2021 Model Y SR Range Loss (or lack thereof)

[DarrenHD]

Hi! I have a 2021 Model Y SR. Purchased March 6, 2021. So it's 2 years 2 months old, thereabouts. And I have 45300 km (28100) miles on it.

I signed up for TeslaFi a week after I got it, and I have been monitoring the estimated range. Starting in November of 2022 my range slowly started to increase. The car now estimates 381.87 km (237.28 miles) of range at 100%. Rated range is 393 km (244 miles). So the loss is only 2.84% from rated range.

I did start to change my charging habits in the last months. I typically keep the battery now around 50%. Often charge to 50% only. Sometimes 60 or 70 or 80%. But mostly I drive it down under 50% (like 35% lowest) and charge it back to 50%. Only higher when I need it. I've done the occasional longer trip and charged to 100% and used SuperChargers a few times in the last 6 months.

But I think the battery is liking the 50% charge with perhaps once a week charge to 70%. Drive it down to 35% and then multiple 50% charges, then another charge to 60 or 80%, and back down to 35%.

What is everyone else getting and is 2.84% range loss after 28100 miles and 2 years 2 months good for a Model Y SR ? (2021 version)??

I personally think it's not bad. I do plan to keep this car for many years which is why I am trying to minimize degradation.

Thanks!!

 

[towndrunk]

I use Teslascope, which doesn't appear to have that feature.

For proper battery health and calibration, you need to charge it to about 90%, with sentry mode off, and let it sit overnight. Then don't charge and run it down to maybe 20%, let it sit overnight, again with sentry off. Then repeat, charging it to 80-90% again.

Battery calibration only happens when sentry is off so you want to leave it off where you park it for the night.

Do this several times a year, if not more often. FWIW, I charge to 70% most days and only charge every night in the winter, so I have a warm battery when I leave for work in the morning. If I arrive home from a trip with a low charge and don't need much for the next day, I'll leave it sit without charging. I charge in my garage and have sentry turned off at home. I also never charge to 100%.

Then see how your battery degradation report says.

 

[Etna]

Right your battery is normally badly calibrated with this kind of usage. However an uncalibrated battery is generally overestimating degradation so the actual number is probably even better.

Your charging habits are pretty close to the best possible scenario, but that is only possible when you don't need all the range that the car offers.

Jeff Dahn says that if you keep your battery around 50% and only rarely go below 30% or above 70%, like you are doing, it will basically last forever:

 

[towndrunk]

Elon says you can safely charge to 90% every night, but I think max of 70-80% most days is much better.

 

[Etna]

Elon says you can safely charge to 90% every night, but I think max of 70-80% most days is much better.

Exactly. Charge to 90% if it's needed for daily use (or 100% for LFP). Battery will degrade a bit more but it's not a big deal.

 

[DarrenHD]

Thanks for the responses. Since I typically don't need the range I'll continue to keep the battery 30-70%, and charge to a higher % when needed. So far that seems to be the best advice for longevity.

 

[Redi3s]

Tesla specifically states you charge the LFP batteries to 100% at least once a week. I don't get all this charging gymnastics.

 

[DarrenHD]

Tesla specifically states you charge the LFP batteries to 100% at least once a week. I don't get all this charging gymnastics.

My battery is not LFP. I have the 2021 SR Model Y.

 

[David99]

Like other said, keeping it around 50% is a good habit. As for the range increase you see in Teslafi, keep in mind that changing the charging habits doesn't bring back range that was previously lost. There is no self healing process that would bring back capacity that was lost before as true degradation. It's likely that your BMS is just adjusting it's calculation. You had that range before.

The only time I read something about actual regaining of lost capacity was a German researcher who had some data that suggested an older battery that is suffering from dentrits (I'm probably spelling it wrong, it's basically microscopic crystals inside the cells that poke through membranes) can reverse this state by being at a very low state of charge for a while. I don't think that's what's going on here.

 

[tbwnm]

I also have a 2021 Y SR with 36K miles. Recently had the battery checked at the service center and these are the notes they gave. I charge almost exclusively Level 2 charge to 80% since I took delivery of the vehicle in March of 2021.

 

[DarrenHD]

I also have a 2021 Y SR with 36K miles. Recently had the battery checked at the service center and these are the notes they gave. I charge almost exclusively Level 2 charge to 80% since I took delivery of the vehicle in March of 2021.

Interesting, my range estimate at 100% is 230 miles. I have 34175 miles on the car in nearly 3 years. I have short drives mostly, and keep the battery nominally around 50%. Typically I charge to 50 or 60% daily. I've charged quite alot higher though, if needed...but for the most part unless I have a trip planned or need the range, I keep it around 50%. I'm in a colder climate for 8 months of the year (Ontario).

 

[towndrunk]

I see no reason to charge to 50% when the idea is to average 50%. You also probably don't want to charge every day, which is why I charge to 70%, then don't charge for a few days until it drops well below 50%.

In the winter I charge every night to 70% to warm my battery, since I live ND.