Preconditioning Vs. Climate on: Whats the difference?

[merc65fd]

I understand the purpose and benefits of preconditioning; warming the car, better range, faster charging..... What I would like like a little deeper dive on is this.

There are many ways to precondition the car. Scheduled departure, Navigation, turning climate on. Tesla states to turn the climate on to Precondition. Tesla Also says to turn on navigation so it will precondition before super charging which it does and says its doing so on the screen prior to the super charger arrival. So whats the difference between turning on climate preconditioning and the preconditioning that happens prior to supercharging in navigation? I mean climate is already on when you've been driving most likely. So if turning on climate is how you precondition at home, I don't understand whats happening with the preconditioning when it starts from navigation? Anyone have real facts on what the difference is, whats actually happening in the car? Also, if its 80 degrees out and it preconditions in Nav, is it making the battery even warmer?

 

[jcanoe]

Try and maintain a constant speed (within the posted speed limit while keeping up with traffic.) (The last time I was able to drive at my preferred speed with no other vehicles on the road for an extended period was back in 1975 while driving through South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana)

 

[jerome8283]

I’m likely over thinking this. I charge at home so I guess I should look to precondition to get the car to the appropriate climate and at the same time it will preheat the battery.

 

[jcanoe]

I’m likely over thinking this. I charge at home so I guess I should look to precondition to get the car to the appropriate climate and at the same time it will preheat the battery.

If you charge at home, especially in winter, it is most efficient to use Scheduled Departure Charging. When you set up Scheduled Departure charging will complete approx. 15 to 30 minutes before your departure time. If you also use Preconditioning the Tesla Model Y will be able to draw heat from the warm battery that results from charging to help warm the passenger cabin. The Preconditioning can be tied to the Scheduled Departure time or else can be initiated manually using the Tesla app.

 

[jerome8283]

If you charge at home, especially in winter, it is most efficient to use Scheduled Departure Charging. When you set up Scheduled Departure charging will complete approx. 15 to 30 minutes before your departure time. If you also use Preconditioning the Tesla Model Y will be able to draw heat from the warm battery that results from charging to help warm the passenger cabin. The Preconditioning can be tied to the Scheduled Departure time or else can be initiated manually using the Tesla app.

Below is the option I have, set departure time and precondition. I don’t think I can set departure without selecting precondition.

 

[andaconda]

Try and maintain a constant speed (within the posted speed limit while keeping up with traffic.) (The last time I was able to drive at my preferred speed with no other vehicles on the road for an extended period was back in 1975 while driving through South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana)

Montana had no daytime speed limit throughout its history until 1974. That's when Congress, at President Richard Nixon's urging, passed a 55 mph daytime highway speed limit aimed at saving fuel after the oil crisis the previous year. The new speed limit became derisively known as “the double nickel.” So up until then you could go a hundred if you wanted. Our law was "Reasonable and Prudent." So jcanoe - you must have gone 55 mph to maintain your constant speed. On a side note - when our speed limit was 55 mph - and you were caught speeding (any speed) the fine was $5 flat. And as a bonus the ticket didn't go on your record.

 

[jcanoe]

Below is the option I have, set departure time and precondition. I don’t think I can set departure without selecting precondition.

The Departure Charging options will be displayed when you press the Charge tab at the top (to the right of Departure tab.) You can toggle Precondition option On and Off. The screen shows 7PM as the departure time, i.e the time you normally leave on your commute. Is that what you intended? (I would have thought 7AM or similar early A.M. time.)

 

[jerome8283]

The Departure Charging options will be displayed when you press the Charge tab at the top (to the right of Departure tab.) You can toggle Precondition option On and Off. The screen shows 7PM as the departure time, i.e the time you normally leave on your commute. Is that what you intended? (I would have thought 7AM or similar early A.M. time.)

No, I was leaving this evening at 7pm. I also toggle precondition. The car was sitting all day and this was the first drive of the day.

 

[jcanoe]

No, I was leaving this evening at 7pm. I also toggle precondition. The car was sitting all day and this was the first drive of the day.

