USED TESLA BUYER'S GUIDE
(referencing a 2013 Model S 85)
(originally written Feb 18, 2021; latest update Sept 6, 2024)

It's January 2024 and this page is starting to age out. I have left the info for legacy owners that may be confused on options specs and newcomers looking for charging information. Currently, the first couple "Alert" sections are the most useful in directing those with car errors to answers. I've left the Feb 2021 monetary figures to maintain that comparative shopping reference. Also, be advised my info on FSD is not up-to-date due to Musk changing specs so often and its embarrassing inability to reliably do what was promised in 2016. My current recommendation to prospective owners is to make plans to sell any Tesla one year before the warranty expires - Tesla is building, what amounts to, disposable vehicles.

The bulk of this massive guide refers to early Model S cars (US market), but much of it can be applied to all Teslas.

Table of Contents:
MODELS, MILEAGE, DEALERS, & BATTERY SPECS
INSPECTING THE CAR
OPTIONS (EARLIER MODEL S)
OWNING & CHARGING
KNOWN ISSUES
SELF DRIVE EXPLAINED

ALERT: BATTERY PACK FAILURE RISK (BMS_u029/BMS_u018)
It appears that Model S battery packs built from 2012 and into Q1 2015 are very susceptible to water intrusion and cell/module failure. Full replacement of a pack costs up to $22,000 through Tesla. The water intrusion issue has been public since 2013, along with a DIY preventive fix for one cause (there are six), found here. There's also the lack of windshield runoff diversion and wheel well splash protection that can get to the myriad of electrical components within the frunk area. My post-wash procedure is to sometimes open the frunk to pop the plastic cover that allows access to the Firefighter Loop and direct a fan to help evaporate residual moisture. Not exactly convenient.

Error Details: There are some weld seams and vent areas that can become problematic and allow moisture to get into the main pack. Other problems may be linked to electrolyte imbalance or quality control. Tesla has made no attempts to officially acknowledge or rectify these in the affected vehicles, though they have made modifications to later production years. The error code that alerts of battery failure is BMS_u29, which indicates that the "Maximum battery charge level [has been] reduced." Best case, this will limit the range of the vehicle and advise a service appointment. The error will almost always cause Teals to recommend a battery replacement. According to Jason Hughes (057 Technology - company defunct Sept 2023), 2012 and 2013 Model S units are at risk of about six different types of pack failures, while those built after Q2 2014 have maybe two failure types. Hughes assures that battery packs made after Q2 2015 are very unlikely to have these issues. We shall see...

Current Solutions: There are several companies that can help if you encounter these failure codes. Tesla offers reman and new packs - best advice is to buy a new, unlocked 90kWh pack due to the included 4yr warranty. Third party options can offer remanufactured packs at about half the price, but the risk and warranty fees can be prohibitive for those keeping the car. I would advise perusing the Tesla Motors Club or posting at the Facebook Group for more info. Another option is trying to reset a possible false-positive error with help from here.

Best Practice: Acquire a CAN-bus adapter and an OBD2 adapter to use with Scan My Tesla and monitor the pack's CAC data.

ALERT: COOLANT LEAK CAUSING DRIVE UNIT FAILURES
This seems to be a problem in RWD and Performance Model S/X vehicles prior to 2021, as these contain the LDU (large drive unit; Tesla's first motor). The problem usually occurs after three to four years of a fresh motor install, rather than trending to mileage. The issue seems to be that the seal on the 10,000 rpm rotor shaft is not capable of preventing the coolant from getting into the motor. Apparently, there simply isn't a sealing option capable of doing the job long-term - it could also be the shaft itself, possibly the fit and finish on remanufactured units. An indicator might be excessive engine whine, that may or may not eventually progress into a milling noise (likely from corrosion build-up), then to a grinding noise, until eventual failure with complete shut down. Here is a post explaining the issue in more detail. Note that the oil cooled SDUs (small drive units) are not encountering this problem.

Repairing: Many people have tried to rebuild the motors themselves, and with great success. However, the issue is that the seal will fail again in a few years. Currently, Tesla is starting to bypass the shaft cooling altogether with a coolant delete replacement cover on their reman units - no one seems sure yet what the lack of cooling will do, though. It will be necessary to remove the LDU from the car to alter/replace the cover. QC Charge designed a coolant delete similar to Tesla's, but one that allows oil to cool the rotor - when the seal leaks, the oil will not short/rust the LDU electrical components. Howard's complete walk-thru for removal and rebuild of a Model S large drive unit (LDU) is here.

Best Practice: Regularly inspect the drive unit's speed sensor for moisture, especially a few months prior to the unit's warranty expiring. The goal here is to catch the leak before coolant works its way deeper into the unit and destroys it. The easiest way to check for a leak is to get under the driver's rear of the car, remove one underbelly panel, and access the speed sensor on the drive unit. Once removed, the speed sensor will either be dry (no leak), wet (leak), or gunked* (imminent failure). It is advised to inspect this sensor prior to the drive unit warranty expiring, as a replacement would essentially reset the clock towards failure. A detailed video on how to inspect the early Model S is here.

* be careful not to confuse rusty sludge (gunk) with excess bearing grease.

Current Solutions: A few companies are making LDU coolant bypasses. The best options are the ones that replace the entire manifold where this leak occurs. The issue with these is that you need to remove the motor to install them. The option I chose, since I had verified that I was not yet experiencing a leak, was EV Muscle’s Delete fitting. It’s cheap and, although I hit some snags, I did it without dropping the motor. Find it here.

Here are my tips:
1) I would suggest anyone doing this in the car to shop vac residual coolant from the remainder of the original manifold before adding the dust cover.
2) I would avoid using the kit’s plastic plugs. Mine did not seal - there was no "resistance" trying to install it because the dimension did not match (pics below). On the second go, and another gallon of antifreeze later, I instead cut the original aluminum pipe at the second bend from the fitting (this fitting is the one furthest from the manifold; pic below), then used a vise to get it near-closed and then brazed it shut - this actually gives you a handle to bleed the air up there. Looking back, crimping it further down would reduce the amount of trapped air. I installed this original fitting with the green o-ring and snugged it down, ran the air purge once, then I very slightly loosened the fitting and ran a second purge. During the second purge, I wiggled the aluminum fitting and eventually heard hissing as the air escaped. Once coolant dripped, I snugged it back up.
Photos of the kit's fitting, Tesla's fitting, and my mod.

 

CHOOSING WHAT FITS YOUR NEEDS:
How Much Should You Expect To Pay?
The first Tesla was the Roadster, which was essentially a go-kart death trap. Then came the Model S, which was released in 2012, followed by the Model X in 2015. The S and the X are considered full-size luxury, while the newer 3 and Y are the mid-sized models with more modest interiors. There were quite a few 2013 and 2014 Model S cars available when I bought mine in early 2021, and the price for them was very roughly $30,000. At that price, I could expect a lower mileage 60 or 85 series or a higher mileage P85 or 85D (Performance or Dual Motor) model. These early years do not have any sort of autonomy capabilities since they do not have the hardware to do so, nor is it worth the money and effort to retrofit them. The first AutoPilot cars came off the assembly line in Sept 2014, and the models capable of Full Self-Driving did so in Oct 2016.* All cars made after these periods came from the factory with the most current hardware of that era built-in, so you only need to pay for Tesla to unlock these features remotely. I was just looking to get my feet wet in the EV market and had planned to finance half the car, so I set $30k as my limit.

* as of Spring 2021 (and Fall 2022), truly-autonomous Full Self-Drive (Autosteer on City Streets) is still not possible except to beta testers, but the package does offer many other capabilities. In July 2021, Tesla announced that "FSD-capable" cars built before 2019 would need to upgrade to the HW3 hardware at the owner's expense.

I found a private seller with a very well-maintained 2013 Model S 85 with just under 48,000miles. The car included the Tech Package (I feel this is a must-have when looking at Teslas built before April 2015) along with parking sensors, Smart Air Suspension (SAS), Panoramic Roof, performance seating (which I believe means it has contrasting piping and is less likely to show wear due to the Alcantara bolsters), the 19” Cyclone wheels (standard on 85 cars) had been replaced at some point by the staggered 21” Arachnids with fresh tires on the rear set, and still had nine months of the battery/drive warranty. This second owner, who had bought it used from Tesla, had receipts of the drive unit being replaced in Dec 2020 with the latest -Q iteration along with an alignment. A bonus was that the Free Unlimited Supercharging and Free Unlimited Premium Connectivity stuck with it. He let it go for $28,500, which I felt was pushing $3000 under fair market value. At the time, I found that at a certain point, say half the MSRP, their market value tends to drop $3000 a year. So, if you find that most Model S cars of a certain year are priced around $30k, expect to pay roughly $36k for a Model S that is two years newer with the same autonomy level unlocks.

Early Model 3 vs Earlier Model S
Generally speaking, compared to a 2012-2014 Model S, you could have found a single motor 2017-2018 Model 3 with 25-40k miles in the low $30k range from a private seller in early 2021. You'd also be able to upgrade to Full Self-Drive on the newer Model 3. The FSD would need to be purchased for $10,000* (or leased at $199 a month), but it's a capability that the pre-Oct 2016 Model S cars will never have. Performance-wise (0-60 & range), the early Model S and early Model 3 cars are almost identical, so that's a draw. Where the Model S shines is the bigger Infotainment, the additional dash screen, and the very spacious cargo area. The Model 3 has a tight trunk opening that is similar to a Mazda compact, whereas the Model S has a liftback that lets you lay cargo within it - the Model S is basically a hatchback station wagon in disguise. However, there is a reason the Model 3 is known as the "cockroach of California" - it's everywhere because it is Tesla's best bang for the buck, especially if you want to go AWD on a budget. The 2017 Model 3 Long Range RWD does have an edge in range due to their efficiency (how many kWh it uses to go 100miles), but many of the older Model S cars have free Supercharging. The less-ubiquitous, more luxurious Model S has a bit more mystique to it, which may make it more satisfying to drive for those willing to sacrifice the newer software features. The earlier cars do have more issues, though.

