Why You Should Buy A Tesla?

• Lower fire risk: As traditional vehicles are gasoline-powered, they are much more likely to catch fire. Even a small fault in the electrical system can light up the gasoline in the tank. Other fluids such as engine oil and brake fluid are also highly inflammable.

In the case of EVs, the possible fire-catching elements are limited to the battery pack fluids. However, most modern batteries have built-in auto cut-off when the temperature reaches anywhere between 45 to 55°C. Only when there is a short circuit and the cells reach 100°C would a fire risk occur.

According to the data released in 2022 by the National Transportation Safety Board and Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 1,530 ICE vehicles caught fire out of 100,000 cars, while only 25 per 100,000 EVs caught fire. Hybrids saw the most fires, at 3,475 per 100,000.

• Difficult to flip: As the battery pack is generally located in the EV’s center, and weighs close to 1,000lbs, EVs have a lower center of gravity. In contrast, ICE vehicles have a lighter engine in the front. 

Therefore, EVs are less susceptible to rollovers. According to NHTSA's assessment, Tesla Model Y had a 7.9% rollover risk, one of the lowest for any SUV.

Tesla is safer than many other EVs:

Over the past few years, various Tesla models have received a perfect 5-star rating from NHTSA

In January 2023, a Tesla plunged 250 feet off a cliff in California, but all four family members survived. Children in the back were unharmed and front seat passengers only had minor injuries.

Click here to watch the full video. 

It was later found out that the driver didn’t use Autopilot or FSD deliberately because he wanted to kill himself. Had he been using these modes, the crash could have been avoided.

Even with all its other selling points such as zero emissions and incredible performance, Teslas are considered to be some of the safest cars on the market. Tesla’s Chief Designer, Franz von Holzhausen himself doesn’t trust any other car for his family because Tesla comes with the lowest possibility of injury.

There is one key reason why EV adoption is on the rise and why EV market share is constantly eating into ICE’s. EVs are cost-effective in the long run when it comes to fuel costs because of two factors:

• Fuel Cost Savings: The most obvious factor in favor of buying an EV is that you save substantially on fuel costs. According to a study by Consumer Reports, EV owners can save somewhere around $800 to $1,000 annually on fuel costs by charging their vehicles at home. While this may seem a little on the conservative side, here's a video that shows savings from actual testing:

• Fuel Efficiency Savings: While fuel costs are lower for EVs, another not-so-obvious factor contributing to increased EV adoption is Fuel Efficiency. According to an experiment conducted by The Driven, on a 3,748km road trip, EVs need less fuel to cover the same distance compared to ICE.

They assumed 1 liter petrol was equivalent to 9.5kWh and the results showed that the EV could cover 100 km in 15.4kWh with only 5% of energy wastage. On the other hand, the ICE consumed 8 liters, i.e. ~76 kWh for the same 100km due to 80% energy wastage.

Tesla is more fuel-efficient than many other EVs:

And if you consider just EVs, Tesla Model 3 has a fuel efficiency rating of 134 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe), significantly higher than other EVs such as Polestar or Hyundai. Here is a side-by-side comparison by The US Department of Energy:

So, even though an EV might cost you roughly $12,000 more at the time of purchase, the money you save in fuel costs far exceeds the initial excess purchase price.

3. Low or no maintenance: According to the US Department of Energy, EVs require less maintenance as the battery and the motor don’t require regular maintenance compared to ICE vehicle components.

On top of that, lesser fluids go into EVs, compared to ICEs, for example, there is no need to get your engine oil changed periodically.

Further, regenerative braking minimizes brake wear, reducing brake maintenance.

According to a study by the Argonne National Laboratory, EV transit buses require 40% lower maintenance compared to similar ICE vehicles. As shown by the maintenance breakdown chart below, BEVs or Battery Electric Vehicles’ per mile maintenance costs only $0.061 while for ICEVs it costs $0.101.

Overall, having fewer components also leads to lower maintenance needs.

And when you compare various EVs, the ClunkerJunker study of 185 EV models suggests that over the long run, Tesla's long-term reliability leads to maintenance costs of only 7.1% of its price compared to BMW's 25.3% over 10 years.  

The only higher periodical cost with EVs is in terms of repair because problem identification takes much longer. With greater EV adoption, problem identification will get more streamlined, and repairs cost would fall.

4. Superior Range & An Incredible Supercharger Network:

When it comes to buying an EV the most important consideration is its range. How far can your EV go on a full charge? This is where Tesla steals the show.

Out of the top 10 EVs of 2023, 4 are Teslas, that’s a massive 40%. Although, the top spot goes to the 2023 Lucid Air with 516 Miles, the 2023 Tesla Model S is not much far behind at the second spot with 405 Miles.

