Decreasing rated range.

[tdiggity]

Just took a road trip with Superchargers and saw an increase in range.

Previous range:
90%: 221-222
100%: 244

Today's range:
90%: 228
100%: 250

20,000 miles

Some notes:

• I had been charging to 90% for the past 2 months, and did not see an increase in range, and even one road trip, no increase on v5.x
• Superchargers filled me up from 20-->180miles. 3 Superchargers used to get to my destination and 3 going back home.
• Charging at the hotel first night = 248 miles
• Charging at the hotel 2nd night = 250 miles

I wish that Tesla did balancing at any charge level. Something along the lines of "if the charge level hasn't changed for 7 days, then do balancing." As some have said, if the miles aren't there, then they are useless to the driver. If I need to take a road trip tomorrow, i'd like that to know that I can use all the available power.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

I'm not sure if it's a balancing issue, it may be more of an algorithm calibration issue. When you charge to 100% and run the car down to a low SOC, the algorithm more accurately estimates the battery storage endpoints and gives you a more exact range count. This has nothing to do with balancing.

 

[Super Gizmo]

I'm not sure if it's a balancing issue, it may be more of an algorithm calibration issue. When you charge to 100% and run the car down to a low SOC, the algorithm more accurately estimates the battery storage endpoints and gives you a more exact range count. This has nothing to do with balancing.

That is consistent with what Jerome's reply was to my email.

 

[tdiggity]

Well, however you want to classify it, I'm saying that my range did not improve when I was on ver5.X. But, it did on v6.0

 

[mknox]

On my current road trip, I had occasion to do my first two range charges since the 6.0 upgrade. Much to my surprise (and delight?) I am once again getting to 270 (actually 271 on the first one)!!! I have not seen that level since the first few months of ownership. :biggrin:

The first range charge was on a 30A J1772 charger in Coeur D'Alene, ID. The second was at the Albert Lea supercharger before heading into the hinterland of Iowa.

Each time I carefully checked the numbers as I drew down the pack to make sure that there was no sudden accelerated adjustment. There was none. Everything added up.

How can this be? Anyone else seeing this?

Not even close. You've got an early car with an A-pack as well, right? I'm getting 215 at 90% and about 238 at 100%. I never saw anything above 260 to 265 even when the car was new! I have 34,440 miles on the odometer as of today.

 

[ecarfan]

I'm getting 215 at 90% and about 238 at 100%. I never saw anything above 260 to 265 even when the car was new! I

That is odd. I had 263-265 when my S85 was new. Now have almost 17K miles and a range charge a few days ago showed 258. I have a B pack. Charge at home at 80A with my HPWC.

 

[tezco]

Not even close. You've got an early car with an A-pack as well, right? I'm getting 215 at 90% and about 238 at 100%. I never saw anything above 260 to 265 even when the car was new! I have 34,440 miles on the odometer as of today.

I'm nowhere near 270 rated @ 100% either, but I was at 292 ideal last Friday. I don't know what my S did when it was new 3 years ago since I only charged to 90% and I kept the display set on the old projected range (which went away with v4.0); however, according to the Software/Firmware Wiki for v1.9.11 (Sept 2012):

"The Rated Range estimate predicts the car's range based on standardized range metrics set by the EPA. When your Model S was delivered, the Rated Range was based on the EPA's 2-cycle test, which yields approximately 300 miles of range after fully charging in Max Range mode. With the new software release, Model S will begin using the EPA's more aggressive 5-cycle test to predict the Rated Range. After a full Max Range mode charge, your Model S will now display approximately 265 - 269 miles of Rated Range."

Edit (found an old post of mine from Mar 2013):
We also need to remember that the original standard charge was 92%:

Old standard charge was 92% and now that notch corresponds to 90%...

Back then I got 278 ideal@92% which would suggest I would have had about 302 ideal at 100%, so I'm down about 3% since the car was new 3 years ago.

I usually start with 278 ideal miles; occasionally 279.

 

[InTheShadows]

I've been driving all day and got a chance to run our pack down to 23 rated miles. Just finishing a Supercharger balancing charge and got 271 rated miles. On v 6.0 (1.65.15) D pack. 11 months of ownership 23k miles.

 

[lloyds]

I'm currently at 27k and at the 80% level, I get 228-232.

 

[brianman]

I'm currently at 27k and at the 80% level, I get 228-232.

Please clarify. What are the units on your last 2 numbers there. Rated miles? Ideal miles? Real kilometers?

 

[BrandonF]

I bumped up from my usual 80% charge to 90% last night (the highest selection that isn't in the "trip" bar) and woke up with 173 rated miles. Maybe I am overreacting a bit but 173 seems low for 90%. FYI I have 6,700 miles on it and took delivery with 2,900.

