Battery drain is faster than expected or is this normal?

[Twiglett]

definitely stop using battery "range" - it isn't a real number. Think of it as an ideal conditions number.
To refine what others have already said . . .

• Be selective about where you enable Sentry Mode. Using Sentry location baed settings (Page 165) I have it disabled for home and favorite locations. So its operational everywhere except home or places I tag as favorites in the Nav. That was I still get sentry while parked in a public parking lot. Well worth it.
• Set your Smart Summon Standby Mode options. These work similarly to the Sentry Mode options. Page 125 in Model 3 manual
• Check cabin overheat protection. Leaving on AC can is a range reducer if you don't need it. Page 140
• As an alternative to overheat protection I use Dog Mode, which also leaves a message on the screen so folks know you'll be back soon. Page 147
• Set regen to Standard instead of low. I've been driving an EV for many years now so use Standard regen with Stopping Mode of "Hold" so I can mostly drive with one pedal. Page 69/70
• Last one - watch out for the right foot

 

[drx10]

I have had MY for about 2 weeks. Went out the first weekend with the Fam to the shore about 140 miles. A lot of anxiety and sweating the range. Stopped 3 times at the supercharger enroute and back. Called the guys at Tesla and one of their Techs hand holding and explaining how the battery / range works...anxiety level has worn off. All good now. I plug in the car every day.

It will take getting used to. It's no different than in your ICE days when your gas gauge drops to 75%, then to 50% and 25%. But you don't sweat it cuz you just figure you'll hop into next gas station when you need it. When my car is at 50% battery, that's still a lot of range left. I don't sweat it.

I chose not to put in a "lvl 2" type charger at home b/c I charge primarily at work on a lvl 2. It takes small bit of forward planning on my part to know when I'm going to charge at work next. I also leave every Friday with a full charge (full defined as 80-87% if not going on a trip the upcoming weekend, 100% if headed on a trip).

Otherwise, trust in the efficiency of the car, the regen braking, etc. The range anxiety will dissipate over time.

 

[iustin]

It will take getting used to. It's no different than in your ICE days when your gas gauge drops to 75%, then to 50% and 25%. But you don't sweat it cuz you just figure you'll hop into next gas station when you need it. When my car is at 50% battery, that's still a lot of range left. I don't sweat it.

Well said. The gauge in an ICE is for gas/petrol left, not in range (mi/km), so it makes sense to keep doing that, rather than rely on estimations.

 

[mycroftxxx]

Monitor your Wh/mile. I’m in coastal SoCal also and the MY is our first BEV; the first few weeks, averaging 340+ Wh/mi, but once I figured out how to tweak driving style a bit - especially more effective use of regen braking - the average has come down to 280-290 Wh/mile. Especially important in San Diego with all of the hills and valleys; maximizing regen is crucial to efficiency.

 

[insurancegeek]

• [i QUOTE="Jtrizzo, post: 4903000, member: 138691"]Hello, I’m newbie to the EV lifestyle. We live in San Diego, Ca with mostly fair weather. Lately I charged our MY up to 80% which give estimates 250mi of range. I did a 40mi round trip with A/C and noticed the range was down to 150miles by end of day. Does A/C, stereo play, sentry mode drain that much battery to account for 60miles??

I am constantly charging the battery (every day) cuz it’ll drop below 140mi of range. My daily round trip commute is 25-30miles total with normal driving (not flooring it). Most of the day, the vehicle just sits at work. I’ll regularly start the day at 200mi of range. Does not appear normal to loose this much range daily....can anyone relate?

Thanks
JT[/QUOTE]

I am having the same issue. On my way to Santa Barbara I had a full charge of 306 and I was down to 28 miles after a total of only 215 miles driven. WTF? Not happy !!!!

 

[drx10]

• [i QUOTE="Jtrizzo, post: 4903000, member: 138691"]Hello, I’m newbie to the EV lifestyle. We live in San Diego, Ca with mostly fair weather. Lately I charged our MY up to 80% which give estimates 250mi of range. I did a 40mi round trip with A/C and noticed the range was down to 150miles by end of day. Does A/C, stereo play, sentry mode drain that much battery to account for 60miles??

I am constantly charging the battery (every day) cuz it’ll drop below 140mi of range. My daily round trip commute is 25-30miles total with normal driving (not flooring it). Most of the day, the vehicle just sits at work. I’ll regularly start the day at 200mi of range. Does not appear normal to loose this much range daily....can anyone relate?

Thanks
JT

I am having the same issue. On my way to Santa Barbara I had a full charge of 306 and I was down to 28 miles after a total of only 215 miles driven. WTF? Not happy !!!![/QUOTE]

Out of curiosity, did you notice what your Wh/mi was? If it was well above >300, then that explains your lost mileage

 

[Twiglett]

I am having the same issue. On my way to Santa Barbara I had a full charge of 306 and I was down to 28 miles after a total of only 215 miles driven. WTF? Not happy !!!!

with so little detail its difficult to tell what the reason is. Have you checked the settings I mentioned?
Without knowing your journey, conditions, how you were driving etc it isn't easy to help.
Check your Wh/Mi on your odo for an idea of how you're driving.
If you'd like to obsess about stats, get a free trial on Teslafi.com which will really let you drill into what your car is doing.

