Tesla's insurance costs, maintenance costs, and charging stations distribution

Planning to book an appointment at a Tesla Service Center in Hong Kong? Simply make a reservation through the Tesla app and head to one of the Tesla Service Centers located in Sai Wan or Tsuen Wan. They primarily provide light to moderate maintenance and one-stop services such as annual checkups. 

Tesla maintenance process rundown

Once you've arrived at the scheduled time, the professional repair team will evaluate your current car condition. Then, they will approximate the time it will take to repair or check up on your car, and arrange for it to enter either the Ludicrous Lane (under 1 hour) or Fast Lane (more than 1 hour). With the manufacturer's professional computer program, the team will go over your vehicle system record, test and check on all system operations, manage its temperature, and more. If you need to perform repairs related to the motor, battery, and tightening of the screws on the undercarriage, then you'll need a forklift. 

Since Tesla's car parts are usually shipped from overseas, and there are only several designated Tesla Service Centers and Body Shops in Hong Kong, this jacks up the maintenance fees. 

Tesla maintenance costs

Recently, Tesla has pushed out comparatively lower-priced models, such as Model 3 and Model Y. However, because Tesla's car bodies are made with aluminum alloy, even a light bump into the car can shift other car parts out of alignment. 

To our understanding, the maintenance fees for a Tesla vehicle are as follows: 

• Car door repair costs about HKD $100,000
• Windshield repair costs about HKD $20,000
• Replacing car keys costs about HKD $3,000

Tesla's lower unit oil, tires, windshield wipers, car key battery, air filter, brake fluid, air conditioning cleaning waterproof cover bag, and more need to be regularly inspected and replaced. Most electric car maintenance can be completed with wireless software to renew, remotely diagnose, and employ mobile service technicians for support and other services, and more.

Right now, Tesla provides a 4 year or 80,000 kilometers maintenance plan (also applicable for certified second-hand cars) to keep your vehicle in the best performing condition. You are recommended to schedule an annual routine maintenance inspection every year or every 20,000 kilometers (km) driven, whichever happens first. 

As more and more people buy Teslas, many car owners are worried that the demand for charging stations will exceed the supply. Having said that, Tesla has actively expanded its charging network locally. For example, last year, Tesla announced its cooperation with Link REIT to provide V3 Supercharging service in some of its parking lots.

Tesla currently has 30 Supercharger stations in Hong Kong, Kowloon, and the New Territories, providing 154 Superchargers, and more than 500 public Tesla Wall Connector wall-mounted chargers. Superchargers can charge up to 120kWh, taking approximately 30 minutes to fully charge half of the vehicle's battery. This is enough for you to travel more than 270 kilometers. According to the 2021 Budget Report, there are 3,351 charging stations for public use in Hong Kong, with an average of nearly 6 electric vehicles sharing one charging spot.

It is worth mentioning that the Model 3 has been replaced with a CCS Combo 2 European standard charging plug. Given that, there is no need to plug/reinsert to charge in the future. However, public charging stations are no longer free. There are two charging modes, Tier 1 (under 60kWh, HKD $1.45 per kWh) and Tier 2 (over 60kWh, HKD $2.90 per kWh). Taking the Performance version of the battery with a capacity of 75kWh as an example, the fee for charging from 0% to 100% through a Supercharger is $217.50.