TravelFree
Active Member
Yes, pretty much a geek's tool but I refer to it daily. Really helps understand what is going on and I also like to keep track of the new software updates.
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100% charge or 90 or 95?
- Thread starter GreggF1
- Start date
Yes, pretty much a geek's tool but I refer to it daily. Really helps understand what is going on and I also like to keep track of the new software updates.
TravelFree
Active Member
ABR and other tools are all fine for those of us that are obsessed with our Teslas. But if like my wife, she is not that interested. Rather leaves that up to the engineer in the family, me. She prefers the Leaf for her travels as it is more like a traditional car rather than a computer on wheels. She does like the better navigate system on the Tesla, voice commands etc. Maybe she will be ready for a model Y or 3 when the Leaf is ready to be traded in. In 2024?
Uncle Paul
Well-Known Member
Good strategy would be to charge to 90% on normal days and charge up to 100% on bitter cold days where it will become less efficient.
As she drives home, her computer will constantly be checking her range and will notify her to slow down if it is getting close to running out.
This way you can optimize your battery life and she can optimize her drive times and speeds.
This is one of the reasons the 100 kWh battery was developed. Gives just a bit more range that often eliminated the anxiety.
Did not read all the posts, but the smaller19" tires give significantly better range than the better looking 21s.
As she drives home, her computer will constantly be checking her range and will notify her to slow down if it is getting close to running out.
This way you can optimize your battery life and she can optimize her drive times and speeds.
This is one of the reasons the 100 kWh battery was developed. Gives just a bit more range that often eliminated the anxiety.
Did not read all the posts, but the smaller19" tires give significantly better range than the better looking 21s.
Ultimately the question remains, are you there to serve the battery or is the battery there to serve you? 
milleron
Member
I hate to say it because I'm a Tesla fanboi if there ever was one, but I don't think you should have chosen an EV, at least not Performance model, for this commute. An ICE car or a hybrid would serve you much better unless she can be convinced to SLOW DOWN. I can sort of see how she'd want to drive fast considering the time it takes her to get to and from work, but that kind of speed and distance simply make a Performance Tesla the wrong car for this job. If you two really want a Tesla, you should trade in that Performance S on an LR model. It has more performance than I know what to do with, and it would get her to work and back without range anxiety, even in the winter.
But speed still kills.
But speed still kills.
I also suffer from range anxiety and the one thing that truly helped was simply changing the display from miles to %. It's ALOT less anxiety seeing 20% battery remaining as opposed to 60 miles. I mean think about if your phone displayed mins remaining instead of just a percentage? 8 mins remaining...5 mins remaining...
Now, it doesn't even phase me as I'm driving.
Now, it doesn't even phase me as I'm driving.
Tesla's onboard navigation software should be able to help a lot with this challenge.
When leaving home, create a route to work. Scroll down in the navigation turn list, and you should see the estimated charge left at the end of a round trip.
Monitor this periodically, and if it drops below 15%, then slow down.
The navigation software will also help to identify a supercharger along the route, if needed for a quick recharge - likely on the return trip home. Since only a few miles should be needed to get back home with range to spare, the supercharger stop should be quick, 5-10 minutes.
However, the amount of time saved by driving faster will probably be less than the time required to re-route to a supercharger and charge - so driving slower, especially in winter conditions, could eliminate the need to charge.
Unfortunately, there is a trade-off between performance and range - and if the highest range options had been selected for the Model S, it's likely the drive could be done without any range anxiety.
In the current Owner's manual, there are Driving Tips to Maximize Range on page 78, plus a discussion of Factors Affecting Energy Consumption:
As a long-time Tesla owner (since Jan 2013), would not recommend regularly charging above 90%. If the rated range is 320+ miles, you should be able to do a 225 mile round trip - worst case, slowing down can significantly extend range - slowing down from 80 to 65 MPH for 10-15 minutes could be enough to make the difference.
