When it comes to Tesla, everyone goes crazy, even non-car enthusiasts. And it’s because of one reason: they get better each time. But not everyone owns a Tesla, and from what we get from the reviews, they are the wonder-cars of the EV world and are insanely perfect. Lee of the Tall Tesla Guy YouTube Channel just uploaded a video letting his viewers in on the hidden costs of the Tesla Model Y.
“I figured it would be a great opportunity to talk about some of the things with Tesla,” Lee said.
Lee owns a Tesla Model Y that comes with a panoramic glass roof. It’s the SUV version of the car. It shares 80% of its parts with the Tesla Model 3 but with a little more space inside. According to Jim, the seats are slightly raised on the inside and are held high by brackets.
Costs $30 Per Month Charging It From Home
"I wanted to talk specifically today about the cost of ownership. People ask me a lot how much it costs. I have done a couple of videos talking about supercharging, charging at home, that sort of stuff. I mean, I can tell you it’s way cheaper than gas,” Lee revealed.
Lee also owns a gas vehicle that gets 500 miles of range at $30 a tank. Tesla, on the other hand, uses $30 per month charging it at home. He has a 240V outlet in his garage that he plugs in every night.
“We don’t drop it down to zero before we charge it up again, but we do keep it charged about 80%, and we spend about $30 a month on electricity for it,” Lee said.
He’s paid for superchargers before to go from about 12% to about 80%, which costs about $7.42.
Lee has made some modifications to the car. He has ceramic coated his Tesla to protect the paint and prevent water and mud from sticking on the panels. In addition, he’s tinted the front cabin and windscreen windows. He’s also added paint protection film (PPF) on the front left and right panels, the back of the mirror, and the back.
“You can spend upwards of three, four, five, six thousand dollars just for PPF, ceramic, and tint. But we didn’t spend that much, but you know it certainly did add to the cost," Lee revealed.
Also, like any other car, when you buy a Tesla, you need to pay a destination fee. However, with Tesla, it is added in afterwards, which can be kind of a surprise for new owners. According to Lee, if you choose not to add accessories, you’ll still need to pay for charge, like gas, but a heftier cost comes with the tires.
$1,200 Or More On Tires Each Year
Lee has only done 11,000 miles on the Tesla Model Y, and it's just under a year old. Of course, it came with brand-new tires on 19-inch Gemini wheels. He’s a conservative driver and never uses the EV to race, but admits it’s hard not to zip out of a traffic stop.
“One thing that we noticed, the tires, they burn through tires. Electric vehicles do anyway because they have that instant torque that you get as soon as you push the accelerator down, and Teslas are no exception,” Lee said.
While Lee was expecting the Model Y to eat through the tires, he wanted to get 20,000 miles out of it. What he did not expect is to change them sooner. After getting the tires checked professionally at 11,000 miles, his front tires are at 7.30 seconds, while the back at 4.30 seconds. He started with 11.30 seconds when brand new.
“First thing you’re gonna say is you should have rotated the tires, and I absolutely agree. I should have rotated the tires, and I was planning on it. However, I was planning on doing it about 15,000 miles,” Lee revealed.
His experience coming from a traditional gas vehicle is the Tesla Model Y tires don’t last long.
“It is disappointing that I have to replace these tires now. Right, so, 4.30 seconds is something that you want to jump out and replace, and these tires are expensive,” Lee said.
He had a flat from a nail and had to pay $325 after taking it to Tesla. Meaning you’ll need to pay more than $1,200 for four tires. That’s a terrible bill to have each year, according to Lee.