General Motors president Mark Reuss recently revealed that the car manufacturer has repaired more than 11,000 Teslas over the past year but just how and why is it doing this?
Neither Reuss nor anyone else from GM has revealed details about its Tesla repair program but the company’s president acknowledged that it is a “growing business.” There are likely a couple of explanations for why GM has found itself repairing vehicles from its biggest EV competitor.
Read: GM Says Its Dealers Have Fixed Over 11,000 Tesla EVs Since 2021
The first is Tesla’s comparatively small network of service centers. Many Tesla repairs are conducted by the carmaker’s fleet of mobile repair units but those vehicles requiring significant repairs may need to be transported hundreds of miles to a service center. Additionally, Tesla service centers are notorious for being booked out well in advance and having high prices.
By comparison, General Motors has thousands of dealerships and repair centers throughout the United States, so much so that roughly 90 percent of the US population live within a 10-mile drive of a GM dealer, making a trip to one much more convenient than seeking out the closest Tesla showroom and/or service center.
Kelley Blue Book notes that mechanics at GM service centers are probably intimately familiar with vehicles from Tesla and how they function. An engineering company also exists that completely dismantles new vehicles and sells the information to competing brands.
It is not yet clear how GM has managed to access parts from Tesla but Kelley Blue Book notes that the revelation from Reuss could prompt Tesla to tighten parts distribution, making it more difficult for GM and other non-Tesla repair shops to access genuine parts. However, doing so would no doubt upset Tesla owners reliant on GM and independent repair shops.
Reuss added that GM’s servicing success has prompted Tesla to start investing in more brick-and-mortar service centers of its own.
GM president Mark Reuss