Time has shown that Tesla EVs are generally highly reliable: for example, Hansjörg von Gemmingen-Hornberg has already covered nearly one million kilometers (620,000 miles) in his Model S. The battery is another story, however, with many users having to replace one once or multiple times.
Apparently, Tesla Inc. is aware of the issue and is going to make its batteries just as durable as the cars themselves. To that end, the Canadian branch of the company has filed a patent application for a new traction battery type suitable for up to 1,000,000 miles (1,610,000 kilometers) of use.
Elon Musk used to say that the Model 3 sedan had been designed with this kind of mileage in mind, while the batteries were designed to last between 300,000 and 500,000 miles (482,000 – 804,000 kilometers). However, subsequent research has shown that Tesla batteries maintained excellent performance for up to 160,000 miles (257,000 km) only, losing around 10% of their capacity by then.
The EV maker intends to use its Gigafactory 3 in Shanghai to produce these new, longer-lasting batteries along with the new cars. Elon Musk claims the first cars with this new battery tech on board should emerge as early as next year.