 

[2left]

My family has both the M3 and MY. For both, in typical Los Angeles driving (80+ mph on the highway), we only count on getting around 60-65% of the "mileage remaining".

 

[Zcd1]

I am having the same issue. On my way to Santa Barbara I had a full charge of 306 and I was down to 28 miles after a total of only 215 miles driven. WTF? Not happy !!!!

California freeway speeds don’t mirror the EPA Highway test, which actually averages 48 mph with a peak speed of 65 mph.

243 miles of range (215+28) sounds about right for the drive you did.

 

[drx10]

Hello, I’m newbie to the EV lifestyle. We live in San Diego, Ca with mostly fair weather. Lately I charged our MY up to 80% which give estimates 250mi of range. I did a 40mi round trip with A/C and noticed the range was down to 150miles by end of day. Does A/C, stereo play, sentry mode drain that much battery to account for 60miles??

I am constantly charging the battery (every day) cuz it’ll drop below 140mi of range. My daily round trip commute is 25-30miles total with normal driving (not flooring it). Most of the day, the vehicle just sits at work. I’ll regularly start the day at 200mi of range. Does not appear normal to loose this much range daily....can anyone relate?

Thanks
JT

Just drove down from Portland, ME to Peabody, MA to have my MY serviced.

I started the drive at 77% battery, console showed 241 estimated miles. I drove with climate control on set at roughly 71-73 deg, used AutoPilot for 70% of the way at 75 MPH, on occasion I would bump up to 80 MPH to pass and sometimes drop down to 70 MPH. Not a lot of regen braking occurred as I was mainly highway-to-highway.

Ended at the Service Center at 38%/119 estimated miles while having driven an actual 94.5 miles. My kW/mi was 299 . In all, battery reduced by 39% and est miles lowered by 122 miles. So there's about 27 miles "lost" somewhere in there.

My efficiency was horrible. Not sure if it was the hills and inconsistent speeds I had to change while on I-95, or the music streaming and partial phone charging and A/C that consumed more battery/range than expected. Not having any regen braking benefits also really hurt.

I plan to head back at roughly 70 MPH on AutoPilot for as much of the trip as possible to compare. TBD.

 

[Rocky_H]

or the music streaming and partial phone charging and A/C that consumed more battery/range than expected.

None of that amounts to anything noticeable at all.

So there's about 27 miles "lost" somewhere in there.

My efficiency was horrible.

at 75 MPH, on occasion I would bump up to 80 MPH

It's just this. Most people just have no idea how drastically fast highway speed dramatically hurts efficiency.

 

[drx10]

None of that amounts to anything noticeable at all.


It's just this. Most people just have no idea how drastically fast highway speed dramatically hurts efficiency.

Agreed. Definitely chalk it up to the >75 MPH I had autopilot at. Hoping to see improved Wh/mi on way back going no more than 70 MPH. Will update!

 

[Rocky_H]

Agreed. Definitely chalk it up to the >75 MPH I had autopilot at. Hoping to see improved Wh/mi on way back going no more than 70 MPH. Will update!

And keep in mind that this kind of tradeoff is always a choice you have. No one is forcing you either way. You can drive faster and have to take a little longer at a charging stop, or you can drive slower and have a little less time at a charging stop.

I sometimes give people the analogy of heating in your house. You can keep it nice and toasty and pay a higher bill, or you can keep the temperature down more and put on a sweatshirt. Pick whichever one you like. As my father-in-law says, "You make your choices, and you pay your prices."

 

[drx10]

And keep in mind that this kind of tradeoff is always a choice you have. No one is forcing you either way. You can drive faster and have to take a little longer at a charging stop, or you can drive slower and have a little less time at a charging stop.

I sometimes give people the analogy of heating in your house. You can keep it nice and toasty and pay a higher bill, or you can keep the temperature down more and put on a sweatshirt. Pick whichever one you like. As my father-in-law says, "You make your choices, and you pay your prices."

Finally did the reverse drive back from the above today. Drive back was on enhanced AutoPilot at 69 MPH (elapsed time: 1:28, distance 92.9 miles, 264 Wh/mi; mostly 69 MPH). Starting est miles/% at 253/81%, ending 147/47%. 106 est miles decrease for 93 miles driven (vs. 122 decr before); 34% decr (vs. 39% before).

For the 90ish miles I needed to travel, 5-10 mins could be gained by going slightly faster, but sacrifice efficiency. Pick your poison -- to each their own!

 

[MaJeK8ball]

Hello, I’m newbie to the EV lifestyle. We live in San Diego, Ca with mostly fair weather. Lately I charged our MY up to 80% which give estimates 250mi of range. I did a 40mi round trip with A/C and noticed the range was down to 150miles by end of day. Does A/C, stereo play, sentry mode drain that much battery to account for 60miles??

I am constantly charging the battery (every day) cuz it’ll drop below 140mi of range. My daily round trip commute is 25-30miles total with normal driving (not flooring it). Most of the day, the vehicle just sits at work. I’ll regularly start the day at 200mi of range. Does not appear normal to loose this much range daily....can anyone relate?

