

Lifestyle
Tales from a Tesla Model S with 450,000 miles: Battery life, durability, and more
The quality and durability of Tesla’s vehicles are not just talking points for fans of the all-electric car manufacturer – they’re traits that prove themselves time and again as a benefit of the ownership experience. In a recent example, a 2015 Tesla Model S that’s driven almost 450,000 miles shuttling passengers over long distances was shown to be still running strong and ready for more travel, according to a video overview posted by the founder of the company that owns it, Tesloop.
Tesloop is a connected mobility company for Tesla owners that’s currently developing an open-source mobile app called Carmiq. The company previously operated as a Tesla-only ride share service, offering trips between various cities in southern California and Las Vegas. The long distances involved in Tesloop’s operations put its Tesla fleet to incredible endurance tests, and aside from wear-and-tear seen in most vehicles with similar milage or less, the company’s experience with its 2015 Model S was very positive overall and it still drives well today.
“I think this is the only car that I can confidently say drives better today than it did three years ago and after 450,000 miles. And that’s due to the over-the-air software which has updated the car with Autopilot…The general driving feel of it is still really good…I think it would be very hard to tell this car has this many miles on it if you didn’t know,” Haynd Sonnad, founder of Tesloop, commented in the video.
Nicknamed “eHawk”, Tesloop’s Model S was built in June 2015 and has required a few repairs and major services during its lifetime. Some were paid for by Tesloop as part of its day-to-day business needs, such as tire replacement, and several others were paid for by Tesla under the car’s warranty, such as high voltage battery replacement.
A spreadsheet documenting all of the Model S’s service and maintenance experiences was published alongside its video overview for specific details. As listed, the most notable major events over the vehicle’s life time were the front drive unit replacement at 36,404 miles due to a part failure and two main battery replacements, one at 194,237 miles, the other at 324,044 miles. All three replacements were covered under the car’s 8-year, unlimited-mile warranty.
The first battery pack the Tesla Model S had experienced 1.2 miles of range lost per 10,000 miles while being driven about 17,000 miles per month and was replaced due to a battery chemistry issue. The second pack was losing about 4.7 miles every 10,000 miles driven, and its replacement was due to a defect in the battery assembly. The current battery is a 90 kWh pack and showing a loss of about 2.4 miles of range per 10,000 miles driven; however, about midway through the mileage, the car was transitioned from a long distance shuttle to a daily rental car, so the averages may not be a great reflection on its efficiency. At about 126,000 miles into the new pack, eHawk’s battery degradation is around 9%.
Also worth a mention are the brake pad and rotor replacements made for all the Model S’s wheels at 225,351 miles despite the average tire replacement taking place about every 53,000 miles from the long distances driven during regular use. The total owner cost for repairs after nearly 450,000 miles was listed as under $13,000, and general vehicle repairs came in at under $15,000.
During Tesla’s Autonomy Day investor event, CEO Elon Musk estimated that a new battery pack set to go into production next year would operate for one million miles with minimal maintenance, and the improvements are being driven by the company’s march towards its autonomous Tesla Network robo taxi service. Tesloop’s early adoption of Tesla’s vehicles may have meant the company’s most advanced technology wasn’t immediately available to take advantage of, but considering the results seen at 450,000 miles with an older variation, the quality and durability of Tesla vehicles have already proven themselves worth ownership at any stage of development.
To see Tesloop’s full overview of its 450,000-mile, 2015 Tesla Model S’s condition, watch the video below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhbD44jXffY
Lifestyle
Tesla brings perhaps the coolest interior feature to cars in latest update
Tesla adds on to the “fun” aspect of its vehicles.

Tesla has brought perhaps the coolest interior feature to its cars in a new update that is rolling out to vehicles now.
The feature will require a newer vehicle that has interior ambient lighting, which is present on the new Model S, Model X, Model 3 “Highland,” and Model Y “Juniper.” The Cybertruck also has ambient lighting strips throughout.
Tesla Model Y’s ambient lighting design changes revealed in leaked video
With the Version 2025.26+ Software Update, Tesla is rolling out a new “Sync Accent Lights w/ Music” feature, which is available on the Tesla Toybox:
Turn your Tesla into a rave cave with the new Light Sync feature 🎶
Rolling out now in software update 2025.26+ pic.twitter.com/IIsQxZ9jDP
— Tesla (@Tesla) July 29, 2025
To enable the feature, you’ll access the Toybox, choose “Light Sync,” and then choose “Sync Accent Lights w/ Music.”
Although it does not improve the performance of the vehicle, it is yet another example of Tesla making one of the coolest cars out there. This is truly a cool add-on that can be used to impress your friends and family.
Elon Musk
xAI, Musk Foundation helps schools near Memphis supercomputer site
Reports of xAI and the Musk Foundation’s work were recently posted by local news media.

