Cars have evolved and, with them, maintenance has had to evolve. To repair a damaged car, today, knowledge of engines and bodywork is no longer enough. It is necessary to know how to maneuver hardware and software and to safely manage high voltage electric batteries.
So how does the maintenance of the most advanced models work? We tried to find out starting from one of the most advanced automotive brands, famous for producing not cars but computers on wheels. Here's what we learned by visiting one of the Tesla Service of the Milanese province.
Read more: 3 out of 4 motorists choose dealers for assistance and maintenance
The Tesla engineering team
The employees with whom we got to know, rather than electricians, seem like gods tech professionals. On the other hand, to join the Tesla team, rather than being a skilled mechanic, you need to be an expert in software, PCs and diagnostics. And above all, they are required transversal skills such as the ability to work in a team and strong communication skills. The main objective, even before starting the vehicle, is customer satisfaction.
The steps of the maintenance of a Tesla
After getting to know the service professionals, we put ourselves in the shoes of a customer. Let's pretend we own a Tesla and it starts to falter. What do we do? We open ours Tesla App and, in the appropriate section, we describe the problems encountered. At this point, the Service will contact us.
Soon after, the aforementioned software experts will run a diagnostic check of our car remotely – over the air are not only the updates but also the controls. If the issue can be handled over the air, the issue will be fixed immediately by sending new firmware to the car and there will be no need to visit the workshop, otherwise it will be fixed an appointment within the following 8 days.
The appointment at the Service…
Thanks to the internet connection of Tesla cars and the predictive maintenance over the air, the technicians will have already ordered any spare parts before we arrive at the workshop. Maintenance times are, of course, variable, but on average they do not exceed 150 minutes. In case of interventions lasting at least 4 hours, an Uber will take us home, and then bring us back to pick up the car once it's ready. While if the practice requires a few more days, we will be provided with a replacement car, if available in a higher range.
The service appointment can also take place in touchless mode. That is, leaving the car to the Service even outside opening hours, without the need for physical contact with Tesla operators.
… or under the house
If, on the other hand, the intervention does not require putting the car on the bridge, i.e. if the necessary intervention is "mobile capable", we will not need to go to the Tesla Service. Tesla Service will come to your home or office as needed. Let's talk about Mobile Service, the brand's traveling workshop, which reaches cars wherever they are to solve their problems in half an hour or so.
Again, the procedure is touchless. There's no need to go down to the car park, just unlock the car using the app and, once you receive notification that the intervention has been completed, lock it remotely.