Currently, since I don't follow a set schedule I use the Tesla app to turn on the Climate Control ~5 to 10 minutes before driving by tapping the fan icon within the app. I would only set, turn on the Departure Preconditioning if I had a weekday commute. When you change the Departure time you may also be setting this as the time for Scheduled Departure charging to complete. That could have unexpected results as far as charging.

 

[jerome8283]

Currently, since I don't follow a set schedule I use the Tesla app to turn on the Climate Control ~5 to 10 minutes before driving by tapping the fan icon within the app. I would only set, turn on the Departure Preconditioning if I had a weekday commute. When you change the Departure time you may also be setting this as the time for Scheduled Departure charging to complete. That could have unexpected results as far as charging.

Ok, you answered the question I had. I don’t have a set schedule either so I can do as you do and tap the fan icon a few minutes before leaving.

 

[jcanoe]

Ok, you answered the question I had. I don’t have a set schedule either so I can do as you do and tap the fan icon a few minutes before leaving.

Even without a set schedule, if you routinely charge at home you can take advantage of the warming of the battery that happens during charging by setting the Departure time to be 7A.M. or a similar time. The Tesla Model Y will warm the battery as needed, i.e when the battery is too cold to charge in winter temperatures then it must be warmed before charging will start. Also, once charging starts the battery will continue to be warmed a bit during charging.

After charging has completed, within a couple of hours, if you turn on Preconditioning using the Tesla app then less energy will need to be used as the heat pump can direct heat from the warm battery coolant to warm the passenger cabin without having to use power from the battery or the grid to generate additional heat. (Note: If you set the front seat heaters to Auto the Tesla Model Y will turn on the front seat heaters during the Preconditioning. You can also set the steering wheel heater to be on during preconditioning.)

 

[arbitrage000]

The Tesla manual recommends setting the Off-Peak time to the same time as your scheduled departure when you are plugged in at home even if you don't have off-peak rates.

In my testing if I just set Departure time to say 7AM (and have Off-Peak off) and plugged in when I got home at 5PM it would immediately charge the car.
This is not ideal as the car then sits all night at a higher state of charge and doesn't do any charging before your departure (so cooler battery, less regen).

If you set the Off-peak to 7AM also (even though I don't have off-peak rates) it will then not charge when you get home at 5PM. Instead it figures out how long it needs to charge and starts charging to reach your selected % just before your 7AM departure.

 

[Tom76]

I understand the purpose and benefits of preconditioning; warming the car, better range, faster charging..... What I would like like a little deeper dive on is this.

There are many ways to precondition the car. Scheduled departure, Navigation, turning climate on. Tesla states to turn the climate on to Precondition. Tesla Also says to turn on navigation so it will precondition before super charging which it does and says its doing so on the screen prior to the super charger arrival. So whats the difference between turning on climate preconditioning and the preconditioning that happens prior to supercharging in navigation? I mean climate is already on when you've been driving most likely. So if turning on climate is how you precondition at home, I don't understand whats happening with the preconditioning when it starts from navigation? Anyone have real facts on what the difference is, whats actually happening in the car? Also, if its 80 degrees out and it preconditions in Nav, is it making the battery even warmer?

I was confused by this also! i drive my tesla at different times every day. During the cold weather, if I have sufficient charge on my battery (and it is not plugged in) I simply turn up the heat from my phone app and let it run for about 20 minutes....I believe this is the same as preconditioning. Tesla made this a poor choice of words by stating "before charging you should precondition the battery."

 

[jcanoe]

I was confused by this also! i drive my tesla at different times every day. During the cold weather, if I have sufficient charge on my battery (and it is not plugged in) I simply turn up the heat from my phone app and let it run for about 20 minutes....I believe this is the same as preconditioning. Tesla made this a poor choice of words by stating "before charging you should precondition the battery."

Tesla is referring to Preconditioning for Supercharging (a whole different level of Preconditioning) that you can initiate by entering the Supercharger as the destination in the Tesla Navigation system.

