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Best to charge to 60%?
- Thread starter Doug1000
- Start date
Long-term storage (weeks/months), 60% might by less stressful over the life of the HV battery, but personally, I think keeping your range between 20 and 80% is equally acceptable. I'd keep it plugged in, although there has been discussion of the risk factor lightning strikes in thunderstorm prone regions.
I think by now we'd be getting reports of premature range loss (beyond the well-documented 5-8% within the first 15-20k miles) if there were charging issues.
I think by now we'd be getting reports of premature range loss (beyond the well-documented 5-8% within the first 15-20k miles) if there were charging issues.
pepperoni
Member
I’ve seen a lot of opinions on this question on this forum, but little hard data. Tesla recommends that you avoid charging the NMC battery above 90% for daily use. From the manual:
If the image of the Battery displays ‘Daily’ and ‘Trip’: keep the full charge limit of the battery to under 90% for daily use by using the mobile app or vehicle’s touchscreen to set charge limit within the ‘Daily’ range. If you need the full range (i.e. 100%) of your battery for a long-distance trip, you can increase the limit to the ‘Trip’ range (>90%) as necessary.
I have a short commute so usually charge to 60 - 80%, but will charge to 90% only if I think I will need the extra range.
If the image of the Battery displays ‘Daily’ and ‘Trip’: keep the full charge limit of the battery to under 90% for daily use by using the mobile app or vehicle’s touchscreen to set charge limit within the ‘Daily’ range. If you need the full range (i.e. 100%) of your battery for a long-distance trip, you can increase the limit to the ‘Trip’ range (>90%) as necessary.
I have a short commute so usually charge to 60 - 80%, but will charge to 90% only if I think I will need the extra range.
I usually charge to ~80%. I know I can charge, add 10% per hour while charging at home (240V/32A). If I need a little extra charge before I set out on a longer drive I know it will only take ~1 hour to charge the battery to ~90%.
pepperoni
Member
I read Doug’s post as a question about daily use, asking whether the long term storage guidance should also be used daily given that his commute is short.
The graph I have seen (don't have the link) was for a single cell in a laboratory test environment. That test showed that there was a benefit in terms of battery health (capacity retention) by not charging above 70% (or depleting below 25%.)
In real world use the age of the battery in months, years probably matters more for capacity retention than the maximum charging level as long as it is not ~100% for any length of time (especially in warmer temperatures.)
Today a ground hog almost took out my Model Y; tomorrow it could be Bambi.
I maintain that the rate of change of today's EVs is the limiting factor not the longevity of the battery. 5 years ownership is like 10 years plus in the past. You will want a new EV for the enhancements in battery technology, processors, cameras, etc. Overall performance, comfort and safety will be what pushes me into a newer EV.
MY1stEV
Member
I charge to 69% every night because I know that is what Elon would want.
50% to 60% charge for daily driving would be fine. Perhaps 70% would provide a little more range in case you need to drive a bit further sometimes. Figure out how long, in hours, it will take to charge from 60% to 85% or 90% for a longer trip. Ask yourself if you want to have to plan for that additional time charging before you leave home on a longer day trip.
I usually do 60%. You can get monthly battery reports from these guys - Recurrent | Used Electric Cars Aren't Measured in Miles
They are in the 50% camp.
I usually start charging at 8AM as I"m retired and if I go out, it's likely 9-10 am so I usually get back to 60. I try to charge late so the batter might be warm when I leave (with no preconditioning). If I know I'm going more the next day, I simply start the scheduled charge earlier and bump up the limit.
They are in the 50% camp.
I usually start charging at 8AM as I"m retired and if I go out, it's likely 9-10 am so I usually get back to 60. I try to charge late so the batter might be warm when I leave (with no preconditioning). If I know I'm going more the next day, I simply start the scheduled charge earlier and bump up the limit.
alexcue
Member
My only complaint about Recurrent is it keeps waking up the car several times a day. If I’m not using it I prefer the car to sleep.
Personally I keep my battery at 80%, and my commute is 39 miles a day on average.
OxBrew
Active Member
we do 70% mostly. Usually only 80 for long trips, I have to stop more than the car does, can't get past that first charging stop anyway.
Last I checked we had only about half the degradation I was expecting (3-4%) over the first 10 months ish (about 12k miles at that point).
Also, we always pre heat plugged in if it's below about 45 out. Winters are weeks or months between 15-25°F.
Last I checked we had only about half the degradation I was expecting (3-4%) over the first 10 months ish (about 12k miles at that point).
Also, we always pre heat plugged in if it's below about 45 out. Winters are weeks or months between 15-25°F.
We keep my wife's 2018 Model 3 at 80% with minimal loss of range after nearly 4 years. Only time we go 100% is traveling from San Diego to LA to visit Grandma
snellenr
Member
An alternative strategy, based on my "nerfed" early 2014 P85 (103,000 mi) with 248 mile max range (265 miles, at birth):
Daily use: charge to 90%, then let day-to-day use "walk it down" to roughly 20%. Rinse; Repeat.
Trips: Set limit to 100% and "Time of departure" to around the planned departure. No need to be hyper accurate here; +/- an hour is less of an issue than forgetting about the absence of regen... or forgetting to reset the limit back to 90%.
I could usually (Houston commuting, etc) go 3-4 days without *needing* to hook it up.
When you are already willing to stay at 60% one can already rather save half of the degradation rate by staying at 50% (or at most 55%): Hearing super conflicting advice about battery charging levels
Mike_TV
Active Member
You make a good point about 5 years being the new 10 years. So many changes happening so fast. I've kept my ICE cars for over 10 years with some pushing 15 years. That'll seem like an eternity with a Tesla.
SageBrush
REJECT Fascism
Instead of 80% ?
The improvement in battery life will be small, but real. And it will matter more in the summer.
My wife finds it more convenient to have a habit of always plugging in when she gets home so she does not have to ever think about SoC in her daily driving. That meshes well for us to set the SoC limit to 65% outside of winter, and to 75% in the winter.
SageBrush
REJECT Fascism
The rate of tech change will slow down, that is the nature of things. It is also true of tech that in the beginning tech advances are used to offer more performance; the next stage sees tech advances being used to lower prices.
I moved from a 60 mile range EV to a 250 mile range EV, a 4x jump in range. It is pretty obvious that 1,000 mile range EVs are not the next generation; and even if they are offered, I would not have any use for that car.