I am leaving on a road trip tomorrow so I range charged my MS60 for the 2nd time since I received it around 4 months and 7,000 miles ago. To my disappointment, my max range charge is now only 194 which is down from 198 the first time I range charged and 204 when it was delivered with a full range charge. At what point do I need to be worried about problems with my battery?

 

[tdiggity]

This may be known already, but I had range mode on and had 200 rated miles displayed. When I switched range mode off, the rated miles changed to 198 right away.

Also tried this again and was able to reproduce.

 

[rlang59]

This may be known already, but I had range mode on and had 200 rated miles displayed. When I switched range mode off, the rated miles changed to 198 right away.

Also tried this again and was able to reproduce.

Yes, this has been observed and reported in this thread. Turning on range mode seems to add 2-4 miles rated range.

 

[tomas]

I am leaving on a road trip tomorrow so I range charged my MS60 for the 2nd time since I received it around 4 months and 7,000 miles ago. To my disappointment, my max range charge is now only 194 which is down from 198 the first time I range charged and 204 when it was delivered with a full range charge. At what point do I need to be worried about problems with my battery?

If you are the type of person who likes to worry, then you should start worrying immediately because you are a worrier and you enjoy it. If you are concerned about your battery, suggest you read 10 or 20 pages of this thread and I'll bet you chill. I'm not gonna digest it for you but it's all been said and there's really very little degradation. Balancing and calibration and maybe a little (expected) loss of capacity. Read!

 

[dalamchops]

I am leaving on a road trip tomorrow so I range charged my MS60 for the 2nd time since I received it around 4 months and 7,000 miles ago. To my disappointment, my max range charge is now only 194 which is down from 198 the first time I range charged and 204 when it was delivered with a full range charge. At what point do I need to be worried about problems with my battery?

My MS60 has 4800mi and charges to 181-182 on 90%, last time i range charged was 209mi

 

[BrandonF]

If you are the type of person who likes to worry, then you should start worrying immediately because you are a worrier and you enjoy it. If you are concerned about your battery, suggest you read 10 or 20 pages of this thread and I'll bet you chill. I'm not gonna digest it for you but it's all been said and there's really very little degradation. Balancing and calibration and maybe a little (expected) loss of capacity. Read!

I am not a worry-er by nature, but it is hard to see my rate range continue to drop especially when I need as many miles as possible. It is just alarming to see 194 as a max # when 4 months ago it was 204. I didnt read all 1,600 posts in this thread so there may be a perfectly reasonable explanation. My frustration is that I have to read through 1,600+ posts in a forum to figure out how to get educated on the best way to maximize range. It seems like Tesla could publish a white paper or a specific set of guidelines to specifically lay out battery charging and range estimate calculations.

 

[mknox]

I am not a worry-er by nature, but it is hard to see my rate range continue to drop especially when I need as many miles as possible.

I would characterize myself similarly. For me, it was/is more of a curiosity. My big dip seemed to happen after I started using the slider to charge to 70% and deplete to about 30% daily. This seems to be the "preferred" methodology for babying the battery. Over the past week or two, I've reverted to 90% charging daily and have seen an improvement of 1 or 2 rated miles at the 90% mark. I think 90% is still "safe" and will stick with it for a bit just to see what happens.

 

[glhs272]

I am not a worry-er by nature, but it is hard to see my rate range continue to drop especially when I need as many miles as possible. It is just alarming to see 194 as a max # when 4 months ago it was 204. I didnt read all 1,600 posts in this thread so there may be a perfectly reasonable explanation. My frustration is that I have to read through 1,600+ posts in a forum to figure out how to get educated on the best way to maximize range. It seems like Tesla could publish a white paper or a specific set of guidelines to specifically lay out battery charging and range estimate calculations.

To summarize those 1,600 posts, your battery is likely slightly out of balance because you must have been doing a lot of charging below 90%. To restore this loss of range, balance your battery by charging to 90% or greater, regularly. You begin to see an improvement over a few charging cycles.

 

[Pilot_51]

I would characterize myself similarly. For me, it was/is more of a curiosity.

Once I understood that imbalance was the cause of my range loss, I've shifted from mild concern to curiosity in how much range I'll ultimately lose while maintaining a charge between 80% and 45%. I'm currently at 152 rated miles (about 11 miles lost) at 80% after three and a half months. Since I only drive 45 miles a day and have no plans for long trips any time soon, the lost range doesn't bother me.

 

[FredTMC]

To summarize those 1,600 posts, your battery is likely slightly out of balance because you must have been doing a lot of charging below 90%. To restore this loss of range, balance your battery by charging to 90% or greater, regularly. You begin to see an improvement over a few charging cycles.

Question about 90% "balancing" method: I've never witnessed the trickle charge "solid green ring of light" at the charge port that you get when doing a 100% range charge. Does this happen during a 90% charge?