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup xAI and the Musk Foundation have been supporting Memphis-Shelby County Schools with HVAC repairs and facility upgrades, while also funding youth programs for students in the area.
Reports of xAI and the Musk Foundation’s work were recently posted by local news media.
xAI’s school visits lead to facility repairs
Representatives from xAI visited John P. Freeman Optional School, Fairley High School, and Westwood High School, all of which are located near its Colossus supercomputer site, to assess HVAC systems, plumbing, gym facilities, and athletic fields. The visits resulted in a list of priority repairs, some of which were completed in April and May.
In addition to the repairs, xAI also shared a number of initiatives that are planned for students in the area, as stated in a Commercial Appeal report.
“xAI is working on providing STEM workshops for local students, donating equipment to technical training programs, and supporting job fairs to boost employment opportunities. These initiatives reflect xAl’s commitment to fostering education and economic growth in Memphis,” xAI noted in a statement.
Musk Foundation donation
Apart from xAI, the Musk Foundation also donated $350,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis, enabling the reopening of two club sites located at Booker T. Washington High School and Westwood High School. Both locations had closed earlier this year due to lapses in funding. As per xAI, the Musk Foundation’s donation allows clubs to reopen for almost 1,000 students.
The donation will fund staffing, supplies, and transportation, among others. “Kids are the future of humanity,” Elon Musk said in a statement, adding that students need “every chance to shoot for the stars.”
“We’re honored to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis in reopening these sites, giving kids in underserved communities the tools to build brighter futures,” Musk said.
The gift was praised by local officials, including Boys & Girls Clubs board chair Michael Garriga, who stated that the “commitment will ensure the youth of our community have the opportunities they need to develop their skills and talents to become successful students and future citizens.”
Lifestyle
EV fans urge Tesla to acquire Unplugged Performance for edge in fleet and security industry
Unplugged Performance has built a name for itself by producing performance upgrades for Tesla vehicles.

A growing number of Tesla enthusiasts and longtime community voices are calling on the electric vehicle maker to acquire Unplugged Performance, a California-based aftermarket company best known for tuning Tesla vehicles and developing specialized government fleet solutions under its UP.FIT division.
The idea was once considered a niche proposal among EV fans, but it is now gaining serious attention not just as a performance play but as a strategic move to deepen Tesla’s roots in the fleet and security industry.
A strategic fit
Unplugged Performance has built a name for itself by producing performance upgrades for Tesla vehicles, from track-optimized components to visual and aerodynamic upgrades. But in recent years, its UP.FIT division has pivoted toward a more functional future by outfitting Tesla vehicles like Model Ys for police, military, and government use.
That work has sparked growing calls for closer collaboration with Tesla, especially as the EV maker increasingly leans into autonomy, AI, and fleet services as core components of its next chapter.
“I posted this four years ago, but I think it’s more true now than ever,” wrote Whole Mars Catalog, a well-known Tesla investor and FSD Beta tester, on X. “Tesla should buy Unplugged. But not just as a Performance division. What they are doing with UP.FIT unlocks large government and commercial fleet purchases that can improve utilization.”
Tesla fans such as shareholder Sawyer Merritt echoed the sentiment, calling Unplugged a “great fit within Tesla.” adding, “They are literally located directly next to Tesla’s design studio in Hawthorne.”
Enabling the next wave
Supporters of the idea noted that integrating Unplugged into Tesla’s corporate structure could help accelerate the adoption of autonomous technologies in government sectors. With UP.FIT patrol cars already in use across some U.S. police departments, Tesla fans envisioned a future where self-driving Teslas could potentially revolutionize law enforcement, search-and-rescue, and public service logistics.
“Just imagine how autonomous patrol cars could transform policing and bring us into a safer future,” the veteran FSD tester wrote.
The benefits could also extend to Tesla’s existing consumer base. “They also have some incredible products in the works that I think will appeal to many ordinary Tesla drivers — not just those looking for performance or mods. Stuff that’s so good it should have come straight from the design studio next door,” Whole Mars Catalog noted.
Unplugged Performance, founded in 2013, shares not just a product vision with Tesla, but also geography. Its Hawthorne headquarters sits directly adjacent to Tesla’s design studio, and the two companies have maintained a close working relationship over the years. The aftermarket firm has long positioned itself as a “mission-aligned” partner to Tesla.
In response to the recent calls for acquisition, Unplugged Performance acknowledged the support from the community. “Our very existence is to support the Tesla mission with @UpfitTesla and @UnpluggedTesla,” Unplugged CEO Ben Schaffer posted on X. “We love working with Tesla and are grateful for the community’s support since 2013!”
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