Used Tesla Model S with 430,000 miles on first battery tested for charging speed and acceleration against new EV

The famous black Model S 90D, whose original battery and motor are already on 430,000 miles and counting, was already subjected to a range test which found that it only lost 40 miles of inclement weather range in 8 years.

The airport taxi service that owns the Tesla has another one just like it, but with 375,000 miles on its first motor and battery, reiterating the breathtaking endurance of those Model S 90D components.

Now, however, the testing team has pitted the super high-mileage Model S in its used electric car condition, against a brand-new EV with similar parameters. The goal was to see where performance went down over time against a 2024 technology that is 8 years younger. 

Both the Tesla Model S 90D and the new Jaguar i-Pace come outfitted with a 90 kWh battery and have similar official acceleration, horsepower, or charging speed ratings.

Needless to say, the Model S with 430,000 miles on its first battery and motor did register a slump in performance compared to its official numbers. Just like the battery lost some of its range, the car registered a slump when it comes to acceleration (still under 5 seconds), speed, and charging input against the brand-new 2024 EV.

Still, the remaining acceleration and top speed were quick enough for any daily driving habit, while the handling of the large Model S sedan was better on the cone test than that of the taller Jag, as can be expected.

Where used EV owners could be most disadvantaged compared to electric cars with newer technology, though, is charging speed. The Model S is officially rated for 120 kW of peak charging rate, while the Jaguar's max charging input specs are 104 kW.

The aging battery and charging paraphernalia of the Tesla, however, only allowed a brief initial peak and then quickly tapered off to 75 kW in just 5 minutes, whereas the Jag stayed above its rated peak at a steady 110 kW.

In 10 minutes of fast charging, the Jaguar fell to 85 kW, but the Tesla had already dropped to 65 kW and drifted to only 55 kW in 15 minutes.

At their equal consumption efficiency, the Jaguar managed to restore 93 miles of range in 20 minutes, while the Model S recovered 67 miles in the same amount of time.

Even new Teslas aren't fast charging champions, though, and can't really take advantage of the powerful 350 kW piles that are popping up here and there, so the 8-year-old Model S did rather predictably in the charging speed test. Only the Cybertruck has an 800V powertrain, but since it comes with Tesla's 4680 battery, its charging curve is nothing to write home about, either.

Overall, the handling, acceleration, and top speed performance tests with the high-mileage Model S demonstrated that buying a used EV is not the recipe for disaster it is made out to be, even for a car made 8 years ago that has 430,000 miles on the battery and motor it went out of the factory with. 

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