Our first Tesla was a performance model - and could accelerate faster than what you can use in normal driving on typical roads. When we purchased our 2017 S and 2018 X, we did not get the performance models, and instead took the standard models with the longest range - and even though have faster acceleration than you can use or need in daily driving...
But, if you got a performance model, and a long daily commute, following the recommendations in the Owners Manual, using as many of the energy savings settings as possible, and letting the onboard software help with range management - you should be able to do a 225 mile commute without having to stop for charging.
When leaving home, create a route to work. Scroll down in the navigation turn list, and you should see the estimated charge left at the end of a round trip.
Monitor this periodically, and if it drops below 15%, then slow down.
The navigation software will also help to identify a supercharger along the route, if needed for a quick recharge - likely on the return trip home. Since only a few miles should be needed to get back home with range to spare, the supercharger stop should be quick, 5-10 minutes.
However, the amount of time saved by driving faster will probably be less than the time required to re-route to a supercharger and charge - so driving slower, especially in winter conditions, could eliminate the need to charge.
Unfortunately, there is a trade-off between performance and range - and if the highest range options had been selected for the Model S, it's likely the drive could be done without any range anxiety.
In the current Owner's manual, there are Driving Tips to Maximize Range on page 78, plus a discussion of Factors Affecting Energy Consumption:
- Slow down driving and avoid frequent and rapid acceleration
- Consider using CHILL mode
- Use SPEED ASSIST or run under AutoPilot, to allow the software to manage acceleration and deceleration
- Try to avoid using the brake pedal for slowing, allowing REGEN to recapture as much energy as possible from braking
- Set Stopping Mode to HOLD, to get more REGEN benefits at low speeds
- Keep the tires at the recommended pressure
- Lighten load by not transporting unnecessary gear
- Drive with the windows up
- Limit use of heating, lights and air conditioning
- Before leaving home, while the vehicle is plugged in, precondition so you can use shore power to get the vehicle ready before leaving
- Enable RANGE MODE
- Disable features like Sentry Mode, Headlights after Exit, and Cabin Overheat Protection, which will use energy while the vehicle is parked
- Enable the ENERGY SAVINGS features in the Display settings
As a long-time Tesla owner (since Jan 2013), would not recommend regularly charging above 90%. If the rated range is 320+ miles, you should be able to do a 225 mile round trip - worst case, slowing down can significantly extend range - slowing down from 80 to 65 MPH for 10-15 minutes could be enough to make the difference.
Our first Tesla was a performance model - and could accelerate faster than what you can use in normal driving on typical roads. When we purchased our 2017 S and 2018 X, we did not get the performance models, and instead took the standard models with the longest range - and even though have faster acceleration than you can use or need in daily driving...
But, if you got a performance model, and a long daily commute, following the recommendations in the Owners Manual, using as many of the energy savings settings as possible, and letting the onboard software help with range management - you should be able to do a 225 mile commute without having to stop for charging.
Moving past the fact the performance version wasn't the best if the known range for work was in place prior to purchase, it seems like cost or money was not too much of a limiting factor. I would suggest going with a smaller and lighter wheel set up, swapping out for a much lighter rotor set up, and maybe looking at some aerodynamic improvements and body-weight reductions to help decrease the workload and energy requirements to get the range needed.
Her battery management plan will need to be flexible and change as the weather changes. I can get full battery range in my Model 3 only by driving conservatively, with no rapid acceleration, and keeping my maximum speed at about 65 mph. Any prolonged driving over that speed, any rapid bursts of acceleration, any use of the air-conditioner or heater, or any ambient temperature drops below 50° will degrade my range. In extremely cold weather below 10° F, I will sometimes see up to 40 to 50% battery range degradation.
Several of the recommendations listed by others are excellent. You may need to use a combination of them to achieve your goals throughout the year:
1. Try to maintain a speed of 70 mph or below. This will dramatically increase range over the 80+ mph driving.
2. It will almost certainly be necessary to charge at work or along the route, during significantly colder weather.
3. There are many non-Tesla apps, such as ChargePoint, PlugShare, Electrify America, NextCharge and others, that display on a map all of the universal car charging stations and Tesla destination chargers in municipal parking lots and parking ramps, adjacent to shopping centers, and in hotel and restaurant parking lots.