Note that the earliest version of AutoPilot became available in late 2014.
* The price for FSD Beta had again risen to $12,000 by early 2022, then to $15,000 in late 2022 - the buy-in continues to increase despite the tech still not being capable of truly-autonomous driving. Enahnced AutoPilot was relaunched mid-2022 for $6,00. September 2023, I feel we got the truth about inflation when Tesla drastically dropped all the MSRPs and reduced the price of FSD back to $12,000 ...price gouging?

The Model X
The Model X was first released in 2014. It is the more luxurious version of their newer Model Y crossover, putting it in the same price class as the Model S. However, the Model X was never on my radar as these cars tend to be more expensive, more problematic, and have a bigger cargo load than I really needed. To me, the Model 3 is too small and the Model X is overkill. I am a fan of the Model Y, but the Model X's exclusive Falcon Wing Doors cause the vehicle to have increased wiring and mechanics, so more things to go wrong. Furthermore, the Model X only comes in AWD, which means two motors, which also means more things can go wrong (the earlier motors were far more problematic). And despite dual motors, the range and speed of the heavier early Model X cars are really close to the Model S single motor cars. I've done a few tours in the repair bays of the Tesla Service Centers and have overheard the techs saying to avoid them. They are a luxury item that is simply not practical for the common used car buyer. The remainder of this page refers to the Model S unless otherwise noted.

How Much Range Do You Need?
The questions I get asked the most concern the range of a Tesla. The original Model S 60 (60kWh battery) has the lowest range of the four main models with 210miles and this is in the city and suburbs. Expect to get 150miles on the highway in that car, which is explained below in the Owning & Charging section. The average published ranges for new Teslas fall between 250-300miles, and that will drop off in the colder months, also explained below. The next concern is how fast the batteries are able to recharge at home. The first couple of months, I was using the standard household outlet to recharge at 4mph. This did cause me weekly range anxiety, fearing I'd not have enough recharged by morning. The average driver, on an average day, ventures out for about a 40mile roundtrip. However, there are days when I'll put more than 100miles on and that used to make me nervous if I had plans the next day. I work every three days, so this would be most problematic for those working regular business hours all week. All of that anxiety was alleviated when I added a dedicated 30A outlet to recoup 17mph.

However, even with a solid home charging option, the real problem is that no amount of home charging helps when you're going on road trips. Personally, I decided a range of 250mile to be the minimum for my needs. This is because I occasionally drive to Orlando from Tampa, and my destinations are a 175mile roundtrip - this doesn't include "phantom/vampire drain" as the car keeps itself cool while parked there. That meant, for my budget, I chose the 85 model over the 60 and 70 to minimize my Supercharging on the return home. A used Model S 85 with a battery degradation of 5% has a range of about 250miles ...and only if fully charged before leaving. In a worst case scenario, subtract 30% due to the highway not regenerating power, and the car has a range of only 175miles. So on the way back from Orlando, I usually stop at the Supercharger in Kissimmee or Lakeland for twenty minutes to give myself a cushion of an additional 40-60miles.

Beyond hopping from Supercharger to Supercharger, there are a few solutions to the range issue: 1) a Model S 90D or a Model 3 Long Range could do the TPA-ORL trip without a Supercharger; 2) if the destination has a charger that is conveniently on-site and available upon arrival;* 3) find an outlet to sneakily park near and hope no one steals your cable; 4) rent a car for the long distance vacations, which has always been my preference with prior cars.

* some of these "destination chargers" are free, especially at hotels. However, as EVs become more common, the likelihood of finding an available one has significantly decreased. For example, Disney's Hollywood studios has four ChargePoint spots that I have used and require payment to recharge. There was a Thursday in May 2022 I had hoped to charge there, but they were already full - one spot was even occupied by a Model 3 that wasn't plugged in. Later that day, I attempted to park in one at the Magic Kingdom, but those were also full.

Battery Concerns
One of the big concerns from prospective buyers is the threat of lithium-ion battery degradation and/or total failure. Right now, we have no idea how long the current run of Tesla batteries will last (2012-2014 packs are proving to be very problematic), but Elon Musk suspected at least 200,000-300,000 miles should not be an issue ...maybe even 500,000 miles. They may not die, but we’re likely going to see some substantial range loss (degradation) at that point. Tesla claims to expect a 10% loss every 200,000miles, but some studies have shown 20% in certain packs (see next topic). Recently, Musk has promised that a new battery is coming that is expected to go one million miles.

Degradation is a complex problem and there are many factors that affect battery life. But it seems heat is the biggest culprit concerning EV (electric vehicle) battery failures. The Nissan Leaf was the first vehicle to show this issue, with Arizona cars experiencing abnormally high degradation rates. Those Leafs rely on a passive cooling system to reduce battery temperatures, whereas, even the earliest Teslas incorporate an active liquid thermal management system for the battery. This system is designed to cool the battery even when the car is parked. Newer Teslas (2018+) have focused on improving battery cooling measures further, especially during harder/aggressive driving and Supercharging. These improvements help make these new batteries capable of handling higher charge amperages with minimal effect on the battery's expected life. There are actually a multitude of unexpected protocols in the software to protect the battery. For instance, at very low temperature, the battery can degrade if being aggressively charged. So, in colder weather, the car limits the regenerative braking to avoid damaging the battery.

The next most problematic factors are charge cycles and depth of discharge. A charging cycle basically refers to a full charge from 1%-100%, so it would take many small charges to equal one charge cycle. Obviously, higher mile cars have a higher number of theoretical charge cycles, so there's not a lot you can do about that. However, keep in mind that the benefit of a larger battery capacity of a Tesla, compared to a Leaf, means there are less required charge cycles for the same mileage. Depth of discharge (DoD) is how much you deplete the battery before plugging it back in. Not only does depleting your battery down to lower levels increase battery degradation from DoD, but now you are using almost a full charge cycle to bring that back up ...you can see how these two factors play a role together.

Also know that the 60kWh cars may be more likely to experience battery issues over the long term. If the power demands of the cars are equal, these smaller packs would be more prone to failure due to the higher current-per-cell that is required for normal operation. In other words, the individual cells in these battery packs have to do more work and endure more strain than each cell of the larger packs.

90kWh Battery Packs
This is a subject that gets very confusing and I've not done a lot of research on it. But the gist is that these packs are at a higher risk of degradation. This may be due to the battery chemistry at that time. There is also an issue with owners finding out that their V1 and V2 packs were/are not capable of producing enough current to properly power Ludicrous Mode, though it is enough for Insane Mode. It seems that the 90kWh V3 packs will charge faster on Superchargers and can produce an additional 100 amps during launch over the V1 and V2 packs. In any case, this page explains that the 90kWh packs can degrade twice as fast as the 85kWh packs* over the first few years, but does not indicate which versions were tested. Solid info on which is the more reliable version is scarce. Apparently, Tesla started to focus more on battery longevity when they released the 100kWh packs, whereas the 90kWh packs were likely designed to squeeze out more power for the new line of Ludicrous-capable cars.

* unfortunately, we're now seeing a much higher prevalence of catastrophic failure in the 85kWh packs over recent years. So, despite the faster degradation, choosing a Model S with a 90kWh or 100kWh pack may be the wiser long-term option. Time will tell if the newer packs (including those in the 3 and Y cars) are destined to suffer the same fate.

Drive Units (Motors)
The first motors were all larger AC Induction drive units (LDUs), but Tesla eventually introduced smaller Permanent Magnet units (SDUs) and has been using them exclusively. There are pros and cons of both types, and Tesla currently finds the PM to be the best balance of efficiency and cost effectiveness. The SDU also seemt o be oil cooled and subsequently do not suffer the coolant leak issue. This site is a great resource for comparing numbers. Personally, I am happy with my standard 85 - I joke it is one of the slower Teslas, but it is relatively fast in the world of cars.

Badging: 85 vs 85D vs P85 vs P85+ vs P85D vs P85DL vs P85D+ and Signature
Regarding specs, earlier Model S cars (60, 70, 85, 90) are the most confusing. Let's take a look at the extensive 85kWh vehicle offerings, for an example. The Model S 85 vehicles were predominantly single-motor, RWD cars with an 85kWh battery pack, while the "D" signified dual-motor. The standard was badged simply as 85, which came with 19" rims. The 85D added a second standard motor up front for AWD. The performance-minded P85 came with 19" rims but saw improved acceleration via a larger motor and a different drive inverter - the inverter converts DC from the battery into AC to power the motor. The P85+ added the $10,000 Plus Package consisting of staggered 21" Turbine rims with sportier tires, upgraded shocks (though the air suspension could be optioned), added stabilizer bars to reduce body roll, and had beefier/stiffer suspension bushings* for tighter geometry. The P85D is the 85D with a performance motor at the rear and the standard motor at the front, along with the premium invertor. The Model S P85D+ was the ultimate in Tesla performance back in 2014. Apparently, everything else could be spec'd-out identically between all of the models from that year's options list. Any car with an "L" in the description advertises that it has Ludicrous Mode unlocked, and it is the one model identifier that was never part of the option badging on these vehicles.

* I believe these improved bushings eventually became standard? These are likely in all of the link and control arms, so it could be at least twenty bushings, by my rough count ...not exactly a simple upgrade for a regular 85. Also, Tesla offered a Plus retrofit package for the 85 cars, but did not include the stabilizer/sway bars because the installs were too involved.

Some report the 85D to feel more refined than the P85. The consensus in 2014 seemed to be that the P85 was not worth the additional $10,000 over the base 85 model, however the P85+ rates far superior. Casual drivers have complained about the Plus Packages being too sporty, regarding steering input and stiff suspension. In 2015, Tesla offered Ludicrous Mode as an over-the-air unlock, but a Perfomance-badged car was required to purchase this upgrade. The downside, especially with Ludi Mode, was that many joked that the P85+ seemed to be designed solely to destroy tires ...but that is really up to the driver's foot. Some owners reported that they were much happier swapping stock 19" rims onto their P85+ for improved tread longevity, reduced risk of sidewall and rim damage, reduced road noise, and improved ride comfort over performance.

The Signature series can be identified with the word "Signature" embossed on the right-side of the chrome trim that spans the width of the car's rear end. These cars tend to be the first thousand cars off the line (available to the public) in a particular model and are fully-loaded with all available trim options/upgrades. In the Model S, these cars should be red in color. There is also a Founder's series that are the very first cars off the line, but are not available to the public.

