Model 3 SR+ LFP Battery Range, Degradation, etc Discussion

[AAKEE]

at 5 months? I have LFP batteries powering my whole house. they don't degrade that fast

LFP’s does suffer from calendar aging, as all lithium batteries.
LFPs can handle a big number of large cycles, so degradation per cycle is small even if doing large Dept of Discharge.

But they still suffer from calendar aging and as calendar aging is the dominant part for the first years there will not be a very big difference compared to NCA and NMC.

Below Teslaloggers data for 2021 LFP.
they did come in two capacities, 55 and 60kWh, hence the split part of logged datapoints.

The calendar aging can be clearly seen (even if the data is per km driven instead of time).

I looked up Hawaiian average temperatures for the year. Its not s cold climate, as temps seem quite high all around the year this will affect calendar aging. As it looks, I guess you probably average batt temperature around 30C if the car is outdide. (The battery heats from charging, sun and driving so the average cell temp will be higher than average ambient.

 

[DuncanM]

Can I ask a Noob question on supercharging an M3 LFP? Do you in fact attempt to charge to 100% on the level 3 superchargers? Or is it a waste of time (as it slows down when it gets to 80%?). I see that the 80-100% charging takes roughly 40 minutes vs. 20-80% that takes 20 minutes?

I’d almost stop more often instead just to charge to 80% but I don’t know if that’s not great for an LFP battery.

LFP M3s accept very rapid SC/DCFC even up to ~95% (and beyond) where I'm still pulling ~40kwh. I've let mine charge to 100% a couple of times when I got distracted, talking to other drivers.

 

[karlos22]

2.3% degradation at 5 months seems normal. Mine is the same at 10 months as has been steady for a while now. Data suggests it will fall about 5% and level off.

I’m in a cold climate, ambient temperature is usually 15c for my car.

The LFP is great, it seems to be all calendar degradation and not much from cycling.

 

[theothertom]

I’m in a cold climate, ambient temperature is usually 15c for my car.

Did you mean to say you're *not* in a cold climate?

 

[3sr+buyer]

After about a year, my 2022 RWD with LFP battery now shows 265 rated miles when charged to 100%. This is 2.6% lower than the 272 rated miles at 100% when new.

Car has about 14,000 miles. Mostly charge to between 65% and 70%, but charge to 100% approximately once per week, generally when the next day is expected to use more than 30%.

 

[BillN]

‘22 Model 3 which has done approx 13k miles in 10 months:

 

[relaxjim]

Update, after talking to Tesla about the change from 272 to 265 when 100% charged they told me the battery will withhold a little room ( but show 100%) based on our driving habits ie: if we use a lot of regen braking historically, the car will allow for that and leave room for that regen power. Amazing software!!

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

Update, after talking to Tesla about the change from 272 to 265 when 100% charged they told me the battery will withhold a little room ( but show 100%) based on our driving habits ie: if we use a lot of regen braking historically, the car will allow for that and leave room for that regen power. Amazing software!!

They would be wrong! They are unfortunately not the subject matter experts.

(Charge to 100% at the top of a large hill and I guess it can be demonstrated…to not be true…)

 

[karlos22]

Did you mean to say you're *not* in a cold climate?

Sorry, this thread isn’t country specific but for this country it’s actually considered cold

 

[amit_gunner]

Anyone hearing this loud clunk noise as soon as you start driving? It started last Week and every morning i hear this unusual sound. Its most time very loud as if car is stuck somehow. And for 3 to 5 minutes of driving i would hear ratting from outside and it would go away after few minutes of driving. It only happens after car is parked overnight and next day when i drive off. Booked a service for this Week. Lets see what they say. I have attached a video and you would hear the sound within first 2 secs of the clip. Youtube link below. Pls help guys..

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

Anyone hearing this loud clunk noise as soon as you start driving? It started last Week and every morning i hear this unusual sound. Its most time very loud as if car is stuck somehow. And for 3 to 5 minutes of driving i would hear ratting from outside and it would go away after few minutes of driving. It only happens after car is parked overnight and next day when i drive off. Booked a service for this Week. Lets see what they say. I have attached a video and you would hear the sound within first 2 secs of the clip.

Sounds like the parking brake sticking the pad to the rotor but unless it is wet every day (might be with snowmelt I guess) I would not expect it every morning, and the other rattling noises are weird (some scraping noises might be expected with very rough rusted rotors).

 

[amit_gunner]

Sounds like the parking brake sticking the pad to the rotor but unless it is wet every day (might be with snowmelt I guess) I would not expect it every morning, and the other rattling noises are weird (some scraping noises might be expected with very rough rusted rotors).

I never had this issue last winter. This is something started in last few Weeks. If parking brake sticking to pad it would have always happened right?

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

I never had this issue last winter. This is something started in last few Weeks. If parking brake sticking to pad it would have always happened right?

It rusts to the rotor overnight, so typically has to sit for hours. You feel the car jolt slightly as it lets go.

The other noises you describe don’t seem completely normal/consistent so if it can’t be definitively tied to that, it should be looked at.