It is important that she is aware of the location of some of these non-Tesla chargers, if she does not have Tesla Superchargers along her home-to-work route.
They may help prevent her from running out of battery power during very cold weather.
Be sure she always has her J1772 to Tesla adapter in the car with her to be able to use the universal J1772 car chargers.
Most of them charge at 24 to 30 miles of range per hour, and many that are adjacent to a business or a restaurant are free to use.
4. When air-conditioning is not absolutely necessary, using the fan without AC or cracking a few windows can bring in enough fresh air circulation to keep the car comfortable.
5. Some Tesla drivers have advocated using the seat heater instead of the car heater to reduce battery consumption, but this is not sufficient and extremely cold temperatures.
Several of the recommendations listed by others are excellent. You may need to use a combination of them to achieve your goals throughout the year:
1. Try to maintain a speed of 70 mph or below. This will dramatically increase range over the 80+ mph driving.
2. It will almost certainly be necessary to charge at work or along the route, during significantly colder weather.
3. There are many non-Tesla apps, such as ChargePoint, PlugShare, Electrify America, NextCharge and others, that display on a map all of the universal car charging stations and Tesla destination chargers in municipal parking lots and parking ramps, adjacent to shopping centers, and in hotel and restaurant parking lots.
It is important that she is aware of the location of some of these non-Tesla chargers, if she does not have Tesla Superchargers along her home-to-work route.
They may help prevent her from running out of battery power during very cold weather.
Be sure she always has her J1772 to Tesla adapter in the car with her to be able to use the universal J1772 car chargers.
Most of them charge at 24 to 30 miles of range per hour, and many that are adjacent to a business or a restaurant are free to use.
4. When air-conditioning is not absolutely necessary, using the fan without AC or cracking a few windows can bring in enough fresh air circulation to keep the car comfortable.
5. Some Tesla drivers have advocated using the seat heater instead of the car heater to reduce battery consumption, but this is not sufficient and extremely cold temperatures.
I would suggest just charging at work. Most people don't have that option. Plug the thing in and thats it. I apologize that I didn't read the entire 4 pages, but what if the wife wants to go out to lunch or something? You cutting it very close. Forget the range issue, charge at work, if she can't charge at work, hit a supercharger for 5 minutes.
HankLloydRight
No Roads
Changing the wheels/tires doesn't require changing the speedo. The 19" tires have a bigger sidewall. The outside diameter of both sizes is within 0.4% of each other and 2 revolutions per mile. The speed delta at 60mph going from 21" to 19" is 0.2mph.
The car needs to know the tire size for range calculations and the images in the UI, which you can do yourself.
gavine
Petrol Head turned EV Enthusiast
Does she drive straight-through both ways, or does she typically stop to get a coffee somewhere? If she typically stops, maybe she can do so at a supercharger location and top-up.
For those concerned about degradation due to supercharging too often, if she does so when battery is above 50%, the charge rate is slower and theoretically, this wouldn't be too hard on the battery, even if done Mon-Fri.
You shouldn't charge above 90% routinely and if you have serious winter, there will be a range problem then because of the heater. Have her plug in to 110 V at work just to get a feel as to how much that improves her comfort level. (Fifty miles left is fine - I'd get twitchy with 25.) Be prepared to use a Supercharger on cold winter days when normal highway speeds are OK.
On the freeway, for reasons that elude me, my dual motor M3 uses considerably less power when on Autopilot at 75mph than when I do my very best to drive at that speed myself: 15 miles more range over 150 miles. I've always wondered why. Maybe Autopilot will help your wife?
Many good suggestions to go with the criticisms that are pointless imo - you've bought the car you've bought. Here is one more that may help extend the range some - drive in Chill mode, yes slower acceleration, but, better range. Between that and going with 19 inch wheels, the single charge should work on most days, even at 90%.
