Preconditioning is not the same as getting the car ready for supercharger?

[EarlyM3Owner]

No its not. your battery requires to be at a much higher temperature to charge at its most optimal rate. If I am not mistaken, its like 95+ degrees for the battery in order to start charging at its fastest rate. your battery will not get that hot when just normally pre-conditioning.

 

[Bill Price]

So here’s a question you may not know. Let’s say my Tesla is parked at a restaurant and we’re eating, but it’s cold outside and I know I’m going to have to charge soon because I only have 20% soc. The superchargers are only two miles away. If I get in the car and set the car to navigate to the supercharger, but leave the car and go eat instead of driving, will it precondition the battery while in the restaurant? Or do you have to be driving?

 

[Genie]

Good question. Some time when you’re driving to a SC try putting it in park for a minute and see if it stops preconditioning.

 

[Unclepaul]

Preconditioning a Tesla is different for Warming or cooling an interior with shore power, prior to disconnecting and Preconditioning a Tesla battery prior to arriving at a Supercharger.
Interior warming, while plugged in will keep your range from decreasing rapidly if you are warming while driving.
Preconditioning prior to Supercharging will optimize your initial charging speeds, and shorten your charging duration.

 

[DCGOO]

So here’s a question you may not know. Let’s say my Tesla is parked at a restaurant and we’re eating, but it’s cold outside and I know I’m going to have to charge soon because I only have 20% soc. The superchargers are only two miles away. If I get in the car and set the car to navigate to the supercharger, but leave the car and go eat instead of driving, will it precondition the battery while in the restaurant? Or do you have to be driving?

It will not precondition at all when you are parked. Preconditioning only happens when you are actually navigating to, or through a Supercharger, it also takes some time, more than a couple miles. If you want to warm things up while parked, just leave the climate on. If it is really cold, below freezing, climate will heat the battery too. But that all stops when the battery reaches 20%.

 

[E90alex]

So here’s a question you may not know. Let’s say my Tesla is parked at a restaurant and we’re eating, but it’s cold outside and I know I’m going to have to charge soon because I only have 20% soc. The superchargers are only two miles away. If I get in the car and set the car to navigate to the supercharger, but leave the car and go eat instead of driving, will it precondition the battery while in the restaurant? Or do you have to be driving?

No it will turn off once you leave the car. You can be parked, but you have to be in the car.

But no point in just sitting in the car to let it precondition before going to the supercharger. Just go plug in and it will heat the battery as needed. Unless the location is busy/crowded and you want to be courteous to others by minimizing your time plugged in.