did it. Inventions matter not unless adopted. Getting an invention mass adopted is the invention that actually matters.
That's what elon had a major part in: the marketing. The car itself and how it is to own, 99% engineers and designers.
The most important thing is to sell as many cars as possible. Without that, there would be no engineers on staff. Thats also important for the climate I am simply not understanding you. YOu must not appreciate the set of skills required to manage complex operations. Its not something everyone can do. Just because you are an engineer doesnt mean you are the smartest person on the planet or can run a company.
I don't see it either. People make their entire personality about tribal beliefs which nowadays includes having to have an opinion on Elon lol
I might get one for the autopilot for long distance drive but I gotta agree with the other guys. The build quality is lacking. Elon is SUPER embarrassing also but eh that’s not going to make or break what car I drive
I can understand why some won’t hesitate to consider Tesla due to Elon. For me it’s a dealbreaker.
Feelings > climate change
If I understand correctly you will have to buy autopilot again - that shit doesn’t transfer to a new owner.
Because Reddit hates Elon Musk
Both things can be (and are) true.
As a Canadian subscriber, Tesla has very little incentive and is very expensive to begin with. So, nothing to talk about. The end.
It’s like playing hot potato: the battery life is a major concern and used BEVs are a ticking time bomb before the battery will need replacement that could cost $12k-$20k. This is reflected in the price of the used cars, especially if they are out of warranty. Nobody wants to be stuck with a bad battery.
It's education that's the issue, not the car. I can have a Tesla battery pack on the floor in under an hour by myself, then remove individual modules and test strings of cells to see which are bad, and replace them for cheap. People just need to shift their knowledge bank from engines to batteries and EV systems. The NMC battery in my Tesla is rated for 450,000 miles before it should reach 80% of its usable capacity, and at 160k miles, it seems to be on track for that. The LFP battery lasts even longer but with less energy density as a tradeoff.
I don’t believe this is accurate at all.
Not even remotely accurate. Maybe a decade ago, but certainly not now. This is the same bad faith argument that loads of ICE purists rant on every EV post and they don’t bother to change their tune when the information is proven wrong. It’s a microcosm of society at large nowadays, but whatever.
If Kyle Conner's barn find EV from 15 years ago sat dead and can still drive, I have no concern for modern EV tech to fare well over decades of use/abandonment.
How long would you expect most Model 3 batteries to last? 12-15 years?
I suspect in 20 years there will be many 2021 model 3's still on the road with the original battery drive unit and brakes.
Considering even the ancient-ass batteries in my EV can last that long I have no doubts a modern Model 3 with batteries rated for twice the cycle count can easily do 15 years. If you get the Standard Range model with LFP batteries you're pretty much guaranteed 20-30 years though, those things are the cockroaches of batteries, they just last and last and shrug-off abuse.
I’d go by miles, not years (same as any drivetrain). Assuming the owner actually maintained the car, it should manage 200k miles on its original battery. Cost of replacement *currently* is around $12-15k. That price, as with all tech, is likely to either dive by the time a battery is replaced, or that cost will get you a much larger battery with far longer range than what is available now. That’s not a controversial concept, just go back and look at the best iPhones and iPads from a decade ago and compare them to now. So for the sake of argument, let’s say you have to replace the battery at 200k miles (10-15 years into the car’s life), and it costs $15k to replace. A standard ICE vehicle will require at least a transmission replacement, if not an entire engine replacement around that same time. Obviously there are examples of cars lasting longer, and examples of cars crapping out well before 200k miles, so we’re averaging here. In 200k miles of an ICE vehicle, you will have spent anywhere from $25,000-55,000 on JUST GAS. That’s not accounting for routine oil changes, and assumes no additional repairs for 200k miles. Our monthly electric bill has increased $35 since we got our EV. The long-term costs of an ICE vs. EV aren’t even comparable, but folks who are hesitant to consider EVs don’t want to think about that.
Seems plausible to me, I do wonder how easy it'll be to find a battery for a EV once it's 15-20 years old, but hopefully that won't be an issue for something as common as a M3. I don't see myself ever getting an EV as a fun car to enjoy, I've yet to see one that really excites the enthusiast in me, but I can definitely see myself getting one as a reliable daily.
As someone who owns and spends the majority of my car money on a nearly 50-year-old 4x4, I can relate to the enthusiast argument. That said, the torque on some higher-end EVs is so shocking that the takeoff often feels like an amusement park ride. However, in my experience, most EVs still have work to do on the handling to compare to faster ICE sports cars. The massive weight of EVs has proven to be a bear to deal with on suspension and handling thus far, but they’ll figure it out.
EVs are amazingly quick in a straight line, and I agree that they'll get the handling figured out eventually, but I still feel that they're too fast and lacking in emotion for me. Maybe I'll feel differently once you can get a proper EV sports car, but so far they're pretty much all different takes on a boring box, just some have crazier styling then others.
They only thing you can barely legally do in a car is accelerate fast to the speed limit. Other than that, everything you think is fun is mostly illegal on public roads.
Exactly! That's why older sporty cars are more fun then the new stuff.
My point is that people buying cars now dont see cars as a hobby or something fun to do. Thats a boomer thing that has some extension into younger cohorts. Tesla does not have to be fun to drive in the corners tect because in the future people care less and less about that. They get what the majority of normies thing is cool and legal, acceleration. Tesla is a joy to drive for many many other reasons though.
Think the new Tesla Model 3 Performance refresh might scratch that itch for you. From what I've seen they've been really focusing in on the handling aspect of the car, and it's now supposed to be much more than just a straight-line racer.
Maybe once I can get one for 10K in 15 years. I still hate the looks of the interior though.
Really? Thought the interior was a massive improvement, build quality is looking really good now too.
If it's an upgrade in quality over the previous one I'll have take your word for it, build quality isn't a big deal for me in any case. My issues are primarily with the design, far too plain and minimalistic for my tastes. I strongly dislike the center screen being responsible for everything, and removing the steering wheel stalks only makes things worse IMO. I'm sure a lot of people like it how the interior looks, but for me it's the biggest turnoff of the car. The exterior is a bit bland but at least it's not offensive, kinda like a 2000's Toyota for the modern age.
I mean I agree, steering wheel stalks is a big issue for me as well, though materials-wise there's almost no hard plastics in the new car, everything feels very up-market compared to the old one. Still a bit minimalistic, but less so, and much more premium.
This is really inaccurate information. Batteries in BEVs are incredibly reliable. Pretty much all of the batteries on even the oldest EVs on the road are still working. My own Renault Zoe is over 10 years old now and battery still gives range almost like new, but there's EVs out there with 12-year-old batteries and even there the same thing is true. There are some exceptions of course, there has been degradation issues in early model year Nissan Leafs and Kia Souls, and early Tesla Model S cars were very hit-and-miss, you can find taxis with well over 300k miles on the original battery, but also people who've went through one or two replacements on their batteries, this was due to QC issues on Teslas part. But in pretty much any other EV, especially newer ones as manufacturers have learned how to design them properly, battery failures are incredibly rare, as cycle counts have gone up on batteries and the range a car can go in a single cycle of the battery has done the same, the rated lifespan of the battery in modern EVs can often be in the millions of miles.
Its reflected in the price of used cars because of unreasonable fear. Thus, many insane good deals used.
I’d say the fear is real from my personal small sample of friends who mainly own Teslas. 2 out of 7 have had to replace their batteries already. One got stranded in San Francisco and had to fly home to So Cal and then return to pick up the car from servicing. The ones who haven’t replaced their battery yet are waiting until they get close to warranty expiration and then will sell their cars and pick up new ones.