Hi all,
Happy new year! I just purchased a new model Y (Dec 28) and immediately after purchase drove it from near Dedham dealer (Boston) to Hanover, NH, about 150 miles. The battery went from 80% (initial charge at dealer) to about 13% after trip. I was surprised as this implied a range much shorter than stated 330 miles on this model (Y Long Range AWD). The weather was not that cold (mostly 45 degrees F) and we set temperature to 65 degrees inside. However, since it rained the whole time, wipers were on entire trip. We returned yesterday (Dec 31) and though wipers were not on at all, got similar range. Most of the driving was at about 70 miles per hour. When I inquired at the dealer, adviser stated it takes 4-5 charging cycles for range to improve. My kids were definitely anxious to see the expected range go down so fast. Since both portions of the trip saw similar discharge rate (about 65-68% discharge over 150 miles driving), we are concerned if this would be the case in the colder weather in this area.
Did anyone else hear this about the model Y (I am thinking this is not specific to model Y) that range improves after 4-5 cycles? Thanks.
Vijay
Welcome to Tesla Life, and Happy New Year!
I never heard that, but I have heard it might take a few charge cycles for the battery management system to calibrate.
I never got the 25 EPA mpg promised by my last ICE car either. More like 18-19 mpg.
Since you are new to Tessies, my advice is to set the battery to percent, not mileage. Then it is more like a gas gage, Full to Empty. Just tap (in the app or car) on the mileage to change to percent.
When going on a trip out of town that will use most of the battery, use the navigation even if you know the way. That way if you need to stop at a SuC the car will navigate to one for you and will precondition the battery for the fastest charging experience. It will also give you less range anxiety. I have found in my experience the car is very accurate in predicting the battery SOC you will have when you reach your destination or the next SuC.
For daily driving, I recommend you charge to whatever percentage you find you need, not to 80% unless you need 80% every day. In my case, I use 10 to 30 percent for daily driving, so I charge to 50% each night, which is the lowest you can charge and also gives me a comfortable margin. If you are going to be doing a lot of driving the next day, bump it up to perhaps 70 to 80 percent. After a few weeks or months you will get a feeling for what this needs to be for your driving situation. Until you are experienced, it might be best to charge to 80% for daily driving, but charging to no more than you need will give you slightly less battery degradation over time.
Or if this is too much to deal with don't worry about it, charge to 80% for daily driving, enjoy the car, and don't worry about the slightly increased degradation.
For a road trip, I charge to 90% the night before, then whilst I am getting ready in the morning bump it up to 100% and leave with the car's SOC at from 95 to 100 percent. Keep in mind that when you reach your destination, you need to be sure you have a high enough SOC to not only reach your destination, but also to get to a SuC once you leave your destination. Usually not a concern unless you are going somewhere that is far from the closest SuC.
I love driving our Tessies, they are fun cars to drive and I find I am driving more than I used to in my ICE car.
Hope this is helpful.
Eric
