Before buying a Tesla from a PEKEMA dealer, know this

KUALA LUMPUR: Electric car components and functions depend on the car battery-powered vehicle. There are at least four types of electric cars currently sold commercially around the world and soon all of them will be arriving in Malaysia in one form or the other.

A regular petrol engine-powered car can contain hundreds of working parts which means there are plenty of components that can go wrong and these parts need replacing over time and kilometres driven.

With an electric car, there are fewer moving parts. Most modern electric cars have less than 50 percent of the components as compared to petrol-powered cars. With an electric car, you still have brakes, climate control, safety systems, infotainment systems, steering, suspension, and a cooling system.

However, there is no complicated petrol combustion engine that has dozens of moving parts. An electric car just has a sealed electric motor and a large battery pack that needs very good cooling. However, both items (motor and battery) need proper professional maintenance which your petrol-powered car mechanic will not be able to handle.

In fact, if handled wrongly, it could be fatal. So, you need less maintenance on an electric car, but you still need it done professionally. Plus, you need regular software updates as electric cars have complicated software systems running in the background to ensure the best battery life and optimal driving conditions.

When working on an electric vehicle like a Tesla, it is very strongly requiring qualified professionals for checks and any repairs. The high voltages and amperage in the traction system (between 400-700 volts) necessitate a safety procedure so that maintenance can be carried out under the best possible conditions.

In Europe for some years now, the law requires that they must be certified to work on electrical systems and the qualification must be renewed annually to keep up with the evolving battery pack in EVs.

Like traditional cars, EVs have a cooling system, which in this case keeps the battery at optimum temperature regardless of how hard the motor is working or the outside temperature. Most are liquid-cooled and require little more than a visual inspection of the fluid levels and topping up if and when necessary.

So, most of you by now will know about the arrival of New Tesla by approved permit grey used car importers. They are starting to import into Malaysia new Tesla models (will they provide a Tesla factory warranty?) and offering just a local warranty and localised after-sales.

Most electric car manufacturers today are providing a battery warranty of 3 to 10 years. Please check the warranty page in detail as battery replacement costs can be as high as RM 100,000 for an EV (and as low as RM 30,000 which is mostly small Chinese-made EVs, as it depends on size, type, and manufacturer).

So, before you pay for your new Tesla, ask for a factory warranty. Please see these screenshot images of some of the important pages in the Tesla warranty.

Make sure there is a proper workshop with the correct Tesla-approved diagnostic tools to check and update your ‘new’ Tesla electric car if you choose to gamble and buy from an unauthorised dealer.

Also read: Record time: Tesla Model S Plaid claims EV Nurburgring lap record