I know this isn’t a cell phone, but how far down should I let the battery get before charging the 1st time? Also, any downside to charging multiple times between full (80%) charged? ie If my battery is at 50% and I plug it in at the free mall charger for 30 minutes, will repeatedly doing this wear the battery out sooner?
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How far down to run battery before 1st charge?
- Thread starter scottman71
- Start date
buddhra
Member
No concerns about the first charge. This should help answer some questions for you:
Tam
Well-Known Member
On page 105, it says:
"The most important way to preserve the Battery is to LEAVE YOUR VEHICLE PLUGGED IN when you are not using it...
"There is no advantage to waiting until the Battery’s level is low before charging. In fact, the Battery performs best when charged regularly."
In the time it took to post the question, he could have read the battery section of the owners manual. Why don’t new owners RTFM any more? Early Model S owners memorized it.
The manual is available on the touchscreen in the car and on the tesla website under your Tesla account (Manage your Tesla)
They gave me enough time to pair two phones and adjust the seats and mirrors for two drivers. That's IT!
You can't tell someone to RTFM when Tesla doesn't tell you a manual even exists. They even specifically told me that I can get any questions answered online (I got the impression that they meant forums and not the Tesla website). I don't blame OP for asking on a forum because that's what Tesla expects me to do.
Tam
Well-Known Member
Tesla has been trying to avoid killing trees so your manual is not in paper form.
It's electronic both in your car display and website under your Tesla account.
It's much easier to do a search electronically when your manual is not paper!
@TexasEV If you took the time to read my original question, I was asking specifically about the 1st time charging and the potential problems with charging multiple times of short durations. Before you give a holier-than-thou response, why don't you read the manual yourself to see that the answer to my question is not in there (FWIW, I read the whole manual before ever taking delivery).
Tam
Well-Known Member
My reading of the manual is it's good for frequent charging including what you propose above short durations and multiple times.
It's infrequent charging that is discouraged.
The above advice is generic and should be good for all, first, middle or last time charging.
On the same page it warns that 0% can permanently damage your battery. It automatically starts to enter to low-power consumption mode starting at 5%.
Thus, if I start with 50% and I use 5% a day, it's much better to charge daily from 45% to 50% for each of 10 days for a total of 50% charging.
It would be much worse, if I use 5% a day and don't recharge it for the next 10 days until it goes to 0% and I recharge it up back for a total of same amount of 50% as the above.
ModelNforNerd
Active Member
Of course the answer is there. Both quotes from the battery section of the manual that @Tam posted address your question. Leaving the vehicle plugged in, and not waiting to charge until the battery gets low, means it’s better to have multiple short duration charges.
I guess it could be read like that. Just seems like charging 20 minutes here and there wouldn't be a good thing.
What you are looking for is probably not in the manual. Because it's not a situation to worry yourself about, notwithstanding most peoples desire to treat their battery as nicely as possible.
It seems that consensus is to routinely charge to 80% nightly. Do not charge to 100% and leave sitting for long periods as that is known to be somewhat harmful to the battery. If you do by mistake, don't sweat it, really it's cumulative damage that counts.
My personal practice which is based on nothing other than personal preference is to cycle the battery between 50% and 80%. Part of my reason for not going below 50% in day to day use is simply that I live out of town and need 100+ km of range available at all times.
It could be that all these rules of thumb count for little or nothing in terms of the lifetime durability of the vehcile, we will have a better idea when the Model S/X start passing 10-15 yrs of age. Realise that the only liquid cooled battery EVs that are in that age range are the very first Chevy Volts - and their battery is heavily managed by the software in terms of upper and lower change limits.
It seems that consensus is to routinely charge to 80% nightly. Do not charge to 100% and leave sitting for long periods as that is known to be somewhat harmful to the battery. If you do by mistake, don't sweat it, really it's cumulative damage that counts.
My personal practice which is based on nothing other than personal preference is to cycle the battery between 50% and 80%. Part of my reason for not going below 50% in day to day use is simply that I live out of town and need 100+ km of range available at all times.
It could be that all these rules of thumb count for little or nothing in terms of the lifetime durability of the vehcile, we will have a better idea when the Model S/X start passing 10-15 yrs of age. Realise that the only liquid cooled battery EVs that are in that age range are the very first Chevy Volts - and their battery is heavily managed by the software in terms of upper and lower change limits.
SDRick
Active Member
I would wait until after the 500 mile break-in \ first oil change before going outside the manufacturers charging recommendations.
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