A plugged in Tesla is not a charging Tesla.

[raptor5244]

The idea of keeping it plugged in when you are not using it is just to protect against the situation where you happen to not drive the car for a few weeks and you completely drain the main battery, which means it then can't wake up to charge the 12V accessory battery, etc. This is hard on the batteries so the standard guidance is to keep it plugged in. The other reason is so you the car is topped off and has range available in case you need it. Any other reason is bologna as far as I am concerned. That said, my wife and I share a wall connector and usually alternate each day or so depending on usage.

I am not overly concerned with the they exact charge levels. The car has an 8 year 120k warranty and I don't keep cars that long so either the car will be gone or Tesla would have gone out of business and we are all screwed anyway. Happy 4th!

 

[Silicon Desert]

Interesting that these threads continue to go on for years. I guess it will always be a debate.
I'm thinking that somewhere, Amish people (now a couple hundred years later), they are probably still debating how often to feed their horse.

 

[davewill]

... Never ceases to amaze me how quickly threads turn into attacks. ...

Never attacked anybody. Just noted that we keep having people try to dream up complex charging strategies when it isn't needed.

 

[DirtyT3sla]

I think the point of this thread, and all threads like this, is that there is minimal guidance from Tesla on what's the ideal charging situation for the cars.
It would be nice if they just told us.

Plug it in. They told us. If there was more instruction, such as "Yes, plug it in, BUT make sure it isn't charging!! It's just plugged in!" lol. it's a little ridiculous.

The cars are fine. Just use them and don't stress too much about this stuff. I have the AWD and charge to 80% daily. Some days i charge to 90% just for fun.

 

[davewill]

The idea of keeping it plugged in when you are not using it is just to protect against the situation where you happen to not drive the car for a few weeks and you completely drain the main battery, which means it then can't wake up to charge the 12V accessory battery, etc. This is hard on the batteries so the standard guidance is to keep it plugged in. The other reason is so you the car is topped off and has range available in case you need it. Any other reason is bologna as far as I am concerned. That said, my wife and I share a wall connector and usually alternate each day or so depending on usage.

I am not overly concerned with the they exact charge levels. The car has an 8 year 120k warranty and I don't keep cars that long so either the car will be gone or Tesla would have gone out of business and we are all screwed anyway. Happy 4th!

I agree. If you went on a long trip and left both cars, you'd probably want to plug the other car into at least 120v, so they were both plugged in, but alternating days because you only have one plug isn't going to hurt anything.

 

[knects]

I have a new plan based on this thread. Turn off regen braking, Launch at every light and use the brakes at the very last minute between lights. Hopefully with this I won't have any battery left after 20 mile commute and need to charge it fully (90%).

Cheers

 

[raptor5244]

I have a new plan based on this thread. Turn off regen braking, Launch at every light and use the brakes at the very last minute between lights. Hopefully with this I won't have any battery left after 20 mile commute and need to charge it fully (90%).

Cheers

It is quicker on the highway. Just keep doing launches to top speed on and off the highway ramps.

 

[jjrandorin]

Thank you for showing us the part I am specifically asking about. It says in bold LEAVE YOUR VEHICLE PLUGGED IN. Hence the question. It does not say charge it every time you plug it in.

Also

"When plugged in,
Model 3 wakes up when needed to
automatically maintain a charge level that
maximizes the lifetime of the Battery."

This does not say it will charge to the set limit to do this. I get they want it simple, tell us what to do, this is ambiguous at best.

I was just hoping for a definitive answer and reading the manual does not give us one. I was not hoping to accomplish anything but see if someone had some insight.

And as far as the hassle of it, you open the app (which everyone does multiple times a day because you can, and fun) and tell it to start charging.

What about the part I bolded that comes from the manual? The part that says there is no advantage to waiting till the battery is low to charge it, and to charge it "regularly"? I admit that "regularly" is somewhat ambiguous, but "there is no advantage to waiting till the battery is low to charge it" speaks pretty directly to the proposed plan you had, seems to me.

Maybe you see it differently. Like I said, its your car, feel free to do what you want, or develop whatever charging routine you feel fits you.. but they are pretty clear you dont need to "run the car down" to charge it back up.

 

[pdx_m3s]

I have a new plan based on this thread. Turn off regen braking, Launch at every light and use the brakes at the very last minute between lights. Hopefully with this I won't have any battery left after 20 mile commute and need to charge it fully (90%).

Cheers

Comes up with complex, self proclaimed charging regiment; people rightly critique/point out flaws/ask for proof; responds like child.

 

[knects]

Comes up with complex, self proclaimed charging regiment; people rightly critique/point out flaws/ask for proof; responds like child.

The internet is HARD. It was a joke. It was not complex. The manual is left wanting. Lighten up.

 

[12Pack]

While waiting for my first Tesla to arrive, I had made myself a complex schedule meant to keep SoC and SoC swings as low as possible while getting the charge done just before I set off.

5 years later I just leave it at 80 % and plug whenever I get back in the garage without thinking about it - even if I may be leaving later. Leaves the mind to work on other things.

I guess I'll get to wearing the same clothes every day next....