Tesla has phased out the myriad of designations, as well as most of the badging. Currently, most new vehicles are offered in Long Range, Performance, and Plaid configurations. Nearing 2020, option badging was simplified to "Dual Motor" or "Plaid" only, with the Performance models having a line under "Dual Motor." To verify the badging has not been altered, this indicative underline will also be seen on the Infotainment's Software screen.

Chill, Sport, Insane, Ludicrous, Warp, Raven, & Plaid
Earlier dual motor Model S cars came with a Sport Mode to increase acceleration and top speed over the normal Chill Mode. However, some cars have Sport Mode as their base mode. Then came Insane Mode, which was eventually replaced by Ludicrous Mode in the newer cars. Ludicrous is an option that is available on dual motor Model S cars and was first announced for the P85D in July 2015 as an upgrade. This purchase not only unlocked Ludicrous Mode (an homage to Spaceballs) for a performance boost, but the service department also installed an improved main contactor that allowed the stock 85mWh battery of the P85D to function as a 90kWh battery. This upgrade was available then for $13,000, but has since been discontinued. By the end of 2016, Ludicrous+ became a purchasable software upgrade in the P100D, which heats the battery to 122*F to further increase power output (approximately +33hp). And yes, these modes place additional strain on the motor, gearbox, battery, and tires. Warp Mode can be unlocked by holding the Ludicrous+ button for five seconds, which will heat the battary an additional 5*F.

Raven was not a model of car, but rather the designation for the powertrain update in the 2019 Model S and Model X. This ushered in the replacement of the AC Induction motors by the Permanent Magnet motors that had been recently introduced in the first Model 3 and Model Y vehicles. This also marked the year when the Model S and Model X no longer carried badging that indicated the vehicle's battery size - it has remained 100kWh. Rumor has it that the "Raven" name was inspired by Mystique, aka Raven Darkholme, from the X-Men properties.

The Model S Plaid, which is another Spaceballs reference, was announced in Sept 2020. The 2021 Model S saw its second refresh, most notably to the interior with a yoke-style steering wheel, horizontal Infotainment system, and a rear entertainment display. This was also the year that the Model S was outfitted with a Model Y-style heat pump instead of relying on a less effecient resistive heating system. Rather than Plaid being an unlockable software option like Ludicrous Mode, it became the designation for the Model S's performance model. The Model S Long Range retains dual motors while the Plaid and Plaid+ introduces Tesla's first tri-motor configuration. The Plaid+ [would] also feature a new "structural battery" design as it's power source. The structural battery, which increases rigidity, is essentially a honeycomb for the new, round 4680 battery cells to be placed within. Performance-wise, the Plaids turn out more than 1000HP, run 0-to-60 in 2.0 seconds, and are capable of 200mph. The Plaid+ boasts an astounding range of 520 miles from a full charge (twice the range of my 2013 Model S 85) while also slightly outpowering the Plaid. The Plaid+ experienced several delays in 2021 with the new 4680 battery packs, and was pushed back to a 2022 release...

Early June 2021, Musk announced they were abandoning the Plaid+ because the Plaid was already so good. No big surprise there, as breaking promises is the norm for Elon. He also stated that they did not perceive a need for anything with a range greater than 400miles, due to people needing to stop to use the restroom or eat for twenty minutes. However, select a Model S Long Range (400miles) in Tesla's online Go Anywhere software, and choose a 400mile destination via the highway, and you're making two stops to Supercharge during a 6.5hr trip, which total an hour - this is because you're not regenerating power on the highway. By Tesla's claim of a 520mile range (which the Lucid Air Dream Range can do), the Plaid+ would be able to do the same trip with a single twenty minute stop, which would be a perfect scenario in regards to Musk's thinking. So, I called bullshit and believed there must have been an issue with the 4680 battery configuration and this is one way to get out of those pre-orders with some dignity ...and get those buyers to spend their money on a Plaid right now. So, is this new range belief of Musk's placing a cap on progress? Not likely, because the difference between the Plaid and Plaid+ specs seemed to be the different battery packs: a month later (end of July 2021), Tesla made an announcement that the 4680 cells had been testing successfully and that they were nearing finalizing a means to manufacture them efficiently.

Private Sellers vs Dealers
The best prices are going to be private sellers. I prefer these since you get to meet the person and see the car exactly how they’ve treated it. Also, they can provide additional history you simply will never get from a dealer, and may even have easy access to repair records. Tesla CPO (Certified Pre-Owned) tends to run the most expensive, especially for 2015+ cars. In recent years, Tesla’s inspection process has been minimized, so don’t believe that any of their used cars are in top “certified” condition. Instead, they give you a 1year/10,000mile extended warranty to cover anything they might miss during their very basic inspection. Also, if you order one from a CPO across the country, you will pay shipping on a car you actually haven’t seen since they use a single stock photo. Third party dealers seem the least favorable to me because they provide no benefits like history or warranty.

One of the controversial practices of Tesla’s is the CPO enabling every used vehicle that comes through their doors to its maximum autonomy of the car’s included hardware. This is great for the budget buyer looking for a deal on a car with those capabilities, but it also instantly raises the value of a 2017+ trade-in that they have received as a standard-optioned vehicle by $12,000 with a mere keystroke. Furthermore, this upgrade is linked to the owner (understand that Unlimited Supercharging is linked to the car), so they can do this over and over on the same car until every Tesla owner has paid for Full Self-Drive. The downside is, don’t expect to go to the CPO and find a deal on a non-unlocked car you plan to upgrade later as funds become available.

I've recently learned that any of the cars that came with Free Unlimted Superharging, are having that feature wiped when they move through the CPO system. However, this will stay intact when purchased by private sellers or independent dealers.

Model S Warranty Periods
The warranties are transferable, and currently are:
Mechanical: 4 years or 50,000 miles
Supplemental Restraint System: 5 years or 60,000 miles
Battery and Drive Unit: 8 years or 150,000 miles
Purchase via Tesla CPO: adds 1 year or 10,000 miles of Mechanical

 

INSPECTION:
Paint Chips
Some of the more obvious issues that might present are paint chips, windshield chips, and rim scuffs. Teslas seem to be very susceptible to all of these issues, especially the rims if they have the 20" or 21" option. Many vehicles nowadays have less durable paint than others, especially when compared to older cars. This has a lot to do with modern paints being water-based. Luckily, Tesla offers a kit that will yield excellent results if you are patient. I've also had good luck with do-it-yourself windshield chip repair kits.

Rust Stains
Another common cosmetic issue is that the front bumper frames can rust. This rust will then drip and find its way out from behind the fog lamp area and leave light orange streaks across the fascia. It seems Tesla was unable to fully paint the insides of these metal structures and some owners, like me, notice rusty streaks after driving in heavy rain. I've read of some vehicles getting this corrected through Tesla, but that route has probably expired. I haven't tried, but removing the front fascia and sealing these areas off is probably the best option. Otherwise, you'll need to use polish to remove it whenever it shows up. This issure does not warrant a safety concern.

Coolant Leaks (Battery)
There is a coupling at the front of the battery frame that connects the coolant in the car with the collant in the battery. The car essentially splits into two pieces: the passenger body that lifts off of the battery frame. There is also an electrical connection up front that links the two halves of that system together. The two o-rings of the coolant connections can become damaged during assembly, or just begin to leak after several years. Also, if the car took an impact to the undercarriage, it could leak elsewhere. Take a look under the car, checking the entire area between the front and rear wheels. Run your hands along the bottom of the car, below the doors. Any signs of a dripping or wetness (that isn't the AC condensor)? These repairs require the body to be lifted from the battery and are impossible to fix in 99% of consumer garages.

Key Fobs or Entry Cards
I believe the Model S and X came with two during original purchase - Model 3 and Y come standard with entry cards. I dropped one of my fobs after about a week of ownership, and it started to eat through batteries within 24hrs. These will cost at least $85 each from third parties (though they seem authentic) and Tesla sells them for $175 (Fall 2022). The third party vendors imply that the ones they sell should function across all vehicle models, but I have seen the Model 3/Y fob being available in the Tesla Shop while the Model S and separate Model X were not ... so be weary. Otherwise, the phone app will work just fine as a remote except that the car will not unlock and auto-present the handles unless there is a key fob nearby.* Passive unlock means the car will unlock when the fob comes within three feet of the vehicle, at which point it will also present the door handles.

* I have seen owners state that the older fobs for the Model 3 did not have passive unlock capability, but the newer ones do. So there may be some difference in the fobs. Model 3 and Model Y handles do not present themselves.

Fit & Finish
Don't be surprised if panel fitment isn't precise - it's a known and common problem. I have a piece of chrome trim on the rear window that doesn't exactly flow to the front window trim as I'd like. This is not uncommon in brand new Teslas* and I noticed my friend's new Model Y Performance had a larger gap between the hatch and the left tail light than the right when we picked it up - I guess this requires quite a bit of work to adjust and I am not sure she ever bothered taking it up with Tesla. The lower part of the front doors on her Model Y also looked off, but comparing it to others on the lot, they all had this same appearance. This did not appear to be an assembly flaw and may have something to do with how the vehicle pulls the door in to shut it. I imagine fitment issues are best resolved when mentioned during new deliveries, and doubt they will fix these problems for free on one that is out of warranty. Just keep this all in mind.

* I suspect this might have a little to do with Tesla trying to meet production goals: even if an employee notices a minor issue like panel fitment during assembly, they may keep it moving down the line to let the service centers deal with it later in an attempt to keep up with new vehicle orders. Not the best practice, but they have deadlines ...that they very often fail to meet.

Miscellaneous
Listen for excessive whine in the motor of Model S/X RWD/AWD cars, especially those built before 2021. While test driving, accelerate hard from 20 to 60mph to check for vibrations. Make sure all self-presenting door handles actually present and function, and that all the exterior and interior lights turn on. You may see dead bugs or very light moisture in the tail lights, but this is somewhat common. On refresh Model S cars, check that the daylight running lights come on - these are very expensive to replace.

