Posted on Jan 7, 2022 0 — Hansjörg von Gemmingen – Hornberg (@gem8mingen) January 6, 2022 This Tesla’s high-mile journey has been documented exceptionally well, not only by its owner but by others paying attention to its odometer. A quick Google of the car’s VIN turns up one article after another showing the Model S hitting different milestones, though it hasn’t come easy. Just as you’d expect from any car, the EV requires regular service and, every so often, major maintenance items are required. As we all know by now from owning smartphones, batteries degrade over time, so it should come as no surprise that this Tesla’s battery isn’t its original. The car’s first battery reportedly failed after 180,000 miles and was replaced under warranty with a loaner battery, on which its owner apparently put another 93,000 miles before receiving a long-term replacement. The Tesla has also reportedly chewed through multiple drive units over the years and needed three replaced within the first 433,000 miles, then another at about 621,000. Like the battery, it’s unclear whether any replacements have occurred since these milestones. Because this Tesla owner doesn’t use their car the way most people do, his service history doesn’t tell us much aside from the fact that despite their reduced maintenance requirements, EVs still need real service from time to time. Given the still sky-high cost of new lithium-ion battery packs, those services are no doubt preempted by eye-popping service estimates; figures that will no doubt sour at least a few buyers of used, high-mileage EVs on their purchases. Even then, it’s a special example of how far you can take a Model S in less than a decade. Got a tip or question for the author? You can reach them here: james@thedrive.com