I believe you are better off to charge to 100% than to take the battery state of charge very low. If you do go to 100%, it has been suggested you time the charge to achieve 100% SOC at the time she needs to leave. This is usually done by choosing a charge time at some point during the night instead of right when you get home. Good luck.
I believe you are better off to charge to 100% than to take the battery state of charge very low. If you do go to 100%, it has been suggested you time the charge to achieve 100% SOC at the time she needs to leave. This is usually done by choosing a charge time at some point during the night instead of right when you get home. Good luck.
In the summer, probably won’t be an issue.
On the colder days, choose “Home” when leaving from work and it will keep track for you to make it. Could always start off by driving a bit slower and then once halfway home and the range looks good, speed up.
The real sloppy, cold days might require a quick Supercharger stop on the way home of 10 minutes.
All this could have been avoided had you gone with the long range. But, the performance is fun and for most of the year will probably be just fine. It’s true that degradation will happen over time but maybe by then you can convince work to get a charger or upgrade to a new Tesla with more range.
On the warmer days, just charge to 90%. On the really cold/snowy/rainy days and if you don’t want to stop briefly on the way home, charge to 100% but don’t leave it that way for long. Just set the scheduled departure and preheat at home.
On the colder days, choose “Home” when leaving from work and it will keep track for you to make it. Could always start off by driving a bit slower and then once halfway home and the range looks good, speed up.
The real sloppy, cold days might require a quick Supercharger stop on the way home of 10 minutes.
All this could have been avoided had you gone with the long range. But, the performance is fun and for most of the year will probably be just fine. It’s true that degradation will happen over time but maybe by then you can convince work to get a charger or upgrade to a new Tesla with more range.
On the warmer days, just charge to 90%. On the really cold/snowy/rainy days and if you don’t want to stop briefly on the way home, charge to 100% but don’t leave it that way for long. Just set the scheduled departure and preheat at home.
gavine
Petrol Head turned EV Enthusiast
When you pilot the car, do you find that you hit the brakes often?
Another thought: do you have regen set to low or standard? If low, maybe autopilot overrides that and uses full regen.
People underestimate the amount of energy that is wasted whenever you use the brakes.
R1Bill
Member
I watched a very long painful video by the professor that helped Tesla design their batteries. One of his primary assertions was that the enemy of battery life is heat. So, in the winter charging to 95% is probably less of an issue than charging to 90% in the summer. I have also noticed a big difference in energy consumption if my battery is freshly charged, and still warm right before my trip, especially in the winter. That and pre-conditioning your cabin while the car is plugged in really helps a lot! She will probably have to drive slower in the winter and it would help if she can plug into a charger while at work in the winter as well.
TravelFree
Active Member
A couple speeding tickets might help. Nothing gets me more annoyed when on the highway than someone dangerously driving 85-100mph lane changing to go faster than the prevailing traffic.
Anyway, it is not a help to play the woulda shouda coulda game. The performance trim was purchased for a big price premium so now the game plan is how to do the trip the least expensive and safe way possible. If I were in her situation I would just do what we currently do. Charge up at home every night. If that is missed, then stop at a supercharger to put a few extra miles on. Don't have to spend an hour there. I once was on a road trip here and saw I would make it home with 15 miles range. We stopped as a Supercharger for just 10 minutes and added more than enough.
Not sure when that Tesla MS P was purchased but like me, I have free supercharging. We traded our Honda Accord Hybrid for the Tesla. It had 700 miles range for $30 gas. Tesla has 400 miles range for free. But even if the Tesla didn't get free Supercharging, how much of a hit to the budget would 10 minutes be at Tesla charging rates?
My wife travels 45 miles one way to baby sit our grandkids while our daughter is at work. She drives the Nissan Leaf which has 160 miles range so we charge up at night but if necessary and she gets close to low range she can stop at the Nissan dealer on the way home and put 10-15 minutes of Chademo charge on the car for free. She loves not having to fill up the Honda at the gas station every week.
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