​One of the major advantages of electric cars it lacks a lot of parts therefore less maintenance. Things like oil change, transfer case fluid, transmission fluid, spark plug, is a thing of the past. But other than the battery which is covered by warranty, the most expensive regular maintenance with owning a Tesla might be the tires. According to Tesla, tire rotation is recommended every 10,000 to 12,000 the cost of tire rotation is $126.75 before tax. Tesla used Michelin tires that last about 60,000 miles. The smallest tire size offer by Tesla is the Model 3’s 18 inches and the cost to replace all 4 tires are $1320. 

​One of the most frequent complaints from Tesla owners had been the long wait for collision repair service, months long wait seems to be the standard wait time. A year ago when I total my Model S, the first body shop was not able to work on Tesla, so it was towed to a Tesla certified body shop, but the body shop while is certified is not able assess structural damage to it got towed to another job, after more than a week it was finally determined the car is a total loss.
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Now Tesla is running its own body shop many owners expected the body shop experience to be more pleasant. The Tesla Pomona body shop is at the same location as the Tesla service center. I dropped off my car in the morning for a front bumper replacement and was told they will try to get it back to me in a couple days which is pretty standard for any other body shop. Later on in the afternoon I got a call saying that the car is ready and if I want my car wash. I am not sure how many body shop provides same day service, but that’s definitely exceed expectation. Because body shop isn’t service, there is no loaner or Uber credit so make sure you have a ride ready.
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Just FYI pricing (Before Tax):
Front Bumper: $1075
Rear Bumper: $1809

​Supercharger V3 was revealed earlier this year in March with charge speed over to 250kW and 1000 miles per hour, its exciting news for Tesla and EV owners as it shows the technology is getting close to overcoming one of the major disadvantages of EV. The roll out of supercharger V3 had been slow, many owners patiently waiting for V3 as there is a significant infrastructure update to get V3 install. But Tesla can definitely do more to improve charging experience by ensuring existing chargers are working and charge at the speed stated 150kw. On a recent road trip, going through California to Arizona, there are numerous stations Glendale, Rancho Cucamonga, Quartzsite and Buckeye all either have stations that charge at suboptimal kW (20-30) or broken stations. As I get out to talk to other owners, it’s a frustrating experience as owners move from one charger to another hoping for a faster charging experience while this is probably not an issue when the charging station is empty. But Supercharging can go from frustration to confrontational when there is a line of Tesla waiting and driver trying to move to different stations for faster speed.
What do you think the rule should be for supercharger? If the charger is working, but at a slow speed should the driver be allowed to go back to the front of the line? What would be considered a slow speed? 

​Tesla is increasing the FSD price by $1000 on 11/1, the FSD has been available for purchase for 2016 when the AP 2.0 software was rolled out on Model S and X. I was on the fence about purchasing the FSD back in 2016 with my Model S but lucky I changed my order before the week and have it taken out. Not only because my Model S was totaled last year, but the fact that it's been 3 years and not a single feature been delivered. I highly doubted the insurance company will include FSD value in a total loss when there is no functional features.
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While Tesla pricing had always been unpredictable lately, the general rule is early adopters always seems to pay more. For example, the autopilot and FSD were discounted earlier this year, all Tesla models (Roadster, the Model S, X and 3) the early buyers all end up paying more. Will owners in the early access program really get FSD functions by the end of year we will see what happen. 

​The Tesla version 10 had been out for about two weeks now it’s packed with entertainment (Tesla Theater, Karaoke, Spotify and Cuphead). But the feature that attracts the most media attention is Smart Summon. Videos of people running after the car thinking the car lose control, near collision or actual collision, got many talking about the danger of autonomous driving. For the first time, a car without a driver insight is navigating in public areas (mostly parking lots). Tesla chooses to roll out smart summon, while more owners probably would like to see an improvement on autopilot on highway to completely hand-free. Consumer reports stated that Smart Summon seems to be glitch without much benefit due to the limitations. It cannot be used in public road, can’t detect all traffic/curbs, have to be within line of sight and the owner is responsible for monitoring the surrounding at all times. As more people try to count steps and live a healthier life, the glitches and limitations with Smart Summon might actually be a good thing for Tesla owners are most are still choosing to walk instead of summoning the Tesla to pick them up. 

One of the most talked about ​perk of early Tesla ownership is lifetime free unlimited  supercharging. Why is it so appealing? Consider that if you can afford a Tesla in early day the chance is you likely able to afford electricity to charge your car or the cost of electricity wouldn't mean much to you. But if you have ever been to Costco you will know people willingness to drive the extra distance and wait in line to save for gas. It's not so much the money but the psychology that make it so appealing. 

Lifetime free unlimited supercharging is a sunk cost, since you paid for it when you purchase your Tesla. Even if you don't use superchargnig at all the cost won't be refunded therefore it's more of a use it or lose it. Since everyone purchasing a Tesla Model S/X will get free unlimited supercharging there is people who use supercharging more often indirectly pay less for their car since they benefit from supercharging. As Elon mentioned numerous times in the past, free unlimited supercharging is unsustainable and need to be eliminated. But after 2 years since that statement, it's still being used for end of quarter push.

Another is the power of zero and free, researchers had shown that consumers become irrational when it comes to free and zero. Consumers perceived something that's free being worth more than the absolute value. For the majority of the Tesla owners I doubt they spend more than a $200 in supercharging annually. Most Tesla owners likely have time of use plan or solar to offset charging cost, therefore the saving of using supercharger is even less. 

Perhaps one of the biggest perceives benefit of free supercharging is the fact people think of supercharger as a gas station. Imagine a car manufacturer selling cars that come with free lifetime gasoline? This type of comparison completely missed the point of owning an EV because EV supposed to provide the convenience of being able to charge at home if you have to drive miles to charge your car for an hour that in a way defect the advantage of owning an EV.