Car Dealers Are Terrified of Tesla’s Plan to Eliminate Oil Changes

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46. The transition from piston engine to electric cars is already happening before our eyes.

Last edited Sat Mar 15, 2014, 04:36 PM - Edit history (1)

Almost all cars in the 2014 model year are available as hybrids. Electric cars and trucks are literally just around the corner. And it will cut the business model of car dealers AND manufacturers in half. No more service departments, no more parts departments, either. The new generation of cars will last as long as the body (now aluminum and carbon fiber) and interiors will last.

Back in the 1990's, when electric cars first hit the streets, it wasn't the evil oil companies that stopped the technology from being developed. It was the car manufacturers themselves, once they realized what reliable, long-lasting, almost maintenance free cars meant for their business model. It scared the crap out of them.

I had a career in the automotive service industry, working for a major manufacturer. It is a shrinking field today, for several reasons. Cars are better built today than ever. Even traditionally high maintenance cars like BMW and Jaguar are becoming almost maintenance free. Warranties that used to be three years are now ten years, and manufacturers' pay allowances for warranty repairs are not enough for technicians to make a living on. It requires advanced training to diagnose and repair the systems on 21st century cars, but car dealers are holding pay down to 1990 levels. The result is that people are leaving the profession in droves.

So it really is the end of an era, in many respects. Not entirely a bad thing, however.