My front speakers were blown, due to the foam surrounds rotting away. They sounded like the frame was rattling against the door during lower frequencies and the issue is sometimes referred to as "farting" among audiophiles. Be sure to check the EQ on the Infotainment because turning the low frequencies down can mask this problem. I recommend a pair of PowerBass OE-652 as replacements, but they will not be a simple drop-in.

 

OPTIONS:
Free Unlimited Premium Connectivity (lifetime) &
Free Unlimited Supercharging (lifetime)
You must be considering a car originally ordered before mid-2018 for lifetime premium data and before early-2017 for lifetime Supercharging to expect these options. Thesre are "grey areas," which is due to how confusing the changing policies were over the years. Some people might think they had one offer when they were actually part of another at the time of purchase. Understand that when the word “ordered” is mentioned on the Tesla site, it is referring to the purchase of both a new and a used vehicle - to clarify, a used vehicle in their CPO fleet is still “ordered.” My understanding is that free Supercharging will be wiped from any car that has gone through the CPO system in recent years (approx July 2019+).

Regarding the Model S, X, and 3 fine print, the Tesla site stated in 2021 that any [Supercharge-capable] S, X, or Premium Interior-spec 3 ordered before July 2018 received lifetime Free Unlimited Premium Connectivity (FUPC) and that any Tesla ordered July 1 or later, did not get this perk. Understand that FUPC is linked to the vehicle, not the owner: because, according to that mid-2018 change, it is implied here that an owner could not move his/her FUPC into a new 2019 vehicle. Standard Connectivity only includes Navigation, where Premium adds live traffic, satellite maps, and music streaming. As of January 2020, orders through Tesla CPO come with a thirty day trial period of Premium Connectivity. After the trial period, Premium Connectivity will be a subscription of $10 a month, or $100 annually.

Historically, FUPC has always transferred with the vehicle between private sellers until the death of the car. Unfortunately, the Feb 2021 fine print states that FUPC may be removed once the car receives “retrofits or upgrades required for any features or service externally supplied to the vehicle - e.g. telecommunications network.” I am unaware what this might include, but I can attest that my FUPC was unaffected following the 5G Infotainment upgrade (see below).

The previous owner of my car showed me that Free Unlimited Supercharging (FUSC) was on his Tesla CPO order sheet (I saw that he paid $40,400 for the 2013 S85 in July 2019 with 18,000 miles). Unfortunately, the policy on FUSC is confusing because there currently isn’t a detailed FAQ regarding its transfer on their site like FUPC. It gets convoluted, but many Teslas ordered up until Jan 2017 were equipped with FUSC and this was linked to the vehicle until its destruction. For orders after this deadline (though I’ve read stories of owners getting it beyond this due to reconciliation for delivery delays), owners were given FUSC for as long as they personally owned that particular vehicle. Mine made it through the Tesla Certified Pre-Owned system in 2019 with FUSC intact - so, maybe the 2017 policy change applies to new vehicle orders only, rather than the CPO vehicles that already had it? Apparently, up and through 2016, you could continue to add FUSC as an upgrade to any 40 or 60 Model S for $2500, no matter when you bought it. Currently, you can only get free Supercharging through new car incentives, but these are generally limited to a thousand miles and/or a year in duration. Be aware that free Supercharging costs Tesla a large sum every year, so I believe the company is doing what it can to eliminate FUSC through attrition. In 2021, they phased out the thousand free miles of Supercharging you could get per referral.

Even if buying an earlier car from a private owner, if that person ordered the car through the CPO after 2019, the FUSC may have been lifted...

Verifying Premium Connectivity & Free Supercharging
Free Unlimited Supercharging (FUSC) is something the earlier vehicles could be optioned with (though all 85 series vehicles came with FUSC standard) and has been historically transferable with the car. Be aware that Tesla may shut down the ability to even pay for Supercharging on vehicles that have rebuilt titles, though they began to reverse this late 2022 - though I would not purchase one, it is highly advised to test a rebuilt car at a Supercharger. There are a couple ways to check for both of these perks:

To verify if the car has Free Unlimited Supercharging (FUSC). get in the car and click on the lightning bolt at the top left of the Infotainment screen. In the bottom right of this battery level window, you will see the “Supercharging” heading. If it says “No Recent Supercharging,” that is a good sign - mine said this before and after transfer of ownership. If instead says "Paid Supercharging" or shows a dollar amount (even $0.00), then it does not have FUSC.*

* As the software updates come out, the descriptors for Supercharging history change. If unsure, have the owner open their online account Dashboard in a web browser: 1) choose the Charging history which should indicate $0.00; 2) open Manage on the car's profile and click Details to see the list of specs and options.

To verify if the vehicle has Free Unlimited Premium Connectivity (FUPC), click the car icon at the bottom left of the vehicle's Infotainment screen, then select the "Software" tab. Under the VIN there should be a heading saying "Premium Connectivity" and under that, it will either give you an expiration date or say "Included Package" (if it has an active account). If it says "Included Package," that means that the car was given unlimited access at the time of the order and has it free for life.

You can only do this next method once ownership has been transferred within Tesla’s database, otherwise you would have to ask the current owner to show you their account: log into your account on the Tesla website (computer; not the app), find the vehicle and click “Manage,” then click “Details.” I have FUSC listed in the Details section and FUPC in the Manage Upgrades section. Also to note, Details no longer shows the Tech Package or Smart Air Suspension on my vehicle, but still lists the 19" Cyclones.

The Tech Package
The Tech Package became standard equipment in March 2015. I would advise thinking twice about any Tesla built before March 2015 that does not include the Tech Package. Without this option, the car may not have navigation, rendering the screen to a simple "you are here" map and forcing you to use your cellphone to hop Superchargers on trips. However, I do not know how likely it is to encounter a non-nav car anymore because Tesla may have offered a navigation unlock at one point. Know that any 3G-era car with the LTE MCU2 upgrade (see below) will surely have navigation enabled. My late-2013 Model S does not have any of the self-drive technology, so I personally cannot imagine owning an older Tesla without all of the Tech Package features to bridge that gap a little.

In late 2013, this was a ~$3500 option that included:
- turn by turn navigation
- LED cornering lights
- fog lamps (discontinued from Tech Pkg Feb 2013, then offered for $500)
- Homelink for garage doors
- keyless entry with auto present door handles
- convenience lighting*
- hi-def back-up camera
- power liftgate
- chrome accents on rear center bottom bumper
- chrome front air intakes
- memory seats
- memory mirrors and steering wheel (introduced in Feb 2013)
- daytime running lights (became standard after Sept 2013)
- power folding/heated mirrors (introduced late 2013)
- parking sensors were a separate $500 option that were added to the Tech Package mid-2014

* what this entailed may have changed over time. My car came with puddle lighting from presenting handles, puddle lights from under the door frames, and front interior foot lighting. There was a Premium Lighting package for $1000 that also included rear interior foot lighting, plus ambient lighting from under the four door's interior arm rests when the headlights were on to help offset the Infotainment brightness.

Smart Air Suspension
This option was available for $2250, but only if you chose to get the Tech Package. The SAS system replaces the standard coil spring suspension with four large air struts containing pneumatic springs, driven by a pump. Via the Infotainment screen, you can adjust the height to four levels. The lowest setting can be programmed to engage above a set speed to reduce wind drag at higher speeds, thus improving efficiency. The two taller heights over standard can be programmed to raise each time the vehicle approaches a set GPS location (aka geo fencing) to reduce scraping of the undercarriage over dips or the doors on sidewalks. Be especially mindful of proper toe-in settings (see below) with this option.

Panoramic Sunroof
This was a $1500 option in 2012, but had been raised to $2500 in 2013. This mechanical sunroof was notorious for leaking, and the culprit is usually drain tube failure from dirt or disintegration. This can cause the water to back up and flood over into the interior - Tesla’s service department fix is to periodically blow them out with compressed air. This flooding had become such a problem, along with the sunroof shattering (for no apparent reason), that the option was discontinued in 2018.

The closed panoramic sunroof can make a noise, that sounds like a dull rattle just above the rear view mirror. It can be constant or intermittent. To resolve this, open the sunroof and look for the black, metal tab at the front of the glass - it will be directly above the center console. Get some cloth tape, and wrap this tab (two layers is enough) to reduce the noise caused by it tapping against the front of the sunroof frame when closed.

Tesla no longer offers a roof rack for older Model S cars, but Yakima does. However, you must have a car with the older panoramic roof to have the attachment points standard. Model S cars with a stationary glass roof and built after February 2019 also have the attachments standard, but appear to use a different layout. It does seem that Tesla can retrofit the attachment points into the earlier Model S cars that have a stationary glass roof.

Wheel Choices
My car came with the 21" Arachnids in silver. The standard size for all Teslas is either 18" (3/Y) or 19" (S/X), which may provide less road noise and a more comfortable ride - those who can live without the low-pro look will be better off with the stock rims. The 20" and 21" upgrades will get you better performance (mine corners very well), but you may hear more road noise, notice more road imperfections, will have to be much more weary of curbs and potholes, and feel it in your wallet. The intended tires for my staggered 21" rims were Michelin Pilot Super Sports (245/35x21 and 256/35x21) with a May 2021 price of $1500 a set. These highly-rated tires are intended for summer only - I live in Florida.

The Arachnids look great, perform well, and are the lightest rim that Tesla offered for the pre-Plaid Model S. But after driving 15,000 miles in eighteen months, one misjudged curb scrape, and several pothole mishaps that also damaged the sidewalls twice, I decided to replace them. I purchased T-Sportline's 19" TSS Arachnid knock-offs in Space Gray and, after a lot of indecisiveness, a set of Yokohama ADVAN Apex V601 (245/45-19) summer tires for $800 near the end of 2022. I miss the 21" stance, but I've not really noticed any dramatic change (I don't push the car to its performance limits) and am very happy with the reduced risk to pothole damage. They do seem to be wearing faster.

Road noise and power efficiency can vary slightly between tire choices, due to tread patterns and a tire's rolling resistance. New types of tires are being produced to address these issues specifically for the use on EVs.

