Do you know that you must keep your battery charged?

[Vger]

I guess Tesla eliminated the Storage Mode in the Model S since they found it was really not gaining the owner much. I have used it only a few times myself, and I really did not need to (have never been away from the car for more than a week, so far). Perhaps Tesla found that there was really not that much to be gained by keeping the battery at 50% versus at 85%, in terms of long-term battery health. This is the advantage of a second-generation power train-- these lessons get learned.

 

[wiztecy]

Possibly the S has the smarts to do what's right if its on the charger. I know Tesla would still want the S and so would I to have the ability to charge if it feels the need to. The S will go into "sleep" mode if it finds the battery SOC dropping down to a critical value, in this sleep mode the car will in essence hibernate until its plugged in. I believe it can go for 3-6 months in this mode and not brick the pack.

 

[Doug_G]

I guess Tesla eliminated the Storage Mode in the Model S since they found it was really not gaining the owner much. I have used it only a few times myself, and I really did not need to (have never been away from the car for more than a week, so far). Perhaps Tesla found that there was really not that much to be gained by keeping the battery at 50% versus at 85%, in terms of long-term battery health. This is the advantage of a second-generation power train-- these lessons get learned.

Probably. Also if the car gets accidentally unplugged or power goes out, it's far better to have it at 85% than 30%. (Storage mode lets it drop to around 30% before it tops up.)

 

[Dave EV]

I guess Tesla eliminated the Storage Mode in the Model S since they found it was really not gaining the owner much. I have used it only a few times myself, and I really did not need to (have never been away from the car for more than a week, so far). Perhaps Tesla found that there was really not that much to be gained by keeping the battery at 50% versus at 85%, in terms of long-term battery health. This is the advantage of a second-generation power train-- these lessons get learned.

Quite possibly. But their old blog about batteries suggests that it is useful to keep the SOC down at 50% if possible.

The other significant factor that affects calendar aging is the charge state of the battery during storage. At higher charge states cells lose capacity faster. This is a second reason why we have limited our maximum state of charge to 4.15V/cell instead of 4.2V/cell. We also offer the driver the option of charging to only 3.8V/cell (~50 percent) or 4.10V/cell (~90 percent) to further extend calendar life if the full vehicle range is not needed on the next few trips. We advise and encourage a full (4.15V/cell) charge only when it is needed.

Obviously even since that was written and the first Roadsters were delivered they eliminated the 50% charge setting in favor of storage mode and have now done away with it altogether.

 

[JRP3]

The S will go into "sleep" mode if it finds the battery SOC dropping down to a critical value, in this sleep mode the car will in essence hibernate until its plugged in. I believe it can go for 3-6 months in this mode and not brick the pack.

I thought it was up to a year.

 

[wiztecy]

From cnet:

Tesla: You can't 'brick' Model S batteries | Cutting Edge - CNET News

"Model S batteries also have the ability to protect themselves as they approach very low charge levels by going into a 'deep sleep' mode that lowers the loss even further. A Model S will not allow its battery to fall below about 5 percent charge. At that point the car can still sit for many months. Of course you can drive a Model S to 0 percent charge, but even in that circumstance, if you plug it in within 30 days, the battery will recover normally," Tesla said on its Web site today."

 

[dsm363]

I thought it was up to a year.

That's correct. Tesla said in their statement to the bricking fiasco that the Model S can sit for a year at a 50% SOC before you get into trouble.


Plug It In | Blog | Tesla Motors
From link above:

For example, a Model S battery parked with 50 percent charge would approach full discharge only after about 12 months. Model S batteries also have the ability to protect themselves as they approach very low charge levels by going into a “deep sleep” mode that lowers the loss even further. A Model S will not allow its battery to fall below about 5 percent charge. At that point the car can still sit for many months. Of course you can drive a Model S to 0 percent charge, but even in that circumstance, if you plug it in within 30 days, the battery will recover normally.

 

[DrTaras]

Looks like Max Drucker has been vindicated. Maybe not made whole but his issue has directly (IMHO) caused Musk to rethink the battery (no doubt to remove a sales impediment) and say this:
"Any product that needs a manual to work is broken," Musk said. :scared:
The battery is covered even if an owner fails to follow charging guidelines laid out in the owners' manual.
That in an article entitled: "Tesla offers idiot-proof battery warranty: Tesla Motors is offering a new "no fault" warranty on the batteries in its Model S sedans"

 

[JRP3]

I thought the same thing. Does that mean Tesla is saying the Roadster was a broken product?

 

[dsm363]

I don't think Drucker was vindicated as he failed to follow basic instructions and tried to blame Tesla but this is a good development. This is similar to a plasma TV maker saying 'even if you keep the TV paused on a channel with a logo for a week will will replace it because of burn in' and this is on a product 1/100th the price. Amazing.

 

[tomsax]

I think Musk is saying the Roadster is defective because it will drain the battery until it's ruined and that an owner shouldn't have to know that or work around it. They said they would fix this problem in the Model S, and apparently they have. I'm OK with the issues that come along with being a Gen1 owner, but the "broken" product comment is insulting.

Or maybe he has just forgotten that the Roadster exists. Didn't he say at the Model S announcement event that they won't "abandon" the Roadster, and yet we haven't heard a peep about any developments on the Roadster, no upgrades, no info on battery replacement, nothing.

About a month ago, Musk also said he would personally guarantee the value of the Model S for the new lease deal. Does he not remember promising the Roadster deposit holders that he would personally guarantee they would receive their cars, then a year later he told those same depositors that if Tesla went under they would be treated as unsecured creditors (ie, no car, no refund).

It seems to me that either he has no memory, or he thinks we don't.

 

[dsm363]

I think the person in charge of the Roadster program changed. Might have something to do with it. They do need to remember their roots though.

 

[JRP3]

Or maybe he has just forgotten that the Roadster exists.

Can't be that since he did say you might be able to get a Roadster as a loaner in certain markets when your S is in the shop. I guess that means they are loaning out "broken" cars?

Didn't he say at the Model S announcement event that they won't "abandon" the Roadster, and yet we haven't heard a peep about any developments on the Roadster, no upgrades, no info on battery replacement, nothing.

I have to give them some slack on that one, they are a tad busy these days.

 

[brianman]

I think Musk is saying the Roadster is defective because it will drain the battery until it's ruined and that an owner shouldn't have to know that or work around it. They said they would fix this problem in the Model S, and apparently they have. I'm OK with the issues that come along with being a Gen1 owner, but the "broken" product comment is insulting.

I'm really interested to hear what he has to say if you open this discussion over e-mail. Assuming, of course, that you're both willing to share the exchange.

 

[DