I sent some questions to Tesla Motors asking about strategies for extending the life of my battery pack. I was looking for more tips beyond just plugging in and recharging to standard mode each day.
I received a very detailed response from Dan Myggen and he gave me permission to post it here.
I received a very detailed response from Dan Myggen and he gave me permission to post it here.
For simplicity’s sake, I will refer to all SOC (State Of Charge) numbers as a percentage of a full (100%) charge. I cannot provide exact percentages, as there are many variables which can cause these numbers to vary slightly, however, I will get as close as I can.
When plugging in a nearly empty car that is set to Storage mode, the charge will generally stop at around 20%. The car will then settle into its normal Storage mode rhythm, topping up and discharging between 10% and 50% as the car sees fit. Oftentimes it will keep a tighter envelope based on parameters that I am not aware of.
Most important to remember is that Storage mode is not intended to be a driving mode. This charge setting is primarily meant to optimize battery life while the car is under storage conditions for two weeks or more.
Storage mode does not attempt to balance the pack, and you will cause an imbalance in the pack by driving and charging in this mode regularly.
This will penalize you when you do occasionally charge the car fully in the other modes, as you will not have the full range of the car available to you until the car has a chance to balance its battery. Additionally, the car’s range will not be as accurate if driven while in Storage mode vs. having charged it in Standard mode after storing the car, then driving it.
Allowing the car to sit plugged in after it has finished charging in Standard mode automatically balances the pack, and it may take a few rounds of this to bring an imbalanced pack back to its full potential after many partial charges. This is one of the major reasons we recommend keeping the car in Standard mode whenever possible. Partial charges in any mode, while not on their own bad for the battery, do not give the car an opportunity to balance its battery, and over time can prevent you from accessing the car’s full range potential.
When balanced, Standard mode charges the car to about 87%, with Range and Performance modes getting the car to about 97%. These two percentages are very much affected by the balance between bricks in the battery. An imbalanced pack will not fill up all the way in any mode, nor will it be able to discharge as far. Additionally, the range predictions will not be as accurate.
Your voltages are about right.
4.10 volts = full standard mode (187-195 ideal miles)
4.15 volts = full range mode
4.20 volts = maximum of the cells that we never touch
As you may know, there is much more to it than just using voltage to calculate range with Lithium batteries. This is something that is incredibly complicated, and not something that I am qualified to discuss in detail, as I do not have the full picture.
It is important to remember that SOC is not the only factor in maximizing battery life. For instance most lithium batteries are shipped at around 30-50% SOC in consumer electronics, and part of the reasoning is that they are less susceptible to damage from extreme temperatures at these charge levels. It is also safer to store them at these levels. Part of the benefit of Storage mode is that there is less work required from the HVAC system to keep the battery happy and safe, and therefore, less energy is consumed while stored.
We chose ~90% as a Standard full charge level because it offers most of the longevity benefit of keeping the car at a lower state of charge, while still allowing a high degree of autonomy. I understand that you are interested in taking extra steps to maximize your battery’s life, so I do have some suggestions for you.
I would not recommend that you continue to use Storage mode as a means of maintaining a lower state of charge. As I explained earlier, this mode is not optimized for this type of use.
Think of battery degradation this way. It is very much a function of time spent at voltage and temperature. For instance, you do not want to charge a car all the way in performance mode, and then let it sit in the sun all day. Between the higher thermal limits and the high SOC, you are causing the battery a relatively high amount of degradation .In fact, the car will eventually allow itself to discharge to Standard levels if left in Performance mode to prevent inadvertent damage to the battery. If you start driving right away after charging in Performance or Range Mode, and don’t let it sit, you would minimize the damage incurred, as the time spent at these extremes is an important part of the calculation.
Similarly, if you top off to full in Standard mode, then jump in the car right away and bring the SOC down quickly, you will minimize the small amount of degradation that occurs at ~90%.
If you prefer to keep a lower average SOC in an attempt to maximize the life of your battery, I would instead suggest that you stay in Standard mode and utilize the Roadster’s built in charge timer and current limiting options to find an average SOC that works for you. For instance, try starting your charge at a time that allows the car to top off to a level you are comfortable with right before you need to leave. Alternately, you can use the Current limiting function to adjust the amount of time it takes the car reaches a target SOC, or even a combination of these two options. The car will remember the settings you select based on your location, so once you find something that works for your commute, you can set it and forget it.
Just remember that the car does benefit from being allowed to sit fully charged in Standard mode, and should be allowed to do so frequently, especially if being used on a daily basis. Leaving the car plugged in in Standard mode after it is done charging will initiate this balancing program automatically. This doesn’t take much time, 30 minutes or so should do. It may take several of these balancing cycles to bring the car back to a balanced state if it has become imbalanced, which is something that a lack of regular Standard mode top ups and subsequent balancing cycles can induce.
It would therefore be a good idea to set the car to “Charge on Plug In” instead of “Charge at X time” in the charge timing menu for at least a few Standard mode charges per week to keep the pack balanced. There are simply too many variables for me to be able to predict how often you would need to do this, and we do not have a recommended procedure for alternate desired average SOC levels.
I hope this helps answer your questions, and gives you a better idea of how to maximize battery life under your driving conditions.
Regards,
Dan Myggen
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