Guy who drove Tesla Model S 1.2 million miles shows how three batteries coped
- Man who drove Tesla 1.2 million miles shares battery details
- The impressive feat has taken a toll on the Model S
- He’s had to fit three new batteries to keep it going
Published on Sep 09, 2024 at 6:09 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Sep 10, 2024 at 11:10 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
The man who managed to drive his Tesla Model S a staggering 1.2 million miles has revealed how the car’s batteries coped with the feat.
Hansjörg von Gemmingen-Hornberg is the very proud owner of a 2014 Model S P85 and has managed to clock up an impressive amount of miles.
His efforts even caught the eye of Tesla boss Elon Musk who congratulated Gemmingen-Hornberg in 2019.
The task was not without its challenges, and Gemmingen-Hornberg has shared some interesting insights into how he was able to push his EV so far.
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The Tesla Model S has had a few tweaks over the years
Firstly, Gemmingen-Hornberg and his Model S were not immune to the issues that earlier model Teslas faced regarding their rear motors.
In fact, over the course of his 1.2 million miles, the car’s engine was replaced 13 times, according to Inside EVs.
As you’d probably imagine, pushing to enter the Million Miles Club also took a toll on the car’s battery.
Gemmingen-Hornberg is currently on his fourth battery, having to get a new one – on average – every 300,000 miles.
In a post on X, Gemmingen-Hornberg shared details on how the four batteries handled the serious amount of miles he clocked up.
“2nd refreshed battery 670,000 km, 3rd refreshed battery 555,000 km,” he wrote in response to a question about the batteries.
“First new battery installed with 1,758,033 km still does 350 km at 90% charge.”
So, it seems his fourth battery is still going strong.
He’s revealed how he managed to push the car so far
Gemmingen-Hornberg says the secret to his Model S’s mega mileage is the fact that he takes regular breaks.
He says that he won’t drive for more than 62 miles at a time before he takes a break.
This doesn’t just benefit him as the driver but also lets his car have a little break, too.
Alongside that, he says he doesn’t let his battery power drop down to zero and instead recharges when it reaches 20 percent or so.
For now, he’s a long way off the highest mileage ever – that title belongs to Irving Gordon who racked up over 3,000,000 miles in his 1966 Volvo 1800S – but with the car still on the road, it will be interesting to see how far he gets.
Claire Reid
Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Across her career she's covered a wide variety of topics, including celebrity, cryptocurrency, politics, true crime and just about everything in between.
