Sitting idle in garage for 3 months

[Granny’s car]

We live in South Florida where it gets hellishly hot in the summertime. Every year, we escape the heat and go to where the weather is cooler. What can I do with my model three, which will be garaged and idle for those three months, so that when we return home the car will still have a battery charge?

 

[Dana1]

Keep it plugged in and make sure cabin heat protection is on.

 

[TexasEV]

Have you considered keeping it plugged in?
Sorry to be so sarcastic, but considering the owners manual tells you to do this IN UPPER CASE , and this question is asked and answered on this forum at least once per day, I have to wonder why new owners seem so clueless.

 

[SCW-Greg]

You will need to leave it plugged in, and set max charge to around 50-60%. That will be easiest on the pack. When you return you’ll likely need to do several charges up to 90 or even 100% to retrain the battery management system (BMS) as to what a full charge is. Tesla always says, when in doubt, just leave it plugged in. It knows what to do from there.

 

[Dana1]

Have you considered keeping it plugged in?
Sorry to be so sarcastic, but considering the owners manual tells you to do this IN UPPER CASE , and this question is asked and answered on this forum at least once per day, I have to wonder why new owners seem so clueless.

Be nice, lol, “new” owners. Many of us were in the same category not long ago.

 

[animorph]

Keep it plugged in. It should store better than an ICE car. A charge level of about 50% is supposed to be nice to the battery. the 12V battery is taken care of by the car. I'd also avoid anything that might prevent it from sleeping, just to minimize vampire drain.

 

[Bet TSLA]

We live in South Florida where it gets hellishly hot in the summertime. Every year, we escape the heat and go to where the weather is cooler. What can I do with my model three, which will be garaged and idle for those three months, so that when we return home the car will still have a battery charge?

Lend it to a friend while you're gone.

 

[Electroman]

.. or why not take it with you?

 

[johnster007]

QUOTE="animorph, post: 3338137, member: 45315"]Keep it plugged in. It should store better than an ICE car. A charge level of about 50% is supposed to be nice to the battery. the 12V battery is taken care of by the car. I'd also avoid anything that might prevent it from sleeping, just to minimize vampire drain.[/QUOTE]

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[Granny’s car]

We do not own a wall charger, but I guess we will need to order one before May.

 

[Capsid]

We do not own a wall charger, but I guess we will need to order one before May.

You can just use the normal house socket to keep it trickle charged. You should have a plug adapter with the car for that. I'm from UK so maybe you don't.

 

[GSP]

We do not own a wall charger, but I guess we will need to order one before May.

As @Capsid suggested, just plug it in to a standard 120 Volt outlet with the charge cord that is included with the car. That should be just fine for storage.

However, unless your daily driving mileage is low, having a 240 Volt outlet or a wall connector should be a better user experience while you are in Florida and driving your Modle 3. Tesla has instructions for your electrician as to what type of 240 Volt outlet to install (NEMA 14-50).

Enjoy your car!

GSP

 

[widodh]

"A plugged in Tesla is a happy Tesla"

120V will work just fine. Set it to 50% and that should be sufficient.

 

[TexasEV]

We do not own a wall charger, but I guess we will need to order one before May.

What do you mean you don’t own a wall charger? Every car comes with the UMC (Universal Mobile Connector).

By the way, the thing you plug in is a connector, not charger. The charger is in the car.

 

[Granny’s car]

Thanks to all for your replies.
We do not have a wall charger and do not charge at home.
Being retired, we don't have a daily commute which consumes mileage.
There is a supercharging station 6 miles away, next to Whole Foods.
So once a week, I refill the pantry and the car at the same time.
Am I doing it wrong?

 

[Don TLR]

Just connect the car to a 110 outlet in your garage since you drive so few miles. You could set the charge to start when your electrical rates are at the lowest rate. As Elon has stated, A plugged in Tesla is a happy Tesla..

 

[YellyYeti]

One of the huge benefits of owning an electric car is being able to recharge at home, and never needing to go somewhere to charge it. Your Model 3 came with a mobile connector (check the frunk if you haven't seen it yet) that will plug into any electrical outlet. Do you have a garage to park it in? If so, just keep it plugged in using the Mobile Connector whenever you are home, and just forget about it. Let me know if you need help, I am local to you, in Sanford. We have a Model X.

 

[Granny’s car]

What do you mean you don’t own a wall charger? Every car comes with the UMC (Universal Mobile Connector).

By the way, the thing you plug in is a connector, not charger. The charger is in the car.

I apologize for the misstatement. I am new to the nomenclature.
Yes, our garage has several outlets, including this one.


I was considering buying this wall charger (sold out).
Wall Connector with 14-50 Plug

 

[YellyYeti]

I apologize for the misstatement. I am new to the nomenclature.
Yes, our garage has several outlets, including this one.
View attachment 369789

I was considering buying this wall charger (sold out).
Wall Connector with 14-50 Plug

Look in the front trunk for this:

It will plug into the outlet you showed. Do not buy the Wall Charger, it requires a 240V outlet to plug into. Your standard 120V outlet you show should be more than sufficient if you don't have a commute.

 

[brkaus]

I apologize for the misstatement. I am new to the nomenclature.
Yes, our garage has several outlets, including this one.
View attachment 369789

I was considering buying this wall charger (sold out).
Wall Connector with 14-50 Plug

The outlet in your picture is a 5-20. It would charge a bit faster than a normal outlet if you purchase the adapter.

Depending on how many miles you normally drive, you might check with an electrician (or two) on adding a larger outlet. Depending on your situation (main box size, location) it may be $300 or up to thousands.

You said you don’t commute much, so the standard connector in a regular plug and/or an occasional visit to a supercharger is just fine.