My Journey to Buying an Electric Car

6 min readApr 17, 2023

Findings and Considerations on a Used Tesla Model X

Disclaimer: The following blog post contains my personal notes and findings on the Tesla Model X. It is not intended to be a comprehensive buying guide. Please do your own research before making any purchase decisions.

Introduction

If you’re in the market for an electric SUV, the Tesla Model X is certainly an appealing option. In this post, I’ll be sharing my (current) findings on the Model X, broken down into sections from requirements to common faults, pros and cons, and even some unanswered questions.

Requirements

Before diving into the details, it’s important to outline the requirements that any electric car must meet for my specific needs:

Must be able to travel 225 miles on one full charge.
A used car should have low milage.
Must be able to carry a family of 4 with plenty of boot space for lots of luggage.
Should be reliable for at least the next 5 years.
Should be under £50,000 (preferably much much lower).

The Ideal Tesla Model X Candidate

Based on the requirements, a used Model X 100D seems to tick most of the check boxes. The key features:

Advertised range of 351 miles.
Mileage between 30,000 to 60,000 miles.
5 or 6-seat configuration.
There are examples of Model Xs that have achieved 100,000 (and more miles) with very little battery degradation.
Prices range between £40,000 to £50,000.

Other features that are worth mentioning that come within this price range:

Enhanced autopilot.
Premium connectivity.
Subzero Weather Package.
20-inch wheels for a better range. 22 inch wheels could reduce the range by up to 15%!

I also found that sellers in bigger cities (such as London) were likely to sell cars with lower milage, which should mean that the battery is in a better condition.

Common Faults and Concerns

As with any vehicle, the Model X has its share of potential issues. Some common faults include:

Suspension problems due to air suspension.
Half shafts needing more frequent replacement.
Earlier MCU units being prone to failure; upgrading to MCU2 is recommended.
Touchscreen developing a yellow border but can be fixed.
Complex Falcon wing doors that can fail in multiple ways.
Falcon wing doors may not open fully in low-ceiling garages.
Falcon wing doors in general feel like a gimmack rather than something that is necessary.

Pros of the Tesla Model X

There’s plenty to love about the Model X, such as:

Ground-up design around the battery and motors for optimal space utilisation.
Continued software updates from Tesla, and there’s no sign of it ending anytime soon. They’re still pushing out updates to Tesla Model Ss from 2012.
Good battery longevity with examples of over 200,000 miles and only 10% degradation.
Built-in route planning with charging stops.
High satisfaction with basic and enhanced autopilot modes.
Spacious 5 and 6-seater options.

Electric Car Pros

These are some general pros:

Government grants for home charging installation.
No road tax, and exemption from ULEZ and congestion charges in London.
Brake parts last longer.
Less moving parts, so less things can go wrong.
Consumers should be more confident with a second hand electric car since (again) less things can go wrong.
Lower maintenance and running costs than ICE vehicles.

Cons of the Tesla Model X

Of course, there are also some drawbacks to the Model X. These include:

The price, even a second hand Model X is still very high, too high in fact. With new cheaper electric SUVs coming out every year, it makes it more difficult to justify buying a Tesla Model X.
Inferior fit and finish compared to competitors and for the asking price.
Vertical touchscreen that can be difficult to use while driving.
Most things are controlled via the touchscreen, which at first sounds like the future, but in actual fact we’re missing the tactile response of buttons and switches which are easier and safer to work with.
Full self-driving mode is unreliable (phantom braking and swerving into other lanes for no reason being two big issues).
Newer Tesla Model Xs don’t come with Lidar and only rely on the cameras located around the vehicle for autopilot, which owners have found is a less reliable system than before.
Cramped third row in a 6-seater configuration.
No middle-row armrests in 6-seat version.
Potential of being locked out of your vehicle and charging difficulties when battery is completely depleted.

Electric Car Cons

The range is still the biggest issue with any electric vehicle. Consumers are positioned in an awkward place where they’re being persuaded to buy electric, but there’s still a lot of uncertainty on what the future actually is for environmentally friendly cars, so it makes it difficult to justify buying an electric car within the next 5 years.

These are just some general cons of owning an electric car:

Up front cost is a lot compared to their ICE competitors.
More frequent tire replacements than ICE vehicles.
Cold weather significantly reduces battery performance. In one video review the Tesla Model X’s battery efficiency reduced by 45% in (around) -16°C weather conditions.
Cabin heating and cooling significantly reduces the overall range of the vehicle.
It’s best to keep the battery charged between 20% and 80% for longevity, which reduces the overall range if you stick within those limits.
Battery range varies on driving style and environmental conditions, so generally likely to be 10% less than what is advertised (depending on the make and model of the vehicle).
Preconditioning necessary for optimal range on long trips.
Not ideal for those who are used to driving long distances without stops.
Is might be a wise decision to lease electric cars rather than buying them outright. Given the rapid pace of technological advancements it could mean that in the next 5 years we’re all driving a very different car than today. It’s worth noting that looking back at the last 5 years there hasn’t been any significant advances in battery technology which has made it to mass market. Leasing is also a financially more expensive way of “owning” a car.

DIY Changes

If it was possible to retrofit newer components, then this could help increase the range and keep it up-to-date with the latest electric car tech. Specific things that would be handy to upgrade in an older Tesla Model X are (I’ve not found any articles that have a definitive answer as to whether this is possible):

Change the seat layout from 5 to 6 or vice versa.
Upgrade to newer permanent magnet motors.
Upgrade the autopilot hardware (computer and cameras).
Charge it with a portable generator — this is possible, but the miles per gallon is terrible!

Conclusion

At this stage in my research, the Tesla Model X seems to be an attractive choice that meets my outlined requirements. One requirement is still a very big ask, the price. This needs to be a lot lower to be able to convince a lot of people.

I’ve not considered other options. To make an informed choice, I need to review and compare competing electric SUVs before settling on the best vehicle for my needs.

Sources

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