Elon Musk is a brilliant entrepreneur and futurist. He has singlehandedly revived the EV market and pushed the technology farther than anyone thought possible. Tesla’s cars are arguably the best EVs on the market. So why wouldn’t I want to buy one? It has to do with the right to repair and also who really owns the car.
When you buy a car from any of the usual manufacturers, you own that product. If I purchase a BMW and decide I want to change my own brakes or install a new battery, I can do that. The manufacturer can’t even refuse to warranty other parts of the car due to these changes. The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act states that a dealer must prove that equipment caused the need for repairs before it can deny warranty coverage.
Right to repair got a boost from Massachusetts in 2012 with a new law that required auto manufacturers to share their diagnostic codes and information. This led to an agreement between the automakers in 2014 that is now effective across all 50 states and is in part responsible for the range of aftermarket diagnostic equipment that is now readily available to consumers.
Sure, you say… so what does this have to do with Tesla? One of the main differences in a Tesla EV and other cars on the market is the tight integration Tesla has between their hardware and the software that drives it. Like Apple and the iPhone, Tesla controls every part of their product. Each Tesla is in constant contact with the company via wireless communication. Tesla vehicles send diagnostic data back to Tesla that they can then use to make improvements. This enables some amazing benefits such as over-the-air updates that add features or improve performance. However, this level of control also has a downside. What Tesla gives it can also take away, and there’s absolutely nothing you can do about it. (If you want a good example, check out the Rich Rebuilds channel on YouTube)
Recently Tesla reversed an earlier policy where they would allow recertified Tesla’s that had been damaged, but later repaired to either retain or get back their ability to supercharge. (Tesla’s high current fast DC charging ability that is one of it’s main selling points) Now even cars that owners paid thousands of dollars to certify are unable to be used effectively on anything other than short commutes.
It’s not just salvaged Teslas that are affected though. Because many of the features of a Tesla vehicle are little more than software, Tesla licenses them to specific owners and can take them away when the vehicle is sold and then charge license fees to the new owner to enable these features again. This begs the question, who really owns a Tesla? Most owners would say that they do, but with this sort of complete control over the vehicle, is that really true? Is it ok for Tesla to remove essential features like fast charging capabilities over the air without warning or recourse? I don’t think so. As long as this is their policy I won’t be purchasing any of their products, and I don’t think you should either.