Even though the 111-mile range difference might seem too big at first glance, Teslas can charge up to 200 miles within 15 minutes at a supercharger. And once the V4 superchargers, currently only in one location in The Netherlands, are fully rolled out, charging would take even less time.

Tesla currently has over 45,000 superchargers globally, of which 17000 are in the US, covering 52 states and territories, including Mexico and Canada, and spread across 1,288 cities. This means, no matter where you take your Tesla within the US, you will find a supercharger in your vicinity.

Along with wide coverage, Superchargers are also more reliable compared to other charging stations. They are seldom out of order. This is why all automakers are rushing to adopt NACS, but even so, other brand EVs get limited access to supercharging stations to avoid overcrowding for Tesla owners.

This makes Tesla the most obvious choice of purchase. Even with the highest range, Lucid is still reluctant to adopt NACS, which means it can’t make full use of the supercharger network, making it not the right choice for long-haul trips.

5. Performance: Compared to ICEs, EVs can accelerate much more quickly, have greater horsepower, and perform much better at higher altitudes. EV performance is measured through the below KPIs:

• Horsepower: Horsepower measures the output generated by your vehicle’s motor. EVs feel more powerful because they receive full torque right when you press the accelerator, so the energy released from the battery  reaches the tires must faster than the analogous case in ICEs

• Acceleration: Due to the instant torque, EVs can reach 0 to 60 mph in as low as 2 seconds, much faster than ICEs. 

• Top Speed: It is the maximum speed a car can achieve. As of now, EVs have top speeds of under 250 mph, which is slightly lower compared to ICEs with maximum speeds of 330 mph, however, this is not because EVs can’t reach such high speeds, but because manufacturers set up the limit to preserve battery consumption.

• Altitude Drive: Compared to ICEs, EVs perform better when driving at higher altitudes. The combustion engine propels the vehicle using oxygen-rich air and mixing it with the perfect fuel ratio. But at higher altitudes, the air gets less oxygen-rich, so there's a fall in the vehicle speed. In contrast, EVs don't require oxygen, so they offer the same performance at higher altitudes also.

• Downhill Drive: In the case of ICEs, friction brakes need to be worked harder when going downhill on the return journey. This can lead to brake overheating and fades, which can be dangerous. On the other hand, EV's regenerative braking converts the excess Kinetic energy produced when the vehicle goes downhill to allow you more-effective braking.

Overall, except for top speed, EVs rank better on all other metrics over ICEs. And among all EVs, Tesla Model S Plaid is one of the highest-ranked EVs with 200 mph top speed, 1.99 seconds acceleration, and 1020hp.

Even though the 2023 Lucid Air Sapphire offers almost the same features, apart from 1200hp, it costs twice as much as the Model S Plaid, making it a much more expensive choice.

Apart from all of the above reasons to buy EVs over ICEs and Tesla over other EVs, there are 2 more reasons that work in favor of Tesla:

1. Innovation: Tesla is the benchmark of innovation in the entire auto Industry if not just in EVs. Its leading cutting-edge technology helps Tesla owners stay ahead of the curve. And with constant innovations, over-the-air updates, and advanced assistance, Tesla is definitely the right choice if you want to be covered by the latest and improved technology.

Some examples of its top-of-the-line technological innovations include:

• Autopilot: Although it doesn’t replace the driver, it makes driving easier, helps you steer, accelerate and brake within the lane, to prevent accidents.

• Security Features: Tesla comes with 12 sensors providing a 360-view of the surroundings. Sentry Mode records an attack on your parked vehicle and alerts you, allowing you to quickly take the right action.

• FSD: This add-on driver assistance feature comes at an additional cost and builds upon autopilot. It helps you change lanes, recognize stop lights and signs, and much more. However, again, it is not the complete replacement of the driver, but just to assist you and keep you safe. Further, it is currently in the beta phase and is still evolving.

• Bioweapon Defense: Tesla’s HEPA filtration system keeps pollution and bacteria at bay.

2. Resale Value: While cars are considered to be a depreciating asset, Tesla guarantees a 50% resale value if you sell your vehicle within 3 years of purchase. According to a Recurrent Auto study, Teslas face much lower depreciation compared to other EV brands:

One of the biggest reasons for Tesla’s higher value retention is the high demand, so the resale market is much more liquid compared to other EVs. On top of that, advanced technological features such as FSD also fetch you higher resale value. And finally, Tesla also allows you a battery warranty for 8 years or 100,000 to 125,000 miles depending upon the model, saving you from expensive battery replacements.

Wrapping Up

Our above analysis proves that EVs are the future and Tesla is the spearhead of the revolution. With its innovation, safety, and performance driving it to new highs every year, there is no doubt that Tesla is your best bet when it comes to owning an EV.