Premium Sound
In the earlier cars, this was a $990 option referred to as the Sound Studio. It was renamed Ultra High Fidelity Sound and then Premium Sound, but at a $2500 price point. Reviews of these systems are less than positive, with many saying it is better to piece your own aftermarket system together. However, others have said the sound from these systems is fantasitc. These packages add speakers, increase speaker size, wattages, and include an 8" subwoofer that is placed in one of the rear storage wells. The quickest way to identify this package is the presence of the subwoofer, but it will also be listed on one of the Infotainment tabs. Shockingly, noise cancellation was not introduced until 2021, and I believe only in S and X cars.

Note: from the Infotainment screen of every Tesla, you can select the USB connection on the center console as a music source to play audio files from a flash drive.

The Refresh
This is the term used for when Tesla released the second generation of the Model S in April 2016. I find it funny that some owners refer to their 2017+ as a "2018 refresh model," as-if it was an option. The easiest way to tell the difference is the front bumper: any Model S built before April 2016 has a large black oval "nose cone," while the refresh has a paint-matching front fascia with sleeker looking headlight internals. The refresh included an upgraded onboard charger that allowed for a 48A draw on alternating current supplies (household), rather than the original 40A. The update also allowed for the HEPA air filtration system option that is an additional giant activated charcoal filter with "bioweapon defense mode" to drastically reduce pollution levels inside the vehicle. Two new wood finishes were also added to the interior choices.

Color Choices
White is the standard paint color, with the older cars being something I liken to "Stormtrooper white" and the newer cars being a pearl white. I find that the Stormtrooper white allows paint chips to nearly disappear with a touch-up kit (and skill), while those with pearl white say it doesn't blend as well. Washed and waxed, the original white is a very striking color. Tesla is adding standard colors, but most other paint choices cost an additional $1000 at the time of the original order.

 

OWNERSHIP & UNDERSTANDING CHARGING:
Transfer of Ownership in Tesla’s Database
This is pretty simple, but also kind of crazy. I was halfway home when the previous owner texted me that he was unable to release the vehicle without first doing a Factory Reset from the Infotainment screen inside the car. This requires the seller’s credentials. Once he texted me his email and password, the car quickly reset, and then he was able to release it from his online Tesla Account, and the website requested my email. Since I had already set up a Tesla Account the day prior with that email, this automatically added the car to my account. Only took a couple of minutes and I was actually still out running errands when we did this procedure.

Insurance Costs
Expect your premiums to go up, which could substantially offset the money you're saving on fuel. There are two reasons for this, with the first being that service work on Teslas is still specialized. There simply are only so many shops that receive certification training for their repair, even cosmetically. And Tesla themselves can be finicky on what cars they will service - they have been known to refuse to touch aftermarket parts. They may work on cars with aftermarket parts (like adjustable camber links), but they will certainly avoid installing them. They will also refuse to work on, or help you, with any car that has ever been deemed salvaged - this is due to safety concerns. For example, replacing hardware that needs to be married to a car with a rebuilt title? Good luck.

Secondly, insurance prices tend to be high due to Tesla’s parts manufacturing. Prices for these run very high because you can’t just buy a part of an assembly, you have to buy the whole unit. This causes a good number of Teslas to be totalled out where most common cars wouldn’t. For example, the cabin air filter on a Model X is at least 1ft by 3ft. However, this paper filter is permanently glued into a massive plastic frame. You can’t just purchase the paper element alone, you have to purchase the entire $500 assembly. eBay has a large and lucrative parts market for Teslas due to this very reason. I played with my Progressive quotes in February 2021 and it appeared that when I renew after one year of ownership, my premium should go down about 25%. Unfortunately, my annual premium actually increased a little in July 2022 and January 2023 despite not being involved in an accident, nor receiving a ticket, in nearly a decade - I'm still trying to figure that one out.

Window Tint
Telsa windows utilize privacy glass, which are pigmented to slightly darken the glass. The roof has a film tint sandwiched between two pieces of glass. Both provide UV protection, but little-to-no IR protection. Adding tint will reduce the small amount of phantom drain the car uses to maintain temperature while it sits in the sun. Ceramic tint has become the industry standard and the previous owner of my car had this type installed. Windshield tinting is still illegal across the USA, but that doesn't mean you can't get away with it. I'm just not sure any legitimate shop that provides a warranty will do it, though. My car has a 30% flim on the two front windows, and a 15% film on the sunroof, rear, and backseat windows. The number indicates how much light is passing though, so lower numbers are a darker tint. I was provided the receipt and lifetime warranty information, though I am not sure it will be honored for new owners - it was professionally done, so it's probably a non-issue.

Home Charging
Superchargers use direct current (DC) to rapidly replenish the Tesla batteries, but home chargers use alternating current (AC) and rely on an onboard charger to convert this to DC, which can then be stored in the DC battery. A Supercharger bypasses this conversion unit since it is already providing DC power. Pre-2018 Model S vehicles came with the Gen 1 Mobile Connector Bundle, which is capable of Level 1 (120v) and Level 2 (240v) charging. This included a lightweight carry bag with the main 20' cable and two adapters: a NEMA 5-15 (standard household outlet) and a NEMA 14-50 (oven/RV/campsite outlet; 4-prong). The Gen 1 charger can transfer up to 40amps (11kW), which can equate to a recharge rate of 29miles/hour from a 50A outlet.* At the time (2012-2016), 40A was the maximum the onboard chargers would allow. I found that if I was diligent at plugging into the 3-4miles/hour standard outlet (1.5kW) every time that I got home, my worries of running out of miles were somewhat minimal. I eventually installed a second 30A dryer outlet to alleviate all of my worries, recharging at 17 miles/hour. You can find these on eBay, but they are getting pricier every year.

* the safe output from any home outlet into a continuous load is 80% of its rating, so 50 x 0.8 = 40.
Apparently, there was a run of Gen 1 chargers that could deliver 48A loads, but mine plainly says 40A on the sticker (it is an -E iteration, so I'm guessing the originals were 48A).

Tesla offers the Gen 2 Mobile Connector Bundle and the Gen 2 Corded Mobile Connector, both capable of Level 1 (120v) and Level 2 (240v) charging. In true Tesla fashion, you're forced to do extensive research outside of the Tesla Shop for exact differences. The 2018-2022 standard equipment Gen 2 Mobile Connector (MC) is the more versatile of the two. It includes the storage bag, the 20' cable, and a NEMA 5-15 dongle ...the kit currently also includes the 14-50 dongle. The dongle can be swapped out for different outlets, so you can buy a few and be prepared for anything. However, unlike the Gen 1,* the Gen 2 connector is limited to 32amps (4kW/hr). This equates to about 23miles/hour even when connected to a NEMA 14-50 outlet, while the NEMA 5-15 still provides 3-4miles/hour to the Model S. To add confusion, sometimes the non-corded Mobile Connectors are referred to as the Universal Mobile Connector (UMC). Mid-2022, Tesla no longer included any connector with a new car purchase.

* The way to tell the difference between Gen 1 and Gen 2: the Gen 2 adapters have about a foot long cord attached to them and plug directly into the charger body, while the Gen 1 chargers are stubby and plug into a foot long cord that is permanently attached to the charger body. Gen 2 was released in 2018.

The Gen 2 Corded Mobile Connector (CMC) does not have a changeable dongle, as the NEMA 14-50 plug is hardwired directly to the unit. However, you could buy a third-party adapter to plug into something else - do your research, though. The benefit of this model, which is not indicated on their site, is that it will allow a full draw of 40amps to the vehicle, just like the Gen 1 model. It only comes with a storage bag to keep it organized while on the go.

The Tesla Wall Connector (aka High Powered Wall Connector or HPWC) is a stationary home charger that is hardwired to a home's circuit panel. The unit can be installed inside or outside and may be eligible for a tax credit. The downside is that it cannot be taken with you. It is twice the price of the Gen 2 Mobile Connector, but it can deliver 48A (16.5kW) to most newer cars* through the 18' cable. It must be powered by a 60A breaker. The 48A output equates to charge rates of over 30miles/hour on most Teslas built after 2016, except for the Model 3 RWD. The onboard charger inside the car, which converts the AC from the outlet into DC for storage in the battery, is one of the limiting factors here. The standard range Model 3 RWD comes with an onboard charger that does not have the power handling of the onboard charger found inside the Model S, Model X, Performance, and Long Range vehicles (7.7kW vs 11.5kW/16.5kW). This means the max amperage the Model 3 RWD can pull from the Wall Charger will be 32A, which is the max of the Gen 2 Mobile Connector. Most Model S cars made between 2012 and April 2016 are limited to 40A, while remaining vehicles can pull up to 48A.

* Up until 2016-2017 one could option additional onboard chargers that would max the AC pull from 40A to 72A on a Model X or 80A on a Model S. The 100kW Model S and X vehicles had a 72A charger installed, but were software-locked to 48A unless the upgrade was purchased (reportedly $1000). The 72A option was eventually phased out in the USA, making the current standard max 48A. Those with larger AC charge capacities can power their HPWC with up to a 100A circuit.

Regarding charge rates, it seems that you may see a drop in amperage throughout the charging process, as is the case when Supercharging. To reduce battery stress, the onboard charger will charge the battery quicker in the beginning of the cycle, then reduce amperage as it nears the top-off point. This is definitely true when recharging the battery to 100% and is another protocol Tesla utilizes to extend battery life.

The Tesla site has a home charging cost estimator here.

If you are on the fence on which type of charger(s) to invest in, first do your research to identify if your car has a newer 48A onboard charger, the older 40A onboard charger, or the rare 48A onboard charger that is unlocked/unlockable to 72A.

Supercharging
Supercharging (SC) is how Tesla refers to their Level 3 direct current fast charging technology. Many users suspect that Supercharging degrades the battery faster than home charging, with the slow and steady standard outlet arguably the best. I'd wager this true, to some degree, given that the newer cars with improved battery cooling can handle higher Supercharge loads. However, Tesla claims that Supercharging does not worsen battery degredation and there have been users who prove this by driving their cars back and forth across the country (despite what I mentioned above). According to Tesla, Supercharger units are designed to manage the charge, depending on the vehicle’s history/needs. For instance, Tesla claims that vehicles frequenting the Superchargers more than once a day may receive lower charge rates at these facilities to help reduce degradation. This protocol will also go into place depending on the car's depth of discharge history. Here's a 2017 article explaining how Tesla adjusts their Superchargers to limit degredation of their batteries. However, some owners have complained about this throttling practice - it would be nice if there was some literature on this and an Infotainment option. I am currently unsure if non-Tesla DC fast charging is compatible with the Tesla Supercharging throttle algorithm I just mentioned, but that article implies that it is. I believe the Supercharging is regulated by the car's onboard systems and not the network.

