Articles by Tom White

Like most other elements of the Tesla experience, the EV-only brand does servicing somewhat differently to its competitors.For example, scheduling a service appointment needs to be done via the companion phone app, and Tesla offers either a mobile service or a service centre appointment option for each visit. If the car is dropped at a service centre, Tesla will notify the owner via the app when the car is ready to be picked up.Visits are also not defined by kilometre or time-based intervals, the car’s computer will inform owners when servicing is required on a condition-based interval.The service manual for a Model 3 and Model Y stipulates that, at very least, the brake fluid and cabin air filter needs to be checked and replaced if necessary every 24 months, the air conditioning desiccant bag needs to be replaced every six years, and tyres need to be rotated every 10,000km.Tesla’s new-car warranty is behind the pace compared to most mainstream automakers, limited to just four years and 80,000km. However, a separate high-voltage component warranty for the drive motors and battery pack covers eight-years and 192,000km. Seventy per cent of the car’s original battery capacity is guaranteed at that time.In summary: Condition-based servicing seems to make sense for an EV, and there should be significantly fewer parts and, subsequently, costs involved. However, Tesla is hardly transparent about the costs or intervals involved and its new-car warranty is behind the pace. 6/10If you want to find out more about a specific manufacturer's capped price servicing, please see below:

GMSV (General Motors Specialty Vehicles) sells a limited selection of Chevrolet models in Australia - some converted to right-hand drive here in Australia, while the Corvette is imported in RHD configuration from the factory - and they have variable ownership terms, depending on the model.GMSV offers a three-year, 100,000km warranty, which would be significantly behind the pace for a mainstream manufacturer, but is unsurprising for a low-volume importer/converter, as GMSV’s main rival, Ram Trucks, offers a similar warranty promise.GMSV backs its products with three years of roadside assist to match the warranty period, but there is no capped-price servicing program.Instead, GMSV has offered indicative pricing for each of its three current models (two Silverado variants and the Corvette Stingray) over a three-year period, noting that it will vary between dealers. See the table below for expected average costs. Service pricing is comparatively high when compared to a mainstream automaker. Intervals occur in 12 monthly or 12,000km cycles for every current Chevrolet.In summary: Import and conversion outfits like GMSV don’t offer the most competitive ownership terms and high service pricing to support a limited range. Costs after the three-year mark are a mystery, leaving owners without a clear picture of what long-term ownership looks like. 4/10*taken as an average of indicative service costs from two dealersIf you want to find out more about a specific manufacturer's capped price servicing, please see below:

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Porsche doesn’t offer ‘capped-price servicing’ in the traditional sense, but it does offer indicative service pricing for each service for some of its models.The brand also offers a behind-the-pace three-year and unlimited kilometre warranty, one of only a handful of remaining brands in the Australian market to resist adopting the accepted five-year and unlimited kilometre standard. Terms and pricing are less standardised across its range of vehicles. The more mainstream models, like the Macan SUV, for example, have a schedule of service costs available on the Porsche website or via individual dealer sites, but the brand’s more enthusiast-focused models, like the 911 and Taycan, do not.Servicing for models which do have schedules is not cheap. To take a 2.0-litre turbocharged Macan as an example, servicing costs between $795 and $1500 per visit, for a five-year average of $1077 per annual visit. The Panamera and 718 Boxster/Cayman are similar, but every second service jumps to $895 making the average yearly cost even higher at $1137. Interestingly the price stays the same according to the calculator regardless of whether a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine or a six-cylinder engine is chosen.Most Porsche models require servicing every 12 months or 15,000km, but the 911 requires servicing every 10,000km. Meanwhile, the fully electric Taycan requires servicing every two years or 30,000km.Additionally, the Taycan has a separate battery warranty, covering eight years or 160,000km.In summary: Porsche’s servicing is expensive and not particularly transparent and its warranty is behind the times in the Australian market 4/10If you want to find out more about a specific manufacturer's capped price servicing, please see below:

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