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What battery charge level for storage?
- Thread starter cbo111
- Start date
Thats what I would do (50-60%, plugged in).
I suggest you turn off Sentry Mode at your home location, otherwise you will be using 7% of the battery each day. I don't leave my Tesla Model Y plugged in when I am away. In the spring and summer months there are frequent electrical storms. The risk is small but the potential amount of damage is high if the Tesla vehicle is plugged in and there is a close by lightning strike.
I wonder if a good surge protector would help and just keep the mobile connector plugged in? I mean we don't run around the house and unplug all appliances and devices while we're away. They don't cost 100k either though
I do leave mine plugged in during storms since my chargepoint is a smart charger and has gfci protection.I always unplug the expensive electronics in my home whenever I am away or during a storm. A surge protector may help but would not stop the voltage surge of a ground lightning strike coming through the power line or ground connection. That amount of energy would overwhelm any surge protector.I wonder if a good surge protector would help and just keep the mobile connector plugged in? I mean we don't run around the house and unplug all appliances and devices while we're away. They don't cost 100k either though
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roblab
Active Member
Well, I don't know, but I would guess that the folks at Tesla took into account that there might be electrical storms on occasion, both when the cars were parked or driving down the road, AND that they have things set in place to protect the car. I don't even own a surge protector, and my car was plugged in last night while we had a really nice thunderstorm. I did not even open my eyes, much less get out of bed. I'd bet that if storms were a problem, we'd have already heard the moaning and complaining about how cars shorted out, blah, blah. I'd be much more worried about a garage burning down along with the attached house when the gas car went up in flames. My Tesla is far safer than storing several gallons of highly flammable fluid sitting in my garage. Gas cars are dangerous.
As far as leaving your car, people leave their cars at the airport and take off to Europe or the opposite coast all the time, while their car sits in the long-term lot. If I were going on a long vacation, I'm not sure I'd even worry about leaving it plugged in. What's the point? The battery won't run down. I'd leave it with 80-90% just so I could drive it home when I got done with my vacay. I live 100 miles from the airport, and that would be 200 before I got back. OF COURSE, having 400 miles of charge is nice, but even my wife's 3 would make it fine.
As far as leaving your car, people leave their cars at the airport and take off to Europe or the opposite coast all the time, while their car sits in the long-term lot. If I were going on a long vacation, I'm not sure I'd even worry about leaving it plugged in. What's the point? The battery won't run down. I'd leave it with 80-90% just so I could drive it home when I got done with my vacay. I live 100 miles from the airport, and that would be 200 before I got back. OF COURSE, having 400 miles of charge is nice, but even my wife's 3 would make it fine.
Nope.I wonder if a good surge protector would help and just keep the mobile connector plugged in? I mean we don't run around the house and unplug all appliances and devices while we're away. They don't cost 100k either though
I had my Chevy Volt plugged in at my landlords business (next door to the house I was renting) until I could get an outdoor outlet installed. There was a "bolt from the blue" lightning strike (no rain, blue sky sunny summer day) on the landlords business. The Volt was totaled... dealership kept trying to repair it for a while but after replacing several computer modules at a crap load of $$$ each they gave up and the insurance company totaled it out. The stock EVSE itself for the Volt had fusible links, the car charging system had fusible links, the computer systems had fuses... lightning that has bridged the gap from several hundred (sometimes thousands) of feet in the air to the ground don't give a flip about the fraction of an inch gap provided by a fuse or fusible link.
Later,
Keith
That was just god telling you it was time for a Tesla.
I had a 2012 volt man what a nice car those were. They really overdelivered in my opinion it felt well above its price point. I'm not to concerned if it happens it happens I'm not running to the garage anytime it's raining and unplugging it.
This happened back in 2016, before the model 3 came out... and Model S was out of my price range. I replaced the first Volt with a 2016 Volt, and then traded that in on a 2017 Bolt when it became available.That was just god telling you it was time for a Tesla.
They really overdelivered in my opinion it felt well above its price point. I'm not to concerned if it happens it happens I'm not running to the garage anytime it's raining and unplugging it.
Keith
PS: I still leave my car plugged in, the above story was a freak occurrence, not the norm.
Fully charge it. Then leave it unplugged. It almost never happens. But batteries tend to create fires most often when charging.
If you do not have a 'whole house' protector (connected low impedance - ie less than 10 feet to single point earth ground electrodes), then lightning is all but invited inside to find earth ground destructively via your charger and car. Either a surge (lightning is only one example) connects low impedance (ie hardwire has no sharp bends) to earth. Or it is inside hunting for earth ground via all things inside. Only you make that choice.
A disconnected car is not a best connection to earth. Strongly recommended especially if using plug-in protectors anywhere inside a house. Since those puny Type 3 protectors have a nasty habit of finding even more destructive connections to earth. Must be more than 30 feet from the main breaker box and earth ground (to reduce fire threats). And must be protected by properly earthed 'whole house' protection.
Best is to charge it fully, disconnect a charger, and leave it. I should hold most of that charge even three weeks later. Lithium batteries are that significantly better at holding a charge compared to other rechargeable batteries.
The worst thing for the battery, as far as charging, would be to charge the battery to 100% and leave it for a long period. Even worse in warmer summer temperatures. The best option would be to charge as you normally do, i.e. to 70% or 80% and turn off Sentry Mode, also Smart Summon if the Tesla vehicle is equipped with Full Self Driving (FSD). With these features turned on, unplugged the Tesla Model Y will lose 1 to 2 % per week while parked. Don't keep waking up the vehicle by opening the Tesla app as this will use power every time you wake up the Tesla vehicle from sleep mode.
ATPMSD
Active Member
My advice:
- Set the desired SOC to 50% (best for Lithium battery storage)
- Plug in the car!
- Turn off Sentry, Summons and overheat protection
- Don’t keep checking the car via the Tesla app!
- And if you can, put a battery tender on the 12V battery. This will keep it from cycling.
Re: #2, With the features noted in #3 turned off the OP won't need to leave the Tesla Model Y plugged in when parked for 6 weeks. The high voltage battery would lose just 1% to 2% per week if left this way.
Re: #5, Lithium batteries don't require a float charge. (For long term storage 12V lead-acid batteries can be maintained with a float charge.) A lithium battery should not be maintained at 100% state of charge (SOC), 50% SOC is best for the long term health of the lithium battery. This assumes that the 12V battery is now the new 15.5V 7.5Ah lithium battery module used in the latest Tesla vehicles to maintain key systems when the Tesla vehicle enters sleep mode.
ATPMSD
Active Member
It is 0.5-1% / day, not per week! In my MS I have confirmed it as 500 watts per day for my car.
The car will draw down the 12v battery and then the BMS will recharge it. In the case of lead-acid this is a good idea as it will stop cycling the battery, but I think you may have a good point if it is a 12v lithium battery,
I have friends who collect cars and it is standard practice that every car with a lead-acid battery is on a battery maintainer.
ATPMSD
Active Member
Forgot to note this does not mean beginning storage at 50%. I like to start at around 70-80% and set 50% as the minimum threshold.
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CyberGus
Not Just a Member
Your Tesla is 100x more likely to be hit by a texting driver than a bolt of lightning. And if your home takes a direct strike, then you'll be replacing lots of your stuff, unplugged or not.
I always get nervous in a thunderstorm driving the DeLorean...
I always get nervous in a thunderstorm driving the DeLorean...
When I left my 2020 LRMY parked, unplugged, unlocked inside my home garage for a week with Sentry mode turned off the battery SOC dropped 1%. Perhaps others can provide their experience.
RichAZ/CapeCod
Member
Had to store a Bolt (2019 Premier) at 45% SoC for around eight months (Covid). Came back to the car and you'd never know we'd been gone. No apparent impact on the battery.
Rich
Edit: Car plugged in all those months.
Rich
Edit: Car plugged in all those months.
ATPMSD
Active Member
A Bolt is not a Tesla.
However, it looks like the M3 used to have a drain rate of 2-3 miles per day:
But then it looks like Tesla made an update that significantly reduced this for the M3:
fossbytes.com
Wonder if the vampire drain for the other Tesla cars also improved? My 2020 MS is definitely 2 miles (0.5%) / day
However, it looks like the M3 used to have a drain rate of 2-3 miles per day:
But then it looks like Tesla made an update that significantly reduced this for the M3:
Tesla Battery Drains Only 0.2% Per Day: 2.5 Times Better Now Said Owner
A Tesla Model 3 owner recently reported a significant improvement in the battery drain test of his electric car. According to him, the battery of his Model 3 now drains at a rate of 0.2% per day.According to him, the battery of his Model 3 now drains at a rate of 0.2% per day. Bjorn recently...
fossbytes.com
Wonder if the vampire drain for the other Tesla cars also improved? My 2020 MS is definitely 2 miles (0.5%) / day
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