The rate a Supercharger will replenish a battery is dependent on several factors, including temperature and pack size. But the main factor is the vehicle's state of charge (SoC), or how depleted the battery is. The 120kW-rated Superchargers should recharge an empty Model S 85 in about 75mins. Some newer models, like the Model Y Performance can draw larger pulls off the 250kW-rated Superchargers and refill in half the time - maximum draws are dependent on the vehicle's hardware and software. The car will accept more electricity at a lower SoC, and gradually taper off as it refills. The Supercharger tapering-off is another counter-measure to prevent battery degradation.

When traveling long distances and Supercharging is required, the Tesla will generally advise to only charge long enough to get to the next SC rather than topping-off to 100%. This is for two reasons, with one being that filling a battery to the max can cause unnecessary stress to the pack. But the primary reason is that as the pack closes-in on 100%, the charge speed is greatly reduced to prevent damage. With this dramatic speed drop, it therefore becomes far more efficient to leap frog to the next Supercharger where the lower state of charge will allow a larger amperage pull. With this method, the car can recover the most miles in the shortest span of time. The software may calculate that it is more efficient to do two twenty minute chargers along the route than a single forty minute charge. If the computer plots a course that has you always approaching the next SC at 20% battery, this will greatly reduce the amount of time you're sitting at a charging station.

Another factor that dictates the charge rate is the number of vehicles sharing a power source at the charging stations. Stalls have an assigned number with a letter - the letters are the branches coming off an individual power source. You want your own numerical source for maximum charge, so choose a stall of a different number than the one(s) already being used. Also, choosing a letter branch with a car that is at least 80% full means they won't be using as much of that source (because their kW pull will be tapering off), leaving more for you. It would be nice if the Infotainment could tell us where to park for best performance, instead of asking and/or trying them out. Be weary that there is an idle fee if the sits in an SC without drawing power for more than five minutes, but this only occurs when at least half of the stalls are being used.

For detailed information regarding Superchargers, check out this entry on TeslaTap.

Important note: Supercharging was not a standard feature on the Model S 40 and 60, so be very mindful when purchasing one. Reportedly, all Model S 60 vehicles should have been produced with the dormant hardware installed. If a 60 series car will not Supercharge, the option will have to be purchased (was $2000 pre-2017, then $2500) and then unlocked remotely by Tesla. Not having DC fast-charging would make road trips extremely time consuming, if not downright impossible. Also, almost every Tesla with a rebuilt or salvaged title will not be able to utilize the Supercharger or third-party fast charging networks. Personally, I would avoid cars that lack this Level 3 capability.

Public & Third-Party Fast Charging
Outside of Supercharging, there are other options available to the public. Regarding the Tesla SAE J1772 adapter (part# 167358-00-B), it is usable at Level 1 and Level 2 public EV charging stations and is still included with every Tesla. Level 1 allows for use of 120V electrical circuits providing up to 16A continuous, which is equivalent to a standard home outlet. Level 2 allows for use of 240V electrical circuits providing up to 80A continuous. These systems run on alternating current, which is the same current that all home outlets provide. Examples are clothing dryer, kitchen range, and RV hook-up outlets. Power from these connections must pass through the car's onboard charger to be stored as DC power. The J1772 is usable at ChargePoint stations, and these types of Level 2 stations should charge a Tesla at about 25mph.

Level 3 fast charging (DCFC) is the standard that Tesla's Superchargers utilize, and these provide direct current. DCFC bypasses the car's onboard convertor, allowing the vehicle to accept very high outputs. Non-Tesla Level 3 chargers predominantly employ the CCS1 format, as CHAdeMO began to lose support in the world market after 2020. However, some of the public EVgo-branded DCFC stations may have Tesla interfaces already installed on them. Unfortunately, there is a hardware limitation that prevents US-market Teslas built before October 2020 from utilizing CCS. For vehicles with the correct hardware already installed, the bulky CCS-into-Tesla adapter by itself costs $250. This adapter will allow up to 250kW pulls, depending on the vehicle specs. If your Tesla has software update 2021.40, you can verify that you have the hardware necessary for CCS capability via Controls (car icon) > Software > Additional Vehicle Information on the Infotainment screen. In late 2022, Tesla very quietly announced the option in the US market to retrofit the CCS hardware, though the Tesla app stated appointments for this would not be available until 2023.

The Cost of Supercharging & Public Fast Charging
The cost of fast charging, or how fees are calculated, varies mainly by state and/or region. For example, charging may be billed by the kWh in one state, whereas those crossing state lines may find billing by the minute. My understanding is that this billing difference has to do with certain state laws that may be placing limits on electricity resale. Furthermore, the actual cost per kWh or minute will also vary. These prices may change depending on provider, time of day (peak hours), and demand (holidays and traffic). Tesla used to have a regional map of average pricing, but that no longer exists. The only way to view current pricing is via the Tesla Infotainment map or through third party fast charging apps like ChargePoint. Electrek found that in some travel circumstances, the cost of third party fast charging can be more expensive than the equivalent gasoline in a Chevy Tahoe.

Tesla calls billing by the kWh “the most fair and simple method.” This is true because some cars can pull twice the power than others over a single minute. As in the earlier example, someone in a newer Model Y can safely pull more power than an early Model S with a less efficient cooling system. For this reason, the future will likely have fewer and fewer chargers that bill by the minute. In some areas this may work in the car owner's favor, and in others it may not. Unless government sets up legislation to regulate providers (we've had power monopolies for decades), the cost of fast charging could simply rise to the price of gasoline. This seems more likely as oil companies start to lose revenue through fossil fuels and seek other means to maintain high profits, and then funnelling funds through lobbyists to ensure price regulations are minimal.

In mid-2022, there could be a 1:2 difference between Georgia's minute prices and the equivalent kWh prices in Florida, with Florida costing up to double for the same distance, depending on the battery's State of Charge.* However, minute billing in California can be more than the cost for the equivalent kWh in Florida. Unfortunately for travelers, the price of fast charging can be more expensive than gasoline over the same distance, so look for free "destination chargers" at places like hotels. During 2022, the average residential cost per kWh in the United States was $0.15 while the average Supercharger cost was nearly $0.26 per kWh. I recall rates of about $0.12 per kWh (Tampa residence) and $0.35 per kWh (Disney World) in 2022, respectively.

* Keep in mind that State of Charge will play a huge role here regarding maximum savings with minute rate billing. The lower the SoC, the more kWh you can pull each minute. As the battery approaches full and the car reduces power intake to prevent battery damage, the difference between cheaper minute rates and expensive kWh rates begins to lessen.

Highway Mileage is Different
The published rated mileage range for these vehicles seems to be calculated with only city driving in mind. City driving provides plenty of opportunities for the vehicle to use regenerative braking to recharge the battery en route to the destination. In optimal conditions, the cars can regain approximately 30% of their battery discharge during decelerations. However, on the highway, the vehicle is in a near-constant state of energy draw, so you must subtract 30% of the pre-trip battery range. The car's navigation does a good job of calculating this difference, so there's no real worry of an unexpected dead battery in the middle of nowhere. Just understand that if you ever plan to take a long trip via the highway, you're likely going to need to make more stops than your rough math dictates.

For example, a trip from Orlando to Atlanta clocks in at about 440miles. The range of a fully-charged 2013 Model S 85 with 5% battery degredation is about 250miles. So, one might think that the battery would only require a single stop to recharge for an hour at the halfway point (Tifton, GA), leaving some miles to spare at the Atlanta destination. But since it is all highway, Tesla's Go Anywhere software (using an equivalent Model 3 Standard) predicts the need for three stops, totaling an hour and forty-five minutes on the Supercharger network. These calculations are echoed on EV Trip Planner. Keep in mind, if you leap frog to multiple Superchargers to maximize the power draw (lower states of charge = higher kW pulls = shorter charge times), you can shave off some of the downtime ...which the Tesla software automatically does. In the ORL-ATL example, EV Trip Planner calculates that you can reduce the total charging time by twenty minutes if you use five Superchargers along the same route

Cold Weather Efficiency
Mileage can drop off of a cliff in the coldest months. The newer cars utilize heat pumps to help address this issue, but the heating elements on the older cars are power hogs. I'm in Florida and when the temps fall below 50*F, I will see my consumption increase by about 100Wh per mile (0.1kWh/mi). That equates to 25miles less than I will get during the Florida summer with the A/C running. That equates to a 10% loss, but in some of the colder areas of N America, owners can experience range losses of 20% to 40% ...even those with heat pumps. And those figures do not include the power consumed when scheduling an unplugged vehicle to pre-warm the interior (and battery).

Perceived Recharging Rates Between Models
When comparing recharging rates between different models of Teslas, especially home charging, you may notice that a Model 3 recharges at a faster miles per hour than a Model S. This has to do with the model's efficiency, or how many kWh the car uses to travel 100miles. Efficiency is dictated by many factors that include the car's weight, horsepower, drag coefficient, motor type, and number of motors. The biggest factor seems to be that the earlier motors were an AC-induction type while the newer motors are a more efficient permanent-magnet type. In any case, a 2013 Model S 85 has an efficiency rating of 32kWh/100miles whereas the 2018 Model 3 Mid Range only uses about 23kWh to go 100miles. Since this Model 3 uses less power to go the same distance, it will appear to recharge mileage faster than the 2013 Model S even though it is recharging the battery at the same amperage. Using a 30A outlet, a Model S will recharge 17mph, while a Model 3 will recharge 22mph despite both cars drawing about 6kW/hour from the circuit. However, both of these cars have the same maximum trip range of about 260miles because the less efficient Model S has a larger battery (85kWh vs 75kWh) to make up the difference.

