Four years, 80,000kms nixed for five years and unlimited kays.

HOW far would you expect to drive your car on any given year; how much mileage might you clock over five?

It’s a question that makes no difference to the warranty now being offered by Tesla.

From now on coverage on all new cars - at the moment, that’s just Model 3 and Model Y - it sells here are covered for five years and there’s no restriction on how many kays they will clock in that period.

Replacing the previous four-year 80,000km umbrella in this part of the world is being proclaimed by the company as a “global first”.

That’s for Tesla, but Mercedes-Benz set the precedent in NZ, in also offering five years unlimited kilometres.

Numerous other makers offer five years or even better, but all with capped mileages, though some are quite high.

Tesla was once among those; when it’s regional incursion began - first in Australia - it offered an eight-year/160,000km warranty for the first year, 2018.

The new coverage announced last night applies to new Tesla vehicles delivered since January 1, 2026 and includes five years of roadside assistance.

It is for cars used for private purposes and includes corrosion protection, paint durability and multimedia systems.

In provisioned comment, attributed to Thom Drew, country director for Australia and New Zealand, said: “This update aligns with local market expectations and instils lasting confidence in Tesla ownership.”

The move might also be hoped to perk up consumer interest in Tesla; the make has not been immune to a general slump in EV interest in NZ since the start of 2024, when rebates ended.

Also, Tesla’s global volumes have decreased; the one major market in which in gained year-on-year ground in the past 12 months was Norway, whose EV acceptance is exceptional by international standards.

Reports note Tesla’s battery and drive unit warranty remains at eight years or 160,000km for Model 3 and Model Y rear-wheel drive variants, and eight years or 192,000km for long range and performance models. All battery warranties include a minimum 70 percent capacity retention guarantee.