My Tesla pays for itself! (But it doesn’t move.)
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When wanting to strike up a conversation, I tell people that I bought a Tesla. I love the look on their face as they start digesting the idea that I bought a luxury EV with plenty of show-off value. Then, just before they respond, I interject with the word ‘battery’ and their face shrivels up in a totally different way as they digest the significance of my statement.
It sounds a bit like this: “I bought a Tesla …(pause)… battery”. And that pause is so important!
The fact is, my Tesla (pause) battery will pay for itself in 8–10 years due to savings in electricity when coupled with my solar system. Solar halved my electricity bill. The battery removed another 25% of energy costs. But when I put the battery on Brighte’s energy plan and let them control my battery, the remainder of my energy costs went away. (Disclaimer: I work for Brighte.) Once I recover the costs of my Tesla (pause) battery, my Solar + Battery system will be earning me money.
That’s not something you can say about an Electric Vehicle. No matter how much you drive it, your car can’t actually earn you money. Yes, you’ll save fuel costs, but that will never make up for your initial outlay. Your car will never earn itself back (aside from ego points).
Prior to joining Brighte, I was considering a job that would have me driving an hour each way to work. To figure out the most cost-effective way to drive, I examined EVs, Hybrids and plain old petrol cars. While EVs are cheaper to run, they are expensive to purchase. Hybrids have excellent economy but still aren’t cheap. It turned out that my best option would have been to buy a $6,000 second-hand vehicle that runs on petrol because the up-front cost made the vehicle the cheapest option, even when paying a tank of petrol each week.
My battery might not move, but it’s one of the best investments I’ve made. To me, it has plenty of show-off value!