Battery Degredation Prevention
What steps can we take to promote battery health? One way is to limit the times we top the battery to 100%, only doing so when needed, like the day prior to a long trip - this is why the charging limit screen shows the final bar as "Trip." Tesla recommends to limit the charge to 90% of the capacity to help maximize battery longevity. Try to keep the battery above 10% and always avoid letting it fully discharge to reduce further damage. There is also a safety net regarding capacity to help prevent total depletion, being that 0% is not actually 0% - the car will shut down even though there is still some charge remaining. Tesla recommends that you keep the vehicle plugged in whenever possible, allowing the battery to receive a healthy trickle charge, even stating this helps the battery perform better. Parking vehicles in the shade will assist the active system at maintaining a cooler battery, as well as reduce phantom drain. Aggressive driving will heat up the battery more, so resisting the urge to stomp the accelerator will help prevent battery wear (and motor/tire wear). Also to note, when you choose a Tesla Supercharger on your Navigation map, the vehicle automatically starts the protocols to prepare the battery for Supercharging.* So don’t just drive to the Supercharger - let the car know your intentions.

* This seems most important in cooler climates or short drives to a Supercharger. From my understanding, this is to give the vehicle a chance to warm the battery to 70*F which prevents [battery crystallization]. As of now, I don't believe there is any way to manually initiate the battery conditioning for a non-Tesla DC fast charging station outside of Navigation.

Personally, I set my top-out at 85% of the total capacity. The previous owner set it at 90% and it seems that my Oct 2013 had less than 5% degradation when I purchased it in Feb 2021, which is phenomenal by most accounts. Several eight year studies have shown that 2012-2013 Tesla Model S batteries are showing, on average, well within 10% battery degradation. At a 10% loss, that equates to the range of a Model S 85 dropping from 265miles to 238miles - a 26mile loss isn't much when you have a larger battery. This is an impressive statistic, especially when you think back to the passive-cooling Leaf, where some cars in very hot climates were exhibiting 20% degradation in only a few years - a drop from a 73mile range to 58miles.

State of charge (SoC) is how full the battery currently is. The least stressful SoC for a battery pack is 50%, and the closer to 0% and 100% it gets, the more stressful the SoC. Also, the longer it sits at the ends of the spectrum, the more stress the battery continues to endure. Tesla Service Centers seem to recommend a 90% state of charge limit as this might be the best compromise between battery health and range readiness. If range isn't a concern, maintaining a charge between 40% and 60% is likely the most desirable state.

Another factor that was rumored to reduce battery degradation was limiting the amount of DC fast charging the car receives, especially to 100%. This has been questioned in 2023, but I have left this info intact. This includes Tesla Superchargers and any other public high amperage chargers provided by third parties. According to independent research by Electrek in 2020 on Tesla data through 2017, the average Tesla owner sees about 5% degradation in 100,000miles. Oddly, they found that the 90kWh batteries seemed to degrade faster than the 85kWh packs. At the time of the study, Electrek had access to a Model X 90D used in the Tesloop (Tesla's one-way rental program in California) that had a battery failure at 317,000miles in 2018, but was showing signs of 10.5% degradation at almost 100,000miles on the two year old replacement 90kWh pack. Electrek suspected this Model X's accelerated degradation was linked to the new chemistry being used in the 90kWh packs, but also worsened by the likelihood of numerous DC fast charging to 100%.

Battery Management System
What if the range seems lower than expected or the vehicle won't quite charge to 100%? Although faulty batteries are possible, they can be quite rare. The issue likely has to do with the BMS (Battery Nanagement System) being out of calibration or the individual cell voltages could be out of balance. The vehicle's BMS attempts to make accurate range estimates based on numerous bits of information. If one of these two issues is present, it can cause the range to appear lower than it actually is. There is a separate method to correcting each of these two problems and they are outlined here.

 

COMMON ISSUES:
Drive Units (Coolant)
Just about every early Tesla S/X has gone through at least one drive unit, with me reading about some cars receiving three or four of them. I think this was especially true for the 2012-2017 vehicles as the quality control bugs were sorted out by their engineering department. The drive unit is the entire motor assembly, and back in the day, Tesla was swapping them out almost willy-nilly. The earliest symptom for replacement was any sort of grinding or scraping noise from the unit under acceleration. The first iteration was -A, and the most current iteration is -T in 2023. When replaced, the vehicle usually receives a remanufactured unit that is rebuilt to the most current specs. One of the key updates is the use of ceramic bearings. Elon insists a lot of these units were replaced that didn’t need to be, but as mentioned earlier, there were/are no individual parts. This problem is said to be exacerbated by continuous hard acceleration, as the switch to ceramic bearings was due to their ability to withstand the high temperatures resulting from this type of driving. However, even if the bearings were the only issue, the entire motor was automatically replaced. But considering how common coolant leaks are, maybe the ceramic bearings were chosen to combat corrosion longer. Listen for excessive acceleration whine from these cars.

Camber and Tire Destruction
This problem is most common on cars equipped with the Smart Air Suspension (SAS), though it can happen on spring suspension vehicles. The entire line of Teslas are considered sports cars, and so the wheel geometry is designed to produce that experience. This comes in the form of noticeably negative camber, especially on the rear tires when the SAS is fully-lowered. I saw this exaggerated negative camber on my rear wheels on the first day and immediately looked into it, since I had never owned a car like this. I found numerous, endless posts about owners tearing through tires in 5000 miles, with the innermost tread showing exposed cords. Cars equipped with wider 21” rims seemed to be the worst offenders and owners claimed the camber was the reason. This problem was evident from 2013 through several more years on the forums, with Tesla producing adjustable camber links to fix the issue for a short while, though they abandoned this...

I started considering purchasing adjustable camber links since the stock ones are solid from mount to mount. Then I found an entry on Edmunds in Sept 2013, claiming the issue with their test car was not the correctly-set negative camber (as most cars they test in this class also have similar camber), but the out-of-spec toe of the rear tires. The rear toe is adjustable with the stock linkage, but it uses an eccentric cam where the bolt had apparently loosened or bumped out of position. If the rear end wiggles out of factory spec (which is set for toe-in) and settles into a toe-out situation, the high torque will quickly scrub the inside of the tires off when combined with negative camber. So the true solution doesn’t appear to be adjustable camber links, rather aftermarket toe links that eliminate the eccentric cams. Some owners have instead gone the route of finding service shops that offer lifetime alignments. Go here to learn how to check your Model S’s toe at home.

Reading the forums, it is not uncommon for the car's alignment to be out of spec right from the factory.

Infotainment Goop
The older cars have had issues with the glue within the dash and Infotainment screen getting too warm and oozing out - it doesn't overheat from operation, but rather from sun exposure. This will appear as bubbles behind the top laminate and/or glue oozing out from under the steering wheel and around the bottom of the Infotainment frame. This issue can only be resolved with an updated screen or the MCU upgrade.

MCU System Upgrade
Replacing the original MCU1, the MCU2 was rolled out May 2018. This is the entire Infotainment system and is also the hardware responsible for controlling the autonomy features. It's basically a computer tower with an attached screen that is stuck in the dash. Improvements of the MCU2 over the MCU1 include:
- Faster and smoother touch screen
- 5GHz Wi-Fi and LTE support (formerly 3G on MCU1)
- four times the memory (32MB eMMC)
- bluetooth album art
- video streaming (while parked, req’s Premium Connectivity or WLAN)
- Caraoke and TRAX (requires Premium Connectivity or WLAN)
- improved audio quality
- Dashcam and Sentry Mode (likely only 2017+)
- recording of Sentry Mode (must be AP2.5+ equipped)
- road visualization improved (must have AP3)
- side cam display while in reverse (no side cams on 2013 models)
- does remove analog AM/FM/XM radios since new unit is all digital
- - a $500 upcharge will add digital FM/XM radio with improved reception

In Jan 2021, Tesla began offering owners of older cars containing the MCU1 the option to retrofit the MCU2 into their cars for a reduced price of $1500 (previously $2500). Not so coincidentally, this offer comes around the same time Tesla was ordered to recall and replace the original 8MB eMMC contained inside the MCU1 units. This multimedia chip is soldered onto a daughter board and is at risk of overfilling and crashing from all of the vehicle data that it stores. The new flash chip increases capacity to 32MB. You can either get the free eMMC swap or pay for the MCU2 retrofit with the updated flash memory. My car was at the Service Center overnight and the upgrade was worth it, and necessary due to 3G being phased out. The smaller dash screen is also replaced during this upgrade to match the resolution.

The way to confirm which MCU you have is to open the main menu on the Infotainment by clicking the car icon in the bottom left. Now click "Software" at the bottom left of this list, and then "Additional Vehicle Information." If it says "NVIDIA Tegra" in the processor field, then this is the MCU1 unit. The MCU2 uses the Intel Atom CPU.

From my understanding, the eMMC receives so much data that the original can fail within four years on cars with higher mileage. Unfortunately, it seems the new MCU2 was not reprogrammed to reduce the amount of writes the eMMC has to endure, so this problem is likely to remain ongoing even after the upgrade ...the failure may just take four times longer to occur. Indicators that the eMMC has failed could be a car not powering up, a black infotainment, a car unable to receive a charge, or a greatly reduced limit to mph.

Door Handle Failure
In the older cars, this isn't a matter of if, but a matter of when. There are currently four generations of retractable handles and they all have failure points that have yet to be fully-resolved by Tesla. In March 2022, my driver door presented, but failed to unlatch. It was not an easy task, but I was able to remove my assembly and mend a broken wire that will likely break again.

The majority of 2013-2017 Model S owners have Gen2 or Gen2.5 handle assemblies. Their weak points are the microswitch wires or the pot-metal paddle gear. The two most susceptible microswitches sense when the handle is fully presented and when the handle is pulled. Each time the handle moves, the wires at these switches bend back and forth, until they eventually break - it is likely the driver door will be the first to go. The paddle gear is how the motor moves the handle in and out, and the pivot points can break off if the handle's motor overstresses it. Tesla installs replacement assemblies for about $1000. Third-party upgraded assemblies can be bought for about $500. The two upgrades for Gen2 and Gen2.5 handles are silicone-sleeved wiring and a stainless paddle gear, with each upgrade costing about $75.

