Short Term Storage

[pkeller]

I will be leaving town for a little less than 3 weeks and I wonder if there are any precautions I should take before I leave?
- Should I charge it to 80% and leave it on the charger for the duration?
- Should I charge it to 80%, turn off all the vampire utilities (sentry, climate), and disconnected the charger.
- Not worry about it and just enjoy myself?

I ask because I have been told that other vehicles (Prius) need to be started and driven every so often so their batteries are not damaged. FUD?

 

[DirtyT3sla]

Leave it plugged in. The percentage isn't that important but 80% or less would be best.

 

[pkeller]

Thanks.

 

[jcanoe]

Some would lower the charging limit from 80% to 50% but that is up to you. If you turn off Sentry Mode, the Tesla vehicle loses ~1% of the battery charge per day. Over 3 weeks you would have 50% to 60% charge when you return if you left the Tesla unplugged. Reasons to leave the Tesla unplugged: theft, vandalism of the charging cord and equipment and damage from lightning and electrical surges during a thunderstorm.

 

[pkeller]

Some would lower the charging limit from 80% to 50% but that is up to you. If you turn off Sentry Mode, the Tesla vehicle loses ~1% of the battery charge per day. Over 3 weeks you would have 50% to 60% charge when you return if you left the Tesla unplugged. Reasons to leave the Tesla unplugged: theft, vandalism of the charging cord and equipment and damage from lightning and electrical surges during a thunderstorm.

What is the rational for a lower charge point? I am not concerned about theft since it will be sitting in my garage. Until recently I would not have been concerned about lightning but with the floods on the east and fires in the west I'm expecting locust.

 

[jcanoe]

What is the rational for a lower charge point? I am not concerned about theft since it will be sitting in my garage. Until recently I would not have been concerned about lightning but with the floods on the east and fires in the west I'm expecting locust.

The lithium battery is under less stress at 50% SOC. Obviously an electric vehicle would not be much use if you had to keep the battery at 50% SOC +/- 10%. For storage, especially at higher ambient temperatures a lower charge, i.e. 50% would be better for the long term health of the Tesla Model Y's battery.

Each EV manufacturer has their own recommended storage procedure. I previously drove a 2017 Chevrolet Volt vehicle. GM recommended leaving the Volt plugged in if it was not going to be driven for up to 30 days. More than 30 days and GM recommended leaving the Volt's 18.4 kWH battery at 30% SOC and not plugging in the charging connector. GM did recommend using a 12V battery tender to maintain the Volt's 12V AGM battery when the Volt was not plugged, for more than 30 days, or else disconnect the 12V battery negative lead so the 12V battery would not become discharged. The Tesla battery design and the GM Volt battery design are not identical but there are some similarities that electrical/battery engineers understand about maximizing the life of lithium batteries.

 

[pkeller]

The lithium battery is under less stress at 50% SOC. Obviously an electric vehicle would not be much use if you had to keep the battery at 50% SOC +/- 10%. For storage, especially at higher ambient temperatures a lower charge, i.e. 50% would be better for the long term health of the Tesla Model Y's battery.

Each EV manufacturer has their own recommended storage procedure. I previously drove a 2017 Chevrolet Volt vehicle. GM recommended leaving the Volt plugged in if it was not going to be driven for up to 30 days. More than 30 days and GM recommended leaving the Volt's 18.4 kWH battery at 30% SOC and not plugging in the charging connector. GM did recommend using a 12V battery tender to maintain the Volt's 12V AGM battery when the Volt was not plugged, for more than 30 days, or else disconnect the 12V battery negative lead so the 12V battery would not become discharged. The Tesla battery design and the GM Volt battery design are not identical but there are some similarities that electrical/battery engineers understand about maximizing the life of lithium batteries.

And in my best Columbo impersonation, "Just one more question."
- I have my charger set to start at 12:15 at night when the electricity rates are there lowest. Should I leave it that way or disable it for the 3 week period? I'm guessing that it won't matter but if it does........

 

[jcanoe]

And in my best Columbo impersonation, "Just one more question."
- I have my charger set to start at 12:15 at night when the electricity rates are there lowest. Should I leave it that way or disable it for the 3 week period? I'm guessing that it won't matter but if it does........

I would leave the Tesla Model Y set for Scheduled Charging. In the Tesla Model Y it is kind of a PITA to set this up, once set don't mess with it. With Sentry Mode set to be off at your home location the Tesla vehicle will charge as required, starting at 12:15 each day, for a short time. Even though the Tesla vehicle is parked, not being driven you are able to control when the Tesla vehicle charges, i.e. when charging is least expensive.

 

[Fourdoor]

Some would lower the charging limit from 80% to 50% but that is up to you. If you turn off Sentry Mode, the Tesla vehicle loses ~1% of the battery charge per day. Over 3 weeks you would have 50% to 60% charge when you return if you left the Tesla unplugged. Reasons to leave the Tesla unplugged: theft, vandalism of the charging cord and equipment and damage from lightning and electrical surges during a thunderstorm.

I had my 2010 Chevy Volt destroyed by a lightning strike on the building it was plugged into. No rain, it was literally a "bolt from the blue" lightning strike. I was living next door to my landlords business and he was allowing me to charge there until he could install an outdoor 120V outlet so I could charge at the rented house.

Even after having this happen, I don't worry about lightning when I plug in. For one thing it is VERY uncommon for this to happen... for another thing, how likely is it to happen to the same person twice Oh, and third thing was my insurance totaled out the Volt and paid for the loss.

Keith