I gather the recommendation is to keep the M3 on its charger whenever its at home. If it is only being used 5-10miles a day, is it really better to charge all the time, every day? I would never do that with a phone, ipad or laptop. So not better to let it go down to say 40-50% over a few days then charge up to 80%?
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keep it charging?
- Thread starter neurocutie
- Start date
AlanSubie4Life
Efficiency Obsessed Member
Tesla says to plug it in when you are not using it (they specify no charge level, but they allow anything between 50-90% so that’s probably fine). I wouldn’t worry about exactly what you do as long as it is not too crazy, but plugging it in when not in use is the most convenient habit to get into.
There’s no evidence that individual charging habits have much to do with battery degradation - to me it looks like more luck of the draw. So just do what works best for you. You will lose range over time (expect 5-10% in the first year, so 15-30 miles of range loss, but could easily be more or less) - but that’s normal, and slows down a lot after the first year, and the exact amount of degradation likely has nothing to do with what charging habits you keep - as long as they don’t deviate too much from “reasonable.” Degradation is much more likely a matter of which day your battery was built, and natural variability. As far as “weird” habits: Specifically, don’t leave your battery below 20% for long, and don’t leave it sitting above 90% for long.
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The tesla manual, on page 122 in the version I have, specifically tells you there is no advantage to doing what I have bolded above. The car is not a phone. Also, just be aware that if you charge to 80% only, instead of 90%, you will likely see more "drift" in what the BMS reports as available range.
Doesnt mean you have an issue with the battery, and doesnt mean that 90% is "better" than 80%. It simply appears that charging to 90% regularly is easier for the car to see how much power it has stored than 80%.
if you are only using the car 5-10 miles a day, my suggestion would be to plug it in every time it hits your garage, but to have your max charge set to 70-80% and not care what the BMS (car) reports as "total" miles available, because it wont matter in the slightest to you.... because you only go 5-10 miles a day. Max range showing 240-or 250, or 290 or 280 has ZERO meaning when you go 5-10 miles a day. You wont be hurting your battery to charge every day, and have it set to some percentage lower than 90%, its just likely that your car will report shorter max 100% charge.
If you go on a trip somewhere, charge to whatever you need, even if thats 100%.
basically, plug in, set it to some percentage you are comfortable with, and ignore max range completely unless you are going on a trip.
Just got my AWD Friday and plan to take an approach similar to @ewoodrick...don't see how it will hurt to let it get down to 20-50% before bringing it up to 70-90% and it wouldn't surprise me if fewer charging sessions uses less electricity than being plugged all the time.
The "leave it plugged in and let the car handle it" is great advice... until it gets cold.
I've noticed the car will top off when it's 1% down from your charge level, but in my case the car will spend >1kWh warming the batteries before dumping the <1kWh of actual energy the battery requires for top up. Not that this is any significant cost or anything.. I just hate the idea of wasting so much energy. I wish the car was smart enough to lower the charge rate so it wouldn't require battery heating for these minor top ups. It's not even that cold here yet.
Normally it doesn't happen where I leave my car plugged in long enough for this to happen, but when I know I will I usually drop the charge level to 50% and just turn it back up when I need to use it.
I've noticed the car will top off when it's 1% down from your charge level, but in my case the car will spend >1kWh warming the batteries before dumping the <1kWh of actual energy the battery requires for top up. Not that this is any significant cost or anything.. I just hate the idea of wasting so much energy. I wish the car was smart enough to lower the charge rate so it wouldn't require battery heating for these minor top ups. It's not even that cold here yet.
Normally it doesn't happen where I leave my car plugged in long enough for this to happen, but when I know I will I usually drop the charge level to 50% and just turn it back up when I need to use it.
AlanSubie4Life
Efficiency Obsessed Member
If, in fact, Tesla's need to be plugged in every night to be "happy" this means that everyone who lives in a condo, etc. who can't self charge is not a customer - hard to believe this is appropriate since there are many owners who rely on superchargers, etc due to their living situation. Maybe the situation will be more clear in a few years (but then again by then there will probably be new battery technology)
With the varying anecdotal reports and limited long term real life data it also seems a mystery to me.
With the varying anecdotal reports and limited long term real life data it also seems a mystery to me.
Tesla recommends keeping it plugged in. Chevy recommends changing the oil in my truck every 5000 miles. Both cars work just fine without doing following the recommendations but if possible there is no reason not to.
XLR82XS
D M C
Yes. I follow the Tesla manual and plug it in whenever in the garage at home and I don't worry about the battery - even on long trips.
it won't make enough difference to matter but most data out there says multiple shallow cycles are better than less deeper ones.
I turned of standby summon and sentry mode. Now my car will go thru an entire day without a charge cycle.
There was some data published here some time ago and big nerd-fight ensued about all of the "It's better to deep cycle!", "It's better to shallow cycle!", "Charge to 80% or you hate kittens!", "You got chocolate in my peanut butter", "No, you got peanut butter in my chocolate!" Essentially, they looked a keeping a battery always between 65-75%, 25-100%, etc... After 260,000 miles (or over 17 years at the average annual mileage in the US), across all of the different "religions of battery maintenance", it made a 5% difference. The worst had 88% original capacity. The best had 93%.
It's like people who only ever fill their gas tank in their ICE car to 50% to save the weight and make it more efficient. Does it? Yes. Is it worth stopping for gas twice as often? No.
It's like people who only ever fill their gas tank in their ICE car to 50% to save the weight and make it more efficient. Does it? Yes. Is it worth stopping for gas twice as often? No.
dhrivnak
Active Member
It does not hurt, but the big thing is it does not help. And who knows when someone is sick, or you need to make a quick trip or a sudden storm hits. If you are at 25% charge you have far fewer options than if you are at 90%. So why add risk when there is no benefit. This comes from a Roadster owner who has been plugging in daily for 10 years now.
Black306
Active Member
I keep mine plugged and charged to 75-80% just in case I'm giving someone a ride and want to punch it. 
Heck, that's not entirely true......I'll maintain it at 75-80% and bump charge it to 90+% before giving them a ride. LOL
Heck, that's not entirely true......I'll maintain it at 75-80% and bump charge it to 90+% before giving them a ride. LOL
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