Thanks
JT

Hello, I’m newbie to the EV lifestyle. We live in San Diego, Ca with mostly fair weather. Lately I charged our MY up to 80% which give estimates 250mi of range. I did a 40mi round trip with A/C and noticed the range was down to 150miles by end of day. Does A/C, stereo play, sentry mode drain that much battery to account for 60miles??

I am constantly charging the battery (every day) cuz it’ll drop below 140mi of range. My daily round trip commute is 25-30miles total with normal driving (not flooring it). Most of the day, the vehicle just sits at work. I’ll regularly start the day at 200mi of range. Does not appear normal to loose this much range daily....can anyone relate?

Thanks
JT

JT,
I am having the same issue w/ my dual motor Y. I have under 2k mi on it. I've calculated that I'm getting about 52.9% of the battery range. Fully charged I'm at 254 mi on the battery (set at 80%), I traveled 99 mi (based on the odometer reading) yet the battery gauge is at 69 mi when I should have about 155 mi left. I have to turn off the a/c and lower the fan speed to "1" each night or I will lose 8-10 mi overnight. Even doing this I still lose 2-5 mi overnight. I don't have sentry mode activated, nor the summons feature turned on.
I will check back to this site to see if you've resolve your issue.
I have an appt set for Mon to check on the issue. Will post again after Tesla checks over the vehicle.
I find some comfort that I'm not alone. Misery loves company. IMO- completely unacceptable to get ~50% of the range.

 

[drx10]

JT,
I am having the same issue w/ my dual motor Y. I have under 2k mi on it. I've calculated that I'm getting about 52.9% of the battery range. Fully charged I'm at 254 mi on the battery (set at 80%), I traveled 99 mi (based on the odometer reading) yet the battery gauge is at 69 mi when I should have about 155 mi left. I have to turn off the a/c and lower the fan speed to "1" each night or I will lose 8-10 mi overnight. Even doing this I still lose 2-5 mi overnight. I don't have sentry mode activated, nor the summons feature turned on.
I will check back to this site to see if you've resolve your issue.
I have an appt set for Mon to check on the issue. Will post again after Tesla checks over the vehicle.
I find some comfort that I'm not alone. Misery loves company. IMO- completely unacceptable to get ~50% of the range.

@MaJeK8ball , what was your Wh/mi during your 99 mile drive? To lose 185 estimated miles on a 99 mile trip is still pretty eye-opening. I'm curious how "efficient" the drive was?

 

[Zcd1]

JT,
I am having the same issue w/ my dual motor Y. I have under 2k mi on it. I've calculated that I'm getting about 52.9% of the battery range. Fully charged I'm at 254 mi on the battery (set at 80%), I traveled 99 mi (based on the odometer reading) yet the battery gauge is at 69 mi when I should have about 155 mi left. I have to turn off the a/c and lower the fan speed to "1" each night or I will lose 8-10 mi overnight. Even doing this I still lose 2-5 mi overnight. I don't have sentry mode activated, nor the summons feature turned on.
I will check back to this site to see if you've resolve your issue.
I have an appt set for Mon to check on the issue. Will post again after Tesla checks over the vehicle.
I find some comfort that I'm not alone. Misery loves company. IMO- completely unacceptable to get ~50% of the range.

Did your trip average more than 48mph, or is this number based on multiple drives, and not just a single trip? If the answer to either question is yes, then your results may not be out of line.

Are you charging every night? Is cabin overheat protection on?

 

[MaJeK8ball]

Did your trip average more than 48mph, or is this number based on multiple drives, and not just a single trip? If the answer to either question is yes, then your results may not be out of line.

Are you charging every night? Is cabin overheat protection on?

My driving is mostly on residential/side roads w/ 25-45 mph speed limits and I usually keep to the speed limit. My trips are under 20 mi round trip, no long trips, just shuttling back and forth from school (7 mi round trip) and errands. There are times I'm on a highway doing 60-65, but it's for only a few miles, at most. Loss of range is worse the more I'm on the highway. Just drove 3mi on the highway at 60 mph, but used 8mi of battery range.
Cabin overheat is turned off. Garage parked every night and only charge when I'm at around 50-70mi left on the battery gauge.
Thanks,
MJK8

 

[MaJeK8ball]

@MaJeK8ball , what was your Wh/mi during your 99 mile drive? To lose 185 estimated miles on a 99 mile trip is still pretty eye-opening. I'm curious how "efficient" the drive was?

My 99 miles was in several short tips over the course of the week. I don't travel more than 20mi round trip and on roads w/ speed limits at 25-45 mph. There are times where Im on the highway for only a few miles doing 60-65mph. Battery drain is worse on the highway miles.
I'm getting about 130-135mi per charge- not even close to 250.
Thanks,
MJK8

 

[MaJeK8ball]

@MaJeK8ball , what was your Wh/mi during your 99 mile drive? To lose 185 estimated miles on a 99 mile trip is still pretty eye-opening. I'm curious how "efficient" the drive was?