Quote:
Originally Posted by accord1999
Giant thread at one of the largest Tesla fan forums about this issue, though this was a sudden drop and theorized that Tesla discovered degradation issues that it hadn't accounted before, requiring it to cap the maximum voltage of the cells for its own protection:
https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/thre...ftware.154976/
Hand-in-hand with capacity degradation is a reduction in maximum charging speeds, which impacts the ability of the car for long-distance travel (as well as directly adding to congestion at these high-power DC charging stations).
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The posting actually states that this is artificial capping by Tesla to protect the integrity of the battery pack, and that it is a software setting. But this is a known issue with lithium ion batteries, even for products not used in cars. The fact that Tesla does this software adjustment is interesting. I wonder if, since this is software related, if this can be removed to just achieve the full charge capacity of the pack? I'm sure Tesla does this for a reason, just like car manufacturers put mechanical and software restrictions on certain functions in their cars as well.
It should also be noted that combustion engines suffer a similar degradation over time. Parts in engines rub together, even with proper lubrication, and this causes compression loss, which requires more fuel/air to complete the combustion cycle. It is part and parcel of the the aging process of the combustion engine and one of the reasons why engine rebuilds take place and why certain parts are replaced at certain points of a car's life (bushings, valves, rings, bearings, etc).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist
This is after 216,000 miles. Or 350,000km. How many problems would a gas vehicle have had by then?
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Yes, accord's post was disingenuous by making it seem like degradation is something that only happens to EVs. The combustion engine requires significantly more maintenance and replacement of parts than an EV. That is one of the reasons why the manufacturers bump the price of the EV, as they will not get the back end service costs, where the real money is. Consider the range of the vehicle being discussed, lets look at the schedule to replace parts on the average car.
https://www.knowyourparts.com/techni...commendations/
So by 120,000 you're replacing spark plugs multiple times. You're also replacing your timing chain, decoupler pulleys, O/2 sensors, fluids multiple times, filters multiple times, replaced your shocks and struts, like have had to deal with CV and boot issues, and had to consider doing something with the combustion chamber. Not a simple as the electric motor.
Getting beyond that 200,000 mile range and the maintenance and mechanical failures continue to mount. You're swapping out many parts in the combustion engine to keep it running, and that's if you're a good owner and follow the maintenance schedule as outlined by the manufacturer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by accord1999
Probably not that many, given the high reliability and long life-span of modern cars.
And the thing I would least expect to degrade is the fill rate of the fuel tank. Unlike David99 who in recent months have seen further degradation in his battery:
https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/posts/4274798/ |
This is no different than any vehicle aging. Your engine will not get the same optimum fuel economy over the lifetime of the vehicle. That is caused by wear and tear, and fuel economy heads south over time. So you are filling up more often the longer you own the vehicle. The tank doesn't get smaller, but your range drops because your fuel economy drops. With the EV, the range degrades as the battery pack deteriorates. With that comes a decrease in range. Similar base problem, but for different reasons.