Advice for charging with non-use Tesla

[khadotcom]

The car will be sitting for a few months as I work from home. What's the best way to keep the battery healthy? It is currently under a car cover, but if is better to keep it constantly charged, I'm willing to take it out. Thoughts?

 

[TW14 9LF]

Lots of threads on this. Do what Tesla recommends, plug it in. Mine is set at 80%.

 

[Akikiki]

Leave it plugged in - all the time. Tesla has always say, a plugged in Tesla is a happy Tesla.
It won't constantly charge. It will bleed off a charge via vampire drain. And once it reaches a point (I don't remember what that point is), it will charge again on its own. Don't set the battery charge range above 90%.

 

[animorph]

Leave it plugged in. It will automatically top off the charge as needed, every few days. I'd set the charge limit at 50% if that meets your emergency use needs. That's supposed to be easiest on the battery.

 

[user212_nr]

It is currently under a car cover, but if is better to keep it constantly charged, I'm willing to take it out.

You do realize that the car does not turn off and that it uses electrical power while it is under the car cover?

Other posters gave the correct info. 50% sounds good. You also should put the car on blocks if you "really" won't be driving it at all. Otherwise, you should move the car a 1/3 wheel turn every few days.

I'm guessing you have another gas car for emergencies.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=42

 

[jjrandorin]

The car will be sitting for a few months as I work from home. What's the best way to keep the battery healthy? It is currently under a car cover, but if is better to keep it constantly charged, I'm willing to take it out. Thoughts?

The following is an EXACT cut and past from the tesla manual.

=============================================

About the Battery

Model 3 has one of the most sophisticated
battery systems in the world. The most
important way to preserve the Battery is to
LEAVE YOUR VEHICLE PLUGGED IN when
you are not using it. This is particularly
important if you are not planning to drive
Model 3 for several weeks.

When plugged in,
Model 3 wakes up when needed to
automatically maintain a charge level that
maximizes the lifetime of the Battery.
Note: When left idle and unplugged, your
vehicle periodically uses energy from the
Battery for system tests and recharging the
12V battery when necessary.

There is no advantage to waiting until the
Battery’s level is low before charging. In fact,
the Battery performs best when charged
regularly.

Note: If the Model 3 Battery becomes
completely discharged in a situation in which
towing is required, the owner is responsible
for towing expenses. Discharge-related towing
expenses are not covered under the Roadside
Assistance policy.
=================================

With that being said, if you want to take it out every so often and charge it, and let it run down to charge it back up, you do you.

 

[SleeperService]

Been floating mine at 50% for the past twoish weeks. Had to go to the office this morning, so charged to 90%. Seems good so far. Teslas like to be plugged in and lithium ion batteries like to be at 50% SOC. Seems like a no brainer.

 

[rjt!]

Been floating mine at 50% for the past twoish weeks. Had to go to the office this morning, so charged to 90%. Seems good so far. Teslas like to be plugged in and lithium ion batteries like to be at 50% SOC. Seems like a no brainer.

Hmmmm, maybe. While 50% SOC is the LI happy point, that's mostly only true when there isn't something like the Tesla battery management software in the loop managing the state of charge across the multiple cell multiple charge zone batteries that are in a tesla. Higher SOC gives it more maneuver room; there are posts here that say that. Consensus here is charge to 80%/90% or so and just let the battery manager worry about it.

And besides - if there was a general power outage you'd have severely limited your survivalist bugout options if you only had 50% SOC .

 

[Rottenapplr]

6% on my long range. I do bump it to 70% if I’m going to drive it.

 

[khadotcom]

I understand the 50% is there LI battery wants to be. But I have not read anything that says charging it to 80-90% then letting it vampire drain to 50% is a problem or does damage to the battery.

 

[user212_nr]

I understand the 50% is there LI battery wants to be. But I have not read anything that says charging it to 80-90% then letting it vampire drain to 50% is a problem or does damage to the battery.

You asked what is best, not if you can charge to 90 and let it drain. Sure why not. Its the same as driving it.

 

[khadotcom]

You asked what is best, not if you can charge to 90 and let it drain. Sure why not. Its the same as driving it.

You are correct.

 

[SparkyB]

I noticed a Model 3 at the Chinese giga factory video has a new charge port? What are we seeing here?

 

[Rocky_H]

I noticed a Model 3 at the Chinese giga factory video has a new charge port? What are we seeing here?
View attachment 530781

China has their own plug types that are referred to as GB/T. There is one for AC charging and one for DC charging in that format. That's what those two plug types are. This was first getting noticed and covered back in about January 2019 when they first started shipping the Model 3 into China. Here are some articles and forum threads about it.

[Updated] Model 3 CCS / CHAdeMO adapter

Chinese Tesla Model 3 Spotted With Proper GB/T Connector

New Dual Charging Port!

New Higher Power DC Charging Standard Coming From China

 

[SDKoala]

The following is an EXACT cut and past from the tesla manual.

Amazing what people could learn if they would RTFM.