How many times have you Range charged (100%) your model S?

[nwdiver]

I know this has been mentioned before but I didn't see it on this thread... my understanding is that it's the time & temperature spent at an SOC of 100% that causes damage. So I'm not shy about charging to 100% but I never let it sit there for more than ~30 minutes. I also usually leave my car at ~60%... especially in the summer.

 

[apacheguy]

I have range charged when on trips since the car was new; I never let the car sit at 100% for more than a few minutes. Typically I charge to 85% for local driving and plug it in every night.

Note that allowing it to sit at 100 for an hour or two isn't all that much worse. In fact, it may be beneficial as it allows the BMS to do a full, accurate balance cycle which should restore real, usable range.

 

[Ugliest1]

Numbers pretty close to AEdennis and Kalud...

CAR NEW PURCHASE DATE: 2014.01.08 (picked up in Vancouver BC)
CURRENT VEHICLE MILEAGE: 28,000km (17,500mi)
CURRENT RATED MILES @ 100%: 262 last time fully charged in August
TOTAL # OF RANGE CHARGES: ~15ish on the ElektrikTrek

The 262 RM isn't really 262, because I usually went a couple (few? small number of?) of miles before the range started decreasing. This was driving in the US so displaying miles. Nearly all the 100% charges have been on SCs. IIRC, my very first 100% charge gave me 264RM. Lowest RM before charge was 8mi, 20mi, 25mi.

The car hasn't sat at 100% for more than an hour. Normal SOC is 40-80%, temperate climate, though in CA, AZ, NV for 4 weeks in July certainly tested the cooling infrastructure (who chooses THAT timing?!?!??!!).

Build date Dec 2013, D battery

 

[islandbayy]

CAR NEW PURCHASE DATE: 2013.05.21
CURRENT VEHICLE MILEAGE: 39,000mi
CURRENT RATED MILES @ 100%: 207 last time fully charged in was last night.
TOTAL # OF RANGE CHARGES: ~156 on the First battery (Contactor died at 34,000 Miles, was getting 206-208 Rated at TOD, A Pack). (5,000 On new Referb battery B pack getting ~207 rated)

My first battery held up much better. I believe their is something wrong with my referb B pack, as I was getting 211 Rated, then within 500 miles it dropped to 199, then up to 204 held their and then back up to 207 and will not exceed that. It took nearly 24,000 miles for that range drop with my original. And even with the reported range drop, I could exceed that number and get 209 if I drove at 290w/mi.

 

[apacheguy]

@islandbayy - How many kWh are replenished at a SpC when you run her down from full to empty? How many kWh consumed are displayed on the dash? Could the 211 to 207 jump perhaps be explained by the ever changing rated miles calculation?

 

[roblab]

• CAR NEW DELIVERY / IN SERVICE DATE: Sept.14, 2012
• CURRENT VEHICLE MILEAGE: 54,000
• CURRENT RATED MILES @ 100%: 252 standard miles
• TOTAL # OF RANGE CHARGES: About 25

With an early Signature, I have an A pack. I calculate that I have lost about 5% of my battery range from degradation in two years and understand that it tapers more slowly from here. I have driven the pack down to 6 miles, 1 mile, zero miles, -4 miles. Usually >30.

Version 6.0 (1.65.15) installed last night before charging began.

The car has sat for hours after a full charge when I didn't know it was doing a full charge, or was at a new charger overnight at a motel. I try to cut the amps down, so charge at 30 or 24 amps if I have time. I don't usually fill to full at a supercharger; more like 90%.

 

[islandbayy]

@islandbayy - How many kWh are replenished at a SpC when you run her down from full to empty? How many kWh consumed are displayed on the dash? Could the 211 to 207 jump perhaps be explained by the ever changing rated miles calculation?

I havent done any recent 100% charges at a SpC, but last night, I consumed 53 kW from 100% down to Charge Now, and recharged back to 100% used 59kW.

 

[Cottonwood]

CAR NEW DELIVERY / IN SERVICE DATE: Sept.14, 2012
CURRENT VEHICLE MILEAGE: 24,000
CURRENT RATED MILES @ 100%: 255 standard miles
TOTAL # OF RANGE CHARGES: About 50​

I usually charge to 80% for normal day-to-day driving, but have no qualms about charging to 100% for a trip. Rarely leave it at 100% for more than an hour or two before departing. The longest that I ever left it at 100% was for an overnight because of logistics getting to the charger on a trip. Lots of Supercharger sessions. When I leave Silverthorne for Pagosa, usually charge to 97-99% on that Supercharger. 97% gets me to the 70 Amp charge rate in Salida, and 99% with some gentle hypermiling will get me to Pagosa.

Currently at 5.12 on the software, looking forward to 6.0 mainly for the geo-referenced air suspension. Two miles of gravel to get to my house in Pagosa, and big speed humps on my street in Boulder!

 

[yobigd20]

I'm actually quite surprised at the results so far. I expected there to be a higher % above 40. Then again, with 56k miles on my MS in 18 months ownership, I've only range charged a handful of times, 11-20. so given the large amount of driving that I do and relatively low number of range charges, I guess the results actually make sense. Good to see that not many people need that extra range at all. so much for range anxiety. I would imagine people with range anxiety would be range charging a lot more frequently. then again the results are skewed towards TMC members and I'm pretty sure all of us on here recognize that range anxiety is more a fabrication of the media than reality (well, except for compliance cars maybe).

 

[CalDreamin]

• CAR NEW PURCHASE DATE: 6/28/2013
• CURRENT VEHICLE MILEAGE: 28,000 miles
• CURRENT RATED MILES @ 100%: 255 miles
• TOTAL # OF RANGE CHARGES: about 8

Almost all of my S 85 charging is to 80% max. My rated range is typically 40-100 miles before I recharge. I don't think my rated range has ever been below 20 miles, and if it's below 40 miles I charge it ASAP.

