Tesla has the lowest servicing costs in the list of top 20 manufacturers but slips to 16th for total service and maintenance (SMR) costs.

Cap says Tesla comes out tops for servicing and brakes but is very heavy on tyre costs

The study, from data experts at Cap HPI, shows that Tesla also ranks first for lowest costs for brakes. However, it comes last for tyre costs, working out the most expensive of all the current top 20 car brands.

Tesla chief executive officer Elon Musk posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Tesla is the lowest-cost car to maintain – and according to reports, the brand is exploring a zero servicing move whereby vehicles would never have to visit workshops unless a fault was detected.

Over three years and 60,000 miles, Tesla service costs £338 on average, making it the cheapest vehicle to service of the top 20 manufacturers, costing £143 less than second-ranked manufacturer Skoda, £195 less than a Renault service and £217 less than Honda.

Hyundai is the most expensive of the leading 20 OEMs for servicing at £1,122 on average, over three times the cost of a Tesla service. Ranking first for tyres at £801 is Peugeot, almost three times cheaper than Tesla, which ranks 20th for tyre costs at £2,377. However, Tesla also ranks first for brakes with an average cost of £113 compared to Land Rover, ranking 20th with a cost of £916.

Overall, the manufacturer ranking first for total SMR costs, including service, tyres, brakes, and all other costs, is Renault at £1,883, followed by Honda (£1,902), Seat (£1,933), MG Motor UK (£1,999) and Peugeot (£2,039). Tesla ranks 16th overall with a total SMR cost of £2,946. BMW ranks 20th with an average total SMR cost of £3,944.

Andrew Turner, senior product specialist at Cap HPI Consulting, said: “Although Tesla ranks first for straight service costs, once you factor in all the other elements such as tyres, this brings up the overall SMR costs significantly, making it one of the more expensive vehicles just ahead of Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Land Rover and BMW. It’s basically tops for servicing and brakes but very heavy on tyre costs.

“Outside of servicing, tyres are the main cost consideration for EV drivers, with tyres typically more expensive as they become worn sooner than ICE equivalents, mainly due to vehicle weight. In addition, EVs, on average, have larger or less common tyre sizes that are more expensive. There are numerous factors to consider in all of this, but fundamentally, when it comes to basic service costs, EV models do cost less to run.”

Cap HPI provides a wide range of data and technology tools that help companies value vehicles and gain a thorough insight into their history, specification and running costs.

Mark Turnbull, director of OEM and consulting, said: “In a fast-moving economy and constantly evolving automotive market, it’s essential to be able to accurately forecast and budget SMR costs. The team at Cap HPI has developed comprehensive vehicle service, maintenance, and repair solutions.

“By integrating full-service insights, including accurate parts data and historical records, our platform empowers the projection of total running costs with confidence.”