I just listened to your clip (which was not attached at first). This is not the parking brake. So ignore everything above.

It sounds like the contactors. It is pretty loud though, and I think there is one too many clunks! Is this happening only after you put the car in drive and start moving? (Contactors close a few seconds after waking the car, and always before the car starts moving and before putting in drive.)

 

[amit_gunner]

It rusts to the rotor overnight, so typically has to sit for hours. You feel the car jolt slightly as it lets go.

The other noises you describe don’t seem completely normal/consistent so if it can’t be definitively tied to that, it should be looked at.

I just listened to your clip (which was not attached at first). This is not the parking brake. So ignore everything above.

It sounds like the contactors. It is pretty loud though, and I think there is one too many clunks! Is this happening only after you put the car in drive and start moving? (Contactors close a few seconds after waking the car, and always before the car starts moving and before putting in drive.)

Yes this sound only happens when i start moving the car after putting in drive. Nothing before that.

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

Yes this sound only happens when i start moving the car after putting in drive. Nothing before that.

Maybe it will end up being brake related, but in the video it doesn’t really sound like the parking brake sound (which is usually just one clunk). And with the parking brake you should “feel” it let go. Rather than it just being a noise.

Though I would expect you could feel this noise too.

 

[amit_gunner]

It rusts to the rotor overnight, so typically has to sit for hours. You feel the car jolt slightly as it lets go.

The other noises you describe don’t seem completely normal/consistent so if it can’t be definitively tied to that, it should be looked at.

I just listened to your clip (which was not attached at first). This is not the parking brake. So ignore everything above.

It sounds like the contactors. It is pretty loud though, and I think there is one too many clunks! Is this happening only after you put the car in drive and start moving? (Contactors close a few seconds after waking the car, and always before the car starts moving and before putting in drive.)

Yes this sound only happens when i start moving the car after putting in drive. Nothing before that.

Maybe it will end up being brake related, but in the video it doesn’t really sound like the parking brake sound (which is usually just one clunk). And with the parking brake you should “feel” it let go. Rather than it just being a noise.

Though I would expect you could feel this noise too.

Ya i am hoping they could identify the issue and resolve it. Taking it tomorrow to the service centre. Problem is they wont be able to recreate this sound while i am there as it only happens after it is parked overnight . But i have already sent them the clip as well.

 

[acaurora]

Hi guys, I just picked up a RWD M3 yesterday, and am just trying to make sense of the best practices for charging given my current living situation. Living in an apartment complex, there are outlets in the garage. I drive less than 15 miles each day. With that information, I should be able to charge at night on the 110 to keep it topped off almost every day, and I would be confident to get it to 100% over the weekend. There are super chargers very close by, however.

So my question is should I go with this plan of 110V charging primarily, and use the SC only when necessary, or can I use the SC maybe once a week to get to 100% and be done with it that way? I don’t know if using the 110V every day (and not getting to 100%) will mess up the battery, or if NOT charging during the week and just charging at the Superchargers once a week to 100% is better?? Thanks in advance.

 

[Stew-2]

To replenish 15 miles should take around 4 hours on 120v although if you aren’t 100% sure you are the only thing that’ll be on that circuit you may want to lower the amps down. Even doing that you could probably make it work given your short commute.

 

[acaurora]

To replenish 15 miles should take around 4 hours on 120v although if you aren’t 100% sure you are the only thing that’ll be on that circuit you may want to lower the amps down. Even doing that you could probably make it work given your short commute.

Right, I understand that. What I’m trying to figure out however is the best charging practices given my situation, either I…

1. Use the 110V to charge whenever I can, which may mean may not get to 100% before unplugging, and use SuperCharger if needed. Charge via 110V to 100% on weekends (I know that I can achieve this given my commute)

Or

2. Use Superchargers exclusively, and have it so that I go to the SuperChargers only once a week to get to 100%

 

[DuncanM]

Right, I understand that. What I’m trying to figure out however is the best charging practices given my situation, either I…

1. Use the 110V to charge whenever I can, which may mean may not get to 100% before unplugging, and use SuperCharger if needed. Charge via 110V to 100% on weekends (I know that I can achieve this given my commute)

Or

2. Use Superchargers exclusively, and have it so that I go to the SuperChargers only once a week to get to 100%

We live in a condo and I have permission to charge at 120v/8A and I have to report my consumption to Strata Council, who bills us at their billed rate (~$.10 kwh). I get about 1.3% increase in SOC per hour of charge at 8A/120v. I have always charged the car to 100% at every AC charge session, time permitting since purchase. We are now in our vacation house and we charge to 100% daily using a NEMA 6-20 outlet (16A at ~235v). Our car now has just over 17k miles on it and reports 265 miles range at 100% SOC. IMHO, charging to 100% daily using AC charging has no deleterious effects on the battery, and the range loss seems to be entirely due to the age of the battery (March 2022 build). Using SCs weekly to 100% is going to be time consuming and not very cost effective.

I wouldn't worry about regular AC charging and about charging to 100% regularly at your condo, and that's the way to go IMHO.