I only charge to 100% SOC the night before long road trips. I might be able to display a bit more than 255 miles of rated range at 100% SOC using the recalibration method that others have used -- multiple back-to-back cycles of 100% charging and discharging to a low SOC. Since this only accomplishes a recalibration of the rated miles algorithm and not a real range increase through pack balancing, I see no reason to do that.

 

[FredTMC]

I havent done any recent 100% charges at a SpC, but last night, I consumed 53 kW from 100% down to Charge Now, and recharged back to 100% used 59kW.

Hmmm. 53 KWH consumed seems too low. I get 56kwh consumed from full charge to zero range left. I assume you started driving immediately (i.e. No vampire effect)

 

[islandbayy]

Hmmm. 53 KWH consumed seems too low. I get 56kwh consumed from full charge to zero range left. I assume you started driving immediately (i.e. No vampire effect)

I had a few stops during the morning, then a straight non stop 130 mile drive to finish off the pack.

 

[SarahsDad]

• CAR NEW PURCHASE DATE: Sept 2013
• CURRENT VEHICLE MILEAGE: 14,800
• CURRENT RATED MILES @ 100%: 263
• TOTAL # OF RANGE CHARGES: 12-20

I keep mine plugged in as much as possible, always to 90% except for range charges. Rarely leave the battery at 100% for more than an hour.

 

[digitaltim]

•CAR NEW PURCHASE DATE: 11/2012
•CURRENT VEHICLE MILEAGE: ~64k
•CURRENT RATED MILES @ 100%: ~251 (last night)
•TOTAL # OF RANGE CHARGES: >200 (twice per week for the last two years)

Like a number of others have said, I never let it sit at 100% long. The main battery (A) was replaced at ~11k miles. All the subsequent miles have been on a B pack.

 

[Lawsteve]

• CAR NEW PURCHASE DATE: Sept 17, 2013
• CURRENT VEHICLE MILEAGE: 10,400
• CURRENT RATED MILES @ 100%: 260
• TOTAL # OF RANGE CHARGES: 4

 

[scaesare]

Wow , 82 responses to the poll in only a few days... thanks to all who have participated. We might hit 100 votes soon.

Interesting to see the folks who have range charged a significant number, and to look at the numbers they are still getting.

Cool stuff.

 

[jkliu47]

CAR NEW PURCHASE DATE: Oct 2013
CURRENT VEHICLE MILEAGE: ~10,000 miles
CURRENT RATED MILES @ 100%: 263-4
TOTAL # OF RANGE CHARGES: 10-12



Normally charge to 75%, only range charge on trips out of town.

 

[jackbowers]

CAR NEW PURCHASE DATE: 8/30/12
CURRENT VEHICLE MILEAGE: 89k
CURRENT RATED MILES @ 100%: 242
TOTAL # OF RANGE CHARGES: Est. 150 (40% of the time over 89k miles driven)

Note: Unlike the Roadster, the definition of a range mile erodes as pack capacity goes down,
so you have to charge full and drive to zero and note the kWh used (on the trip meter) in
order to determine pack capacity. When the car was new I'd get 80.8 kWH that way. Now
I get a little less than 70 kWh, so I'm at about 85% of original capacity. That's actually a
little better than the Panasonic cycle-life curves suggest.

 

[offset]

• CAR NEW PURCHASE DATE: 9/28/14
• CURRENT VEHICLE MILEAGE: 5.5k
• CURRENT RATED MILES @ 100%: 264
• TOTAL # OF RANGE CHARGES: 6-10, don't exactly know

 

[scaesare]

Drawing some conclusions

Well.. it's been a while since I posted this. I originally posted it at the same time there was some controversy regarding a particular Roadster owner who was concerned about his pack health, and had performed significant number of range charges on his car, with the attendant warning the car would prompt with regarding battery longevity.

I wanted to revisit the thread once we got to 100 respondents, and it looks like we just passed that recently when this thread got some more attention.

It looks looks like the vast majority of folks (~80%) have done 20 or less total range charges. A handful of folks in the "mid" range... and then 4 souls with more than 100.

Not everybody who voted also responded with additional detail, but it seems that 100% charges in the mid 250's to low-260's range (85kW) for most folks with some significant variance in that range in mileage as well. At least one person was seeing 255 despite 50 range charges in 24K miles & 2 years of ownership.

Of the "high # of range charge" folks we had 3 respondents that provided additional info: 2 that are 85's, and one 60.

-The 60 had a pack replacement, but was seeing 206-208 miles @ 34K miles with >150 range charges

-One 85 with 64K miles and > 200 range charges was seeing 251 miles for a 100% charge.

-The other 85 was down to 242 miles after ~150 range charges, but also was a very high mileage car at 89K after just over 2 years of ownership.


So, with the number of data points, the one safe conclusion is that most folks don't range charge all that often.

We have very few data points at the high end, but it seems that in the 100-200 number of range charges, we might see some additional degradation... however it may be telling that the car with MORE range charges actually reported LESS range loss.

It appears that folks range charging more often may also be likely to put greater than average mileage on the car which probably makes sense. And at least in this small comparison, it may be overall mileage that makes a larger impact to range degradation.

Of course, that impact may be determined by other factors that the high-mileage may be tied to: overall depth of charge/discharge cycle, total # of charge cycles, age, etc...

Also absent is any way of qualifying overall temperatures the batteries are subjected to, how long a car may be sitting at 100% charge, etc...

It does seem relatively safe to conclude that a "reasonable" number of range charges don't have severely detrimental impact. Folks doing range charges a couple of times a month on average seem to be right in line with everybody else...