Newbie Tesla Owner (yay!:) charging optimization questions

[nicenoise]

My current home setup doesn't have access to high speed 240v charging, so I'm stuck with the slow option (which actually shows 5mi/hr charge in the app). So to optimize charge, my question is, does the auto climate control affect the battery significantly? Same goes for regenerative breaking. Standard braking seems to be pretty intense, but if it helps with keeping the battery charge, I'll use it no problem!

Final question, how do I change the battery readout to show % instead of mi??

Thanks everyone!!

 

[brkaus]

Standard regen puts energy back into the battery pack instead of generating heat. Anytime you touch the brake energy is lost.

One gets used to it pretty quickly.

 

[chronopc]

Final question, how do I change the battery readout to show % instead of mi??

Go to the display tab and click the gear icon in the top right corner.

 

[StellarRat]

You'll be fine with 110v charging unless you drive more than about 50 miles a day on average. I drove my Leaf for 7 years with only a 110v charger. My work to home was 20 miles round trip per day, but I could have done 40 no problem. If your car is in the garage 10 hours a night you'll get 50 miles per day back. BTW, my reading tells me that charging to 70% is the best for longest battery life. If you don't need to take a long trip I'd set the charge level to 70%.

 

[TexasEV]

You'll be fine with 110v charging unless you drive more than about 50 miles a day on average. I drove my Leaf for 7 years with only a 110v charger. My work to home was 20 miles round trip per day, but I could have done 40 no problem. If your car is in the garage 10 hours a night you'll 50 miles per day back. BTW, my reading tells me that charging to 70% is the best for longest battery life. If you don't need to take a long I'd set the charge level to 70%.

No, if you only have 120V charging you should never set the charge level below 90%. Don’t ever let the car sit there and not be charging! (Unless you’re at 90%). What you read about longest battery life may be statistically significant in an experiment, but in the real world the difference is not meaningful. Anyway, if a 1 or 2 mile difference in range after many years would matter to you, perhaps you bought the wrong car.

You don’t need to baby the battery. Just enjoy the car.

 

[StellarRat]

No, if you only have 120V charging you should never set the charge level below 90%. Don’t ever let the car sit there and not be charging! (Unless you’re at 90%). What you read about longest battery life may be statistically significant in an experiment, but in the real world the difference is not meaningful. Anyway, if a 1 or 2 mile difference in range after many years would matter to you, perhaps you bought the wrong car.

You don’t need to baby the battery. Just enjoy the car.

OK, but this is article I read: https://electrek.co/2017/09/01/tesla-battery-expert-recommends-daily-battery-pack-charging/

I'm not exactly sure what your reasoning is for 90%. A 110v charger can easily hold the charge at whatever level you want.

 

[David99]

As long as you can charge as many miles as you drive on a daily basis, the 120 Volt is just fine. A more relaxed and defensive driving style will save energy for sure. Regen on standard is highly recommended for many reasons.

The best charge limit setting has been discussed over and over. A lower limit will in theory make the battery degrade slower but the differences are small and not worth compromising your ability to drive. I agree with @TexasEV, if you only have 120 Volt charging at home, you don't have the ability to quickly top off if you need it. I would also keep it at 90%. I charge my car to 90% most of the time. Only when I know I won't need the car much for the coming day(s) I set it to 80% or 70%.

 

[SageBrush]

I live 4-6 days at a time with L1 charging at my destination. It has not been a problem since I can visit a Supercharger at need.

 

[TT97]

OK, but this is article I read: https://electrek.co/2017/09/01/tesla-battery-expert-recommends-daily-battery-pack-charging/

I'm not exactly sure what your reasoning is for 90%. A 110v charger can easily hold the charge at whatever level you want.

The 90% charge on a 110/120v has more to do with availability than maximizing battery. As it takes a long time to recharge, it better to have as much juice as possible at all times to minimize chance of running low and needing a trip to a Supercharger.

 

[TexasEV]

The 90% charge on a 110/120v has more to do with availability than maximizing battery. As it takes a long time to recharge, it better to have as much juice as possible at all times to minimize chance of running low and needing a trip to a Supercharger.

Yes that’s exactly what I was trying to say. If you only have slow charging available, don’t let the car sit there when it could be charging, aim for the highest daily level which is 90%. You never know when you might need the extra range. Don’t obsess over battery degradation. You’re going to lose some range over time, more in the first year then it slows down, but the difference between various charge levels up to 90% isn’t meaningful.

 

[DanH]

You'll want stronger generative breaking once you get use to it. I wish they offer another level that allows the car to stop completely without applying the brake. As for charging, arrange for the NEMA 14-50 if you own the place. It's worth it!