Tesla introduces new maintenance plans for Model S and X: more services, but with a price increase

While electric vehicles, like Tesla’s, require less maintenance because they are equipped with fewer moving parts than their gasoline-powered counterparts, owners are often still better off with some service and inspections. EVs are still cars and inherently complex machines traveling in often less than ideal conditions. You still want to check your wheel alignment, access fluid and coolant levels, and look for potential parts needing replacements.

That’s why Tesla offers maintenance plans and today, they introduce a new one for the Model X and an updated one for the Model S. The new plans are more expensive than what Tesla was previously offering, but they also offer more services, including hardware improvements – not unlike Tesla’s included software upgrades.

The plans are offered on a 3- or 4-year basis with annual inspections that now include wheel alignment.

Previously, new Tesla buyers had 60 days after the delivery to buy the service plan, but Tesla extended the period to 12 months or 12,500 miles after delivery of both new and pre-owned vehicle.

Here’s the new price structure for the maintenance plans:

• Year-by-year service: $475 (1st yr) + $725 (2nd yr) + $475 (3rd yr) + $850 (4th yr) = $2,525
•  3-year Maintenance Plan*: $1,550 (1st-3rd yrs) + $850 (4th yr) = $2,400
• 4-year Maintenance Plan:  $2,325

• Year-by-year service: $550 (1st yr) + $725 (2nd yr) + $475 (3rd yr) + $850 (4th yr) = $2,600
•  3-year Maintenance Plan*: $1,625 (1st-3rd yrs) + $850 (4th yr) = $2,475
• 4-year Maintenance Plan:  $2,400

Model X

• Year-by-year service: $625 (1st yr) + $825 (2nd yr) + $550 (3rd yr) + $975 (4th yr) = $2,975
•  3-year Maintenance Plan*: $1,850 (1st-3rd yrs) + $975 (4th yr) = $2,825
• 4-year Maintenance Plan:  $2,750

It’s a price increase on the previous structure, but they included added value, like wheel alignment and tire condition as previously mentioned, but also much more.

They check to proactively replace parts like key fob batteries and windshield wiper blades, and checking brake fluid and coolant levels, but more importantly, like they do with software updates, they can perform maintenance activities or hardware upgrades that are installed for free to improve the performance or the reliability of certain components of the car.

With the introduction of the new Maintenance Plans, Tesla also updated its Extended Service Agreements (i.e. extended warranty) to now include Roadside Assistance.

Tesla’s vehicles are already protected by a 4 year, 50,000 miles (whichever comes first) new vehicle limited warranty and 8 year, unlimited mile battery and drive unit warranty, but the company still recommend an annual service inspection every year or 12,500 miles (20,000 km). The warranty is not void if the annual inspections are not performed.