Gen1 handles have a ribbon wire to a pressure switch for the latch release that cannot be easily repaired.
Gen2 handles replaced the ribboned pressure switch with a miscroswitch and are door-specific.
Gen2.5 handles are side-specific and have a smaller housing than Gen1 and Gen2.
Gen3 handles were introduced in July 2017. Tesla replaced the microswitches with a hall effect sensor that requires a 5min calibration at a Tesla Service Center.

Here is a pic of a passenger-side Gen2 (very similar layout to Gen2.5) handle with the pertinent components indicated. I repaired my broken wire at the latch release microswitch then rerouted the old wires to reduce stress, as seen here (driver-side). The plastic vapor shield that covers the back of the assembly becomes brittle over time, so I replaced mine with 1/16" silicone rubber sheet and secured it with push nuts. This video will show you how to remove the front handles. Electrified Garage and EV Tuning sell the upgrade parts.

Software Not Updating
If an update fails to download, the MCU may say something like "Connect to Wi-Fi" and the green progress bar on the Software screen will look like a small green dot. Go into the Safety & Security screen and select "Power Off" to shut the car off. If charging, the car may boot itself back up after a few minutes. Otherwise, wait five minutes and then press the brake pedal to wake the car. The download should then begin on its own. Some have reported the issue was related to the old eMMC being full on their MCU1, so the recall may need done if the above procedure doesn't work.

Resetting may also help, especially if the app fails to connect. Just hold the two scroll buttons on the steering wheel until the Infotainment screen turns black, then wait for it to reboot on its own. Here's info on the different methods to reboot a Tesla.

Brake Pad Failure
With Teslas using regenerative braking, the brake systems are rarely pushed to any sort of limit. This reduces heating up of the pads to a level that evaporates condensation. Any water left on conventional brake pads has the potential to penetrate between the pad and the backer, breaking down the glue. This can eventually lead to the pad separating completely. The solution to this is to install galvanized brake pads that use a mechanical attachment method to bind the pad to the backer, eliminating the problematic glue. There is a company called NRS that makes them, but this hasn't been a problem for me in Florida.

Window Not Closing
After two years of ownership, both of my front windows began to have trouble returning to the closed position. I would have to use my hand to help push the window up. This would occur with the door opened or closed. I could hear some noise from two locations: at the weather stripping felt that runs along the lower sill; at the window seal that runs along the B-pillar. These areas need to be cleaned.

For the felt area, lower the window and use the bristles of a dry toothbrush to clean the inner and outer felt strip. I removed the door panel and could see tiny pieces of leaves and dirt stuck to it. With the door open, I tested it by raising the window. If I heard any squeaking, I would lower and clean the felt again. This felt buffer may eventually need replaced if the window continues to hang up here.

For the window seal, open the door and clean the rubber along the window path that seals the rear of the window to the car when closed. Use a mild detergent, then apply a rubber seal protectant. Use something that will condition the rubber, but not leave it greasy. An example of this is the Rubber Seal Protectant from 303 Products. I find this needs to be 2-4 times a year.

Road Noise
This seems to be most problematic in older Model S vehicles with 21” wheels on certain road surfaces, likely due to the shallower sidewalls and stickier rubber of the sport tires churning over the road surface. The easiest solution to try to reduce road noise is to order a set of floor mats that might help muffle the sounds coming through the undercarriage. One of the most-favored mats for sound deadening the Model S is the 3D MAXpider Kagu floor mats. They were not as thick as I had expected, so I opted to dismiss the instructions and leave my stock mats in place to further muffle noise. These mats seem to only reduce a very small amount road noise, but are far easier to clean than the original mats and can catch spills. Unfortunately, I suspect that Dynamat within the doors and/or wheel wells would be the only way to make a significant impact aside from wheel and tire choices. Also, wind noise and tire construction can worsen noise issues at highway speed.

Charge Port Not Opening
Typically, you aim your Connector at the port door and press the button on the handle to gain access to the charge port. Maybe coincidence, but this didn't work following a software update so I had to open the port from the Infotainment screen for a few weeks. After the next update, it continued to not function and it seemed that the relay would have to be recalibrated or replaced at the Service Center. A few days later, I read that you can open the port by pressing on the left side of the port door, but this is for newer Teslas. It was also mentioned to try aiming the connector handle at the rear window because the antenna for the relay is there. I went out to the garage and tried to press the port door with my finger and then retried aiming the connector at the port door - still wouldn't open. So I held the handle higher and aimed it at the rear window: it opened! After that, it was functioning normally again ...for a while.

Recalls
Find the list of recalls here. There is also a link there to enter a VIN number for recalls on a specific vehicle.

 

UNDERSTANDING SELF DRIVE:
AutoPilot, Enhanced AutoPilot, and Full Self-Drive
This can get incredibly confusing due to the AutoPilot software having a designation and then the hardware having it's own designation. This is a basic outline of how things played out, but you can go here and here for more details. The current breakdown of features, direct from Tesla, can be found here. The most confusing part is that, as of July 2021, Full Self-Drive (FSD) still doesn't actually autonomously self-drive from destination to destination as the name implies - essentially, the option is a purchasable place holder until it releases beyond beta testing.

In Sept 2014, the AutoPilot hardware (AP1) was added via the "Tech Package with AutoPilot" option, although I've seen claims that all cars got this hardware no matter the purchase options. The easiest way to identify the earliest cars with this first suite of hardware is if there is a forward-facing camera mounted at the passenger side of the rear view mirror (can be seen from the outside of the car). At the end of 2014, radar and ultrasonic hardware was added to this suite, mostly to help alert the driver of danger. Around June 2015, legitimate AutoPilot features started trickling out, using the complete ensemble of AP1 sensors, but at an additional cost for this software update. This bundle featured Adaptive Cruise Control, Autosteer, Autopark, Summon, and possibly Auto Lane Change. The AP1 system will never be capable of literal Full Self-Drive. In Oct 2016, vehicles came equipped with the hardware suite dubbed HW2, allowing for either Enhanced AutoPilot (EAP; added Smart Summon and Navigate on AutoPilot) or Full Self-Driving (adds Stop Sign & Traffic Light obeyance, plus a beta version of Autosteer on City Streets for those that had purchased FSD). Hardware 2.5 mostly improved performance and reliability, rolling out in Aug 2017 to include Dashcam and the ability to adjust to adjacent traffic speeds. HW3 was released in March 2019 (at the time, owners with HW2 and HW2.5 were eligible for free upgrades) to greatly enhance autonomy performance. Tesla claims that HW3 greatly improves processing power and is only necessary to take advantage of the newest Full Self-Drive software capabilities, for instance, giving the car the ability to identify traffic cones. With the HW3 rollout, Tesla again restructured the packages to two variants: an extremely basic AutoPilot package standard on every vehicle; optional Full Self-Driving with all of the software's eventual capabilities. Note that the older AP1 and EAP packages (purchasable software upgrades) had several more "autonomous" features than the newer AP package, which only features Traction Aware Cruise Control and Lane Keep.

In October 2020, Tesla released the beta for completely autonomous Full Self-Drive to only about a thousand users, and then another thousand in March 2021. Yes, it is confusing since the 2016 packages have been called FSD and AutoPilot for years, but the cars haven't actually done what the FSD name implies ...and they technically still can't. In 2019, Musk promised that total FSD [for the masses] was going to happen within a year, then loosely blamed delays on government regulations (which seems to be unfounded). Some of the beta user's access was pulled when Tesla found they were using the tech without being prepared to provide intervention ...because some videos show that it is actually required and can be dangerous. The fact that the software is now being tested on a larger scale should quicken the release of the final version.

At the end of 2020, the FSD package was increased from $8500 to $10,000. Starting in July 2021, Tesla provided an additional option to subscribe to FSD for $199mo (or $99mo if the car was already operating with the once-defunct $4000 Enhanced Autopilot). At the time, Autosteer on City Streets was still not available outside of a few thousand beta testers. Also, Tesla has reneged on it's promise that all 2016+ vehicles would be capable of FSD and now require pre-2019 cars to upgrade to the HW3 hardware at their own expense.

In June 2022, most likely failing to upsell Full Self Drive since it still can't do what the name implies, Tesla decided to re-release Enhanced Autopilot. With FSD priced at $12,000 and EA being offered for $6,000 ...though the FSD price went up later in the year. Basic Autopilot would now come standard on capable models and includes adaptive cruise control, emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and lane-keeping assistance. EA adds navigate on autopilot (highways only), auto lane change, autopark, summon, and smart summon. FSD adds traffic light and stop sign control (requires user input), along with the continued promise of one day unlocking autosteer on city streets. As of late 2022, most of these features still require the driver to pay attention and keep hands on the wheel. Note that current options may vary.

Navigate on Autopilot vs Autosteer on City Streets vs FSD Beta
Ah, the always confusing word play of Tesla. All of these are part of the Full Self-Drive package and imply the same thing, but are not. Navigate on Autopilot works on highways only - the car does most of the work, but requires the driver to pay attention and acknowledging actions like lane changing and entering off-ramps. Autosteer on City Streets allows the vehicle to do so in town, but since it isn't actually available to the masses yet, it's only included in FSD Beta.

Navigate on Autopilot allows the car to turn the steering wheel, brake, and accelerate on its own. However, the car requires feedback from the driver for actions like lane changing. The non-beta FSD package also includes Traffic and Stop Sign Control, but requires active supervision and acknowledgement to procede. Acknowledgements are done via the turn signal stalk and applying torque to the steering wheel. If you fail to acknowledge an event, the feature will disable itself for the duration of the trip. On the other hand, FSD Beta is the one you think the car should be doing when the package you bought is called Full Self-Drive. FSD Beta v9 still relies on the driver to pay close attention (as s/he may need to intervene), but does not require input to perform any of the actions.

There is a good YouTube channel that demonstrates how FSD Beta functions (for better or worse) on the busy streets of downtown San Francisco and San Diego. Tesla provides a lengthy page that explains the most-latest terminology of these complex, ever-changing features.

Other Resources
Based in the UK, I have recently found that tesla-info.com to be a very detailed and helpful resource.

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