Long Commutes and Daily Charging

[ucmndd]

But using 65% of a battery on a daily basis is definitely not the norm.

I did exactly this almost every day for 7 years.

The car is fine. There’s nothing to worry about. OP is in a temperate area of California, there’s no need to charge at work.

Set a comfortable limit and drive. Enjoy never going to a gas station again.

 

[DaLoubie]

Purely for battery health, you would want to minimize time spent at charge levels above 55% (NCA battery), 60% (NMC battery), or 70% (LFP battery), although it appears to matter most for NCA batteries and least for LFP batteries.

Assuming an NCA battery, setting the charge target to 85% and scheduling charging to finish just before you depart for work will allow you to arrive at work at 52-55%, having driven off 30-33% of the charge. That way, the car is not parked all day at a state of charge above 55%. After driving home later, you will arrive with 20-25%. If you do not require as much buffer against range anxiety, you can choose a charge target lower than 85%.

Very useful information and this seems like a good way to go. Thank you !

So it seems as if Tesla has found through additional research, that 90% may have slightly higher degradation than their desirable goals and change the recommendation. But using 65% of a battery on a daily basis is definitely not the norm. And hopefully you are in a climate zone that doesn't get cold. If you were in an area that gets cold, you may end up using near 100% of your battery.

If there was some option to charge at work, even a 120V 15A socket, that would be advisable. 8 hours @120v will give you about 40 additional miles. That would put you back in a "sweeter spot"

Increasing the slider above 80% is going to give you the nag message, but just read it and take it as is. It's a recommendation.

Fortunately for a place like California, our weather is actually pretty decent year-round & I guess it's not too bad for the battery.

 

[jjrandorin]

The only thing I would add that I didnt quite see spelled out (or if it was I missed it) is that your 150 real mile commute is going to be somewhere between 150 tesla miles and like 200 tesla miles depending on how fast you drive, elevation change, weather, etc.


As you are calculating what you going to set your car to as far as charging percentage, I would allow myself a buffer, at least until you get a really good feel for how all the variables impacts your "tesla miles" off the range.

Its not really a problem or anything (if you just know about it and plan for it), and most Tesla owners end up likely estimating in their head, but its something to be aware of.

 

[drb3333]

Hello All,
So I commute 5 days a week for about 150 miles round trip. Sucks, I know but the pay is very good, and my mortgage is dirt cheap compared to what I make now (wouldn't be so cheap if I live and reside in Bay Area).
Total Miles is about 150-mile round trip every weekday. That would be around 60%-65% of battery usage every day. So, which would be better for longevity and battery health in the long term?

1. Set limit charging to 80% every night and return at night at with less than 20%. I usually plug it in, and car won't charge until after 11PM. I really have to watch my speed, but as long as there is traffic, which is almost every day, I can make it within expected range.
2. Set limit charging to 85% to 90% which allows me to return at night above the 20% mark, less range anxiety and able to make it home comfortably if I happen to drive somewhere during the day.

As a fellow Bay Area resident, I think most commuting paths have a supercharger every 10-20 miles; do you mind sharing where your starting point is?

If I may say so, I would gently remind you not to adopt an "all or nothing approach" and plan on occasionally topping off if you get uncomfortably low. No need for any range anxiety with our plethora of superchargers in the area.

This is a 75 mile radius on SF:

 

[DaLoubie]

As a fellow Bay Area resident, I think most commuting paths have a supercharger every 10-20 miles; do you mind sharing where your starting point is?

If I may say so, I would gently remind you not to adopt an "all or nothing approach" and plan on occasionally topping off if you get uncomfortably low. No need for any range anxiety with our plethora of superchargers in the area.

This is a 75 mile radius on SF:
View attachment 1003706

Hello,
I actually commute between central valley and Silicone Valley, which there are plenty of Superchargers around. But after a long day of work plus the traffic on the way home, I just wanna get home as quick as possible xD

 

[ewoodrick]

Very useful information and this seems like a good way to go. Thank you !

Fortunately for a place like California, our weather is actually pretty decent year-round & I guess it's not too bad for the battery.

Did someone remove the mountains from the state? I understood that places like Tahoe got cold and snowy.

 

[E90alex]

Did someone remove the mountains from the state? I understood that places like Tahoe got cold and snowy.

People forget CA is more than just the LA/OC and SF Bay metro areas.

 

[Blue Eye]

Thank you all for the replies !