First off, I’m a relatively new Model 3 owner and brand new to the forum, so I apologize if this specific subject has been addressed. I know that it is recommended to leave the car plugged in whenever possible. However, I do notice that the charging starts and stops quite a bit, as referenced by my notifications from the Tesla app. I was away for the last three days, and left the car unplugged. I lost about 20 miles of range during that time. My question is how much electricity is used to keep the car plugged in and charging in little spurts? I feel like it could be quite a bit more than just charging the 20 miles back up, which only takes one hour. Has there been any research done on this? Or, can it just be assumed that charging a few miles at a time (after short stints of vampire drain) uses equivalent electricity to charging 20 miles all at once?
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Electricity Used While Leaving Model 3 Plugged In
- Thread starter Yankz96
- Start date
Did you have Sentry mode on? That's a lot miles to be losing in 3 days. With a normal sleeping Tesla, you should expect 1%/day or so loss.
When the Tesla is plugged in, if the charge drops by ~3% or so, it will charge back up to the set point. If you have Sentry Mode on, then you lose about 1%/hr, in which case I would expect the car to "top off" every 3 hours or so.
Also, every time you open the app on your phone, it wakes up the car, and then it takes 15-30 min for it to sleep again, so that can also cause usage.
Finally, for all intents and purposes, it is not more electricity to "top off" vs one charge. Any efficiency difference is minimal.
When the Tesla is plugged in, if the charge drops by ~3% or so, it will charge back up to the set point. If you have Sentry Mode on, then you lose about 1%/hr, in which case I would expect the car to "top off" every 3 hours or so.
Also, every time you open the app on your phone, it wakes up the car, and then it takes 15-30 min for it to sleep again, so that can also cause usage.
Finally, for all intents and purposes, it is not more electricity to "top off" vs one charge. Any efficiency difference is minimal.
webbah
Active Member
Being in Florida you have a lot less to worry about in Winter with an EV than many others. Cold weather will cause more electricity usage and less efficiency to keep the battery pack heated and in a safe range of temps. You’d also lose efficiency while driving the car, etc.
Considering how much you spent on the Tesla and how cheap electricity is compared to gasoline in your former ICE car is it truly that big of a concern? It’s minimal and nothing to obsess about. The car is keeping itself charged and the cells balanced, but in Florida likely doesn’t have to also use energy too much to keep the battery pack temp happy.
I live in an apartment and don’t have the ability to charge at home. You’ve got things pretty easy! Don’t obsess over the little things or look for problems that aren’t there and enjoy the car.
Considering how much you spent on the Tesla and how cheap electricity is compared to gasoline in your former ICE car is it truly that big of a concern? It’s minimal and nothing to obsess about. The car is keeping itself charged and the cells balanced, but in Florida likely doesn’t have to also use energy too much to keep the battery pack temp happy.
I live in an apartment and don’t have the ability to charge at home. You’ve got things pretty easy! Don’t obsess over the little things or look for problems that aren’t there and enjoy the car.
Thank you so much for taking the time to reply in such a detail. I really appreciate it!
AlanSubie4Life
Efficiency Obsessed Member
In temperate climates like yours, it makes very little difference whether it happens in short stints or all at once. In very cold climates, charging all at once is very likely more efficient (since in freezing conditions, the battery has to be warmed up before charging, and you want this warming time period to be as small a percentage of the overall charging time as possible).
I wonder if in Florida you will use more electricity from battery cooling than anything else. I am often surprised when I walk into the garage during summer and hear the fans on the nose of my X running full blast. It happens when it is over 80. I drive the car and come home. The fans sometimes run for 20 minutes or longer.
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