Sheltering in Place - Charge or not

[Ldog]

I am 75 years old and am sheltering in place with no plans to drive for weeks, maybe a month. Should I charge my Model 3 every few nights or just wait until I plan to drive.

I have had a Tesla for 6 years. From someone who worked with Elon on developing the S, he recommended to always keep it plugged in at home and set the limit to the daily marking. I do agree with that you can drive around safely. It at least gets you out of the house for awhile. Stay safe.

 

[Rottenapplr]

Ya I know I’m gonna go out in a drive to the mountains tomorrow. Mulholland drive. I won’t talk to anyone just go out to the mountain.

Went through the drive today. Malibu was less packed. Very little cars going through Santa Monica and Venice. Same with the city it’s nearly a ghost town.

 

[daver3]

drive your tesla around. You don’t gotta get out the car..

I agree with this, it's my best sound system and I would drive it anywhere just to be driving!

 

[PianoAl]

I like to pack some coffee and snack, drive a few miles to a viewpoint, park, and have a coffee break.

 

[RachH]

@RachH Find a ChargePoint near by?

I though CA had a law requiring you the ability to install a charger (though it may not be cheap or easy)

In CA, Renters Can Now Install Electric-Car Charging Stations

Assembly Bill 2565 would give tenants the right to install an electric-car charging station at their residence, provided the tenant submits a written request to the landlord and pays for the installation costs.

Thank you so much for the info. I really appreciate it!! I'll check it out

 

[wolf!]

I am 75 years old and am sheltering in place with no plans to drive for weeks, maybe a month. Should I charge my Model 3 every few nights or just wait until I plan to drive.

I'd say drive it a few miles once a week, Keeps the brakes from rusting, tyres from getting out of round, sediment in coolant from settling, etc. I have no idea about battery life, but I think, without particular logic it might be a good thing.

 

[TydalForce]

Nobody seems to have mentioned Scheduled Departure in this thread.
I turned mine off; no need to waste energy preconditioning the cabin or anything daily if the car's not going anywhere.

 

[woodguyatl]

I'd say drive it a few miles once a week, Keeps the brakes from rusting, tyres from getting out of round, sediment in coolant from settling, etc. I have no idea about battery life, but I think, without particular logic it might be a good thing.

I agree. While many people worry about the new issues of battery optimization, the propensity of a heavy car on performance tires to get a flat spot remains the same as it ever was.

 

[jordanX]

Drive around, enjoy the scenery and sound system and charge it when it’s under 40%. I avoid contact with people, but enjoy the car too much to stay at home all the time.
I’m still “sheltering in place” but the place is sometimes my M3. Be safe.

My husband of 45 years and I take a spin daily in my MX as our mental health break. Having tons of fun the past couple days trying out the Traffic light and stop sign update!

 

[Zoomit]

Where is everyone getting the 50% charge info for storage?

Talking to the techs at the nearby Tesla service center, they're all saying just leave it plugged it and charge to 90% (for regular usage).

I can't find any guidance for long-term storage, where is this coming from?

Why? No need to set to 50%. No valid real data here.

?

Resurrecting this thread because I finally ran across where I had seen the Tesla guidance for battery pack storage. It’s in the documents they file with the EPA. It appears the same for all Tesla models. Here’s a link to an example Model 3 document.

https://iaspub.epa.gov/otaqpub/display_file.jsp?docid=48711&flag=1

On page 17, it states:

To maintain service life, the battery pack should be stored at a state of charge (SOC) of 15% to 50%.​

This is consistent with generally understood best practices for Li-ion batteries but, having been published by Tesla, may weigh as heavier guidance for some owners. Tesla cars are basically always “on” and slowly discharging the battery. Fully discharging a battery and letting it remain empty would lead to significant battery degradation, hence the often-quoted Owners Manual guidance to leave the car plugged in when not in use. Since the minimum selectable charge level setting is 50%, leaving the car plugged in and at 50% SOC would be the best option to “maintain [battery] service life” during long-term storage.