For Level 1 (120V) and Level 2 (240V) charging you want to plug in. The Tesla vehicle will warm the battery if needed prior to and during charging. You would precondition using Scheduled Departure Preconditioning or precondition via the Tesla app after charging has been completed (shortly before you start driving.)

 

[Tom76]

Tesla is referring to Preconditioning for Supercharging (a whole different level of Preconditioning) that you can initiate by entering the Supercharger as the destination in the Tesla Navigation system.

Thanks for the reply...I understand the preconditioning before getting to a supercharger. So if that is the case, then simply warming up your car via the app is not considered preconditioning?

 

[jcanoe]

Thanks for the reply...I understand the preconditioning before getting to a supercharger. So if that is the case, then simply warming up your car via the app is not considered preconditioning?

Preconditioning the Tesla Model Y vehicle using Scheduled Departure Preconditioning or via the Tesla app (these two methods of initiating preconditioning function identically) primarily warms or cools the passenger cabin for the comfort of the passengers. Preconditioning can also defrost the cameras and the windshield, rear hatch glass and helps to melt, clear snow from the windows. In cold temperatures the Tesla Model Y will partially warm the battery pack (but not nearly as much battery warming as in prior software releases.) This is probably to shorten the time needed to precondition, while reducing the energy used. (When the battery is cold, available power from the battery can be reduced but this will not be noticeable in normal driving.)

There is now the option you can set to automatically apply the friction brakes when regenerative braking is reduced or unavailable. This works almost seamlessly, you no longer experience the loss of regenerative braking when the battery is cold or at a high state of charge. The ability to apply the friction brakes automatically when regenerative braking is limited is one of the best updates that Tesla has provided IMHO. This may help account for why Tesla has reduced the degree of battery warming during standard Preconditioning.

Standard Preconditioning can be activated while parked, whether or not the Tesla vehicle is plugged in (as long as the battery state of charge is above 20%.)

Preconditioning for Supercharging requires that the Supercharger location be entered into the Navigation system as the destination and the Tesla vehicle is being driven (not while parked.)

 

[Tom76]

Preconditioning the Tesla Model Y vehicle using Scheduled Departure Preconditioning or via the Tesla app (these two methods of initiating preconditioning function identically) primarily warms or cools the passenger cabin for the comfort of the passengers. Preconditioning can also defrost the cameras and the windshield, rear hatch glass and helps to melt, clear snow from the windows. In cold temperatures the Tesla Model Y will partially warm the battery pack (but not nearly as much battery warming as in prior software releases.) This is probably to shorten the time needed to precondition, while reducing the energy used. (When the battery is cold, available power from the battery can be reduced but this will not be noticeable in normal driving.)

There is now the option you can set to automatically apply the friction brakes when regenerative braking is reduced or unavailable. This works almost seamlessly, you no longer experience the loss of regenerative braking when the battery is cold or at a high state of charge. The ability to apply the friction brakes automatically when regenerative braking is limited is one of the best updates that Tesla has provided IMHO. This may help account for why Tesla has reduced the degree of battery warming during standard Preconditioning.

Standard Preconditioning can be activated while parked, whether or not the Tesla vehicle is plugged in (as long as the battery state of charge is above 20%.)

Preconditioning for Supercharging requires that the Supercharger location be entered into the Navigation system as the destination and the Tesla vehicle is being driven (not while parked.)

Thanks for your explanation! Much appreciated

 

[jaaberle]

Question, when I simply turn the climate on, up to 45 min prior to leaving on colder days, I still see the little icon that states that regen braking is temporarily disabled(or something like that), however, if I schedule the departure via the app, my regen is working fine no warning. To me there is a difference between climate turn on, and scheduling the departure, as far as the batteries are concerned. Do I have that right? It is frustrating, cause I don't typically leave somewhere on a pre-set schedule every day.

I also have the issue when changing the schedule time, the time will quickly revert back to the prior time. After fooling around with it, it will stick. Anyone else see these two issues?

 

[jcanoe]

Question, when I simply turn the climate on, up to 45 min prior to leaving on colder days, I still see the little icon that states that regen braking is temporarily disabled(or something like that), however, if I schedule the departure via the app, my regen is working fine no warning. To me there is a difference between climate turn on, and scheduling the departure, as far as the batteries are concerned. Do I have that right? It is frustrating, cause I don't typically leave somewhere on a pre-set schedule every day.

I also have the issue when changing the schedule time, the time will quickly revert back to the prior time. After fooling around with it, it will stick. Anyone else see these two issues?

When you schedule departure via the app is your Tesla Model Y plugged in? Likewise if you precondition via the app (not on a schedule)?

45 minutes is too long for basic preconditioning, wastes energy. The Tesla Model Y will send you a notification on your phone or Apple watch when the desired cabin temperature has bee reached. In NC 10 minutes (even 7 minutes) should be sufficient provided you have the climate control system set to Auto.

The current Tesla Model Y, since 2021, does not warm the battery as much as in previous iterations of the Tesla software. This saves energy and shortens the time needed to precondition.

Under Pedals & Driving, Regenerative Braking you can turn on a relatively new feature that will automatically apply the friction brakes when regenerative braking is reduced or unavailable as when the battery is at a high state of charge or else the battery is cold. No more ". . . . ." on the power bar or notice that regenerative braking is reduced. The blended friction braking works seamlessly when you lift your foot from the accelerator pedal. The only clue that the blended braking has been activated is the power bar displays gray for the portion of regenerative braking that is being performed by the friction brakes (regenerative braking displays as a green bar.)

If you don't leave at approximately the same time each day (Monday through Friday or else every day) you are better off turning off Scheduled Departure. (Check that Scheduled Departure is turned off in the Tesla vehicle Climate Control settings as well as within the Tesla app (also check that Scheduled Departure is turned off within the app on any other phones that have access to the Tesla vehicle.)

 

[avs007]

Question, when I simply turn the climate on, up to 45 min prior to leaving on colder days, I still see the little icon that states that regen braking is temporarily disabled(or something like that), however, if I schedule the departure via the app, my regen is working fine no warning. To me there is a difference between climate turn on, and scheduling the departure, as far as the batteries are concerned.

45 minutes is too long for basic preconditioning, wastes energy. The Tesla Model Y will send you a notification on your phone or Apple watch when the desired cabin temperature has bee reached. In NC 10 minutes (even 7 minutes) should be sufficient provided you have the climate control system set to Auto.

I completely disagree about 45 minutes being too long... It really depends on your terrain. I live on the top of a hill, with close to a 1000' ft elevation change top to bottom.... So for me, doing it 10 minutes ahead of time isn't going to do jack... It will make the cabin warm within 10 minutes, but I won't get jack for regen. When it's closer to freezing around here, and I set the climate manually, I need to do it almost an hour ahead of time. Otherwise, I won't get very much regen going down our hill..

If you live someplace flat, then I suppose 10 minutes will be fine.. When it's < 40 degrees, the closer to an hour I set it manually, the closer to the bottom of the hill I'll get full regen. If I do it 30 minutes ahead of time for example, when it's < 40 degrees, I'll usually get regen only for the first 1/4 way down the hill or so, then it will cut out. If I only do it 10-15 minutes, I'll usually only get regen to the first stop sign, in our cul-de-sac, then no more.

I did not set the friction brake blending thing, becuase I want to know when I do or do not have regen. I don't want to glaze my brakes by having the car riding the brake the entire way down the hill. I'll drive differently if I know I have to rely on friction brakes. If I lived someplace flat, then blended brakes would probably be perfectly fine.

 

[jcanoe]

Agreed; the poster @jaaberle is located in North Carolina (I suppose they could be located in the mountainous western part of NC), where I stand by my statement about 10 minutes being sufficient for preconditioning the passenger cabin and battery as needed. If you live in PNY, Rockies, etc (at the top of a mountain) and start driving each day by descending the mountain then you will want as much regenerative braking as possible.

Entering an end of off-peak charging time (even if you are not on a time of use (TOU) rate plan) could help. Charging would automatically complete just prior to driving. The Tesla Model Y's battery would be partially warm from charging reducing the time needed to precondition and continue warming the battery.