This Record-Setting Tesla Model S Has Clocked Over 1 Million Miles
An aging Tesla Model S P85 just drove past the 1-million-mile mark, but those hoping to replicate the feat might not like the cost of achieving it. They say nothing beats the original, and Model S owner Hansjörg Gemmingen might have proven just that. That's because Gemmingen's second-hand Model S racked up more than a million miles on the odometer in the five years after he bought it (via Teslarati). Such a feat may have just earned his car a spot in the Guinness World Records.
However, before other Tesla owners even attempt doing something similar, Gemmingen's Model S service record might change their minds. Before reaching the impressive milestone, this record-breaking EV had already gone through a battery replacement once, and its drive unit had been replaced three times, with the car also now containing its eighth electric motor. While that might sound like a financial pain in the neck, Gemmingen might not be stopping there, as he has considered adding even more miles in the next two years to blow past the 2-million-kilometer mark (1.25 million miles). The question is, should he, or anyone with a Model S for that matter, even bother?
The woes of long-term Tesla Model S driving
It shouldn't be much of a surprise that the Model S reached record-setting status since it beats the rest of Tesla's lineup when it comes to going the distance. The thing is, it's also the most costly Tesla model to maintain, with repairs capable of reaching over $4,000 (via Motor1). Gemmingen broke down his Model S repairs on Twitter, citing how unreliable its drive units are, with its last one lasting for less than 100,000 kilometers, and that's just one of the eight units his Model S had already gone through. Drive unit replacements are quite common, with a large percentage of owners having replaced theirs at least once, per Teslarati.
Fortunately for Gemmingen, his Model S battery experience was a lot better, with his current one reaching 405,000 kilometers without too many issues. Of course, this doesn't mean Tesla battery issues won't be a problem for owners hoping to break mileage records, especially since it can already be costly for the entry-level Model 3 alone. The Model S, on the other hand, can rack up battery replacement bills as high as $22,600, which caused one Finnish owner to just demolish his car instead of having it repaired (via The Verge). That said, the road to a million miles won't be a smooth one, for both the car and its driver's bank account.
Is this the end of the road for the record-setting Model S?
While Gemmingen is an avid Tesla supporter who still wants to reach even higher milestones with his Model S, the source claims he did express some hesitance towards his goal. It's not because his Model S is already starting to fail, but rather, it's due to Tesla not responding to him after he reached out to them about his record-setting aspirations. Gemmingen is reportedly considering starting new records with a Lucid Air instead, which wouldn't be such a bad idea given that they provide more mileage per charge than a Model S.
If he does go that route, perhaps someone will be willing to buy his historic Model S from him at a reasonable price. After all, a used Tesla Model S can still be worth a lot of money, even for a high-mileage unit; one with over 100,000 miles just sold for more than $50,000 (via Motor1). On the flip side, he can just continue setting records with his Model S as it's literally miles ahead of other similar feats shared on Twitter. It's just going to take a while before the Model S can break the overall highest vehicle mileage record, because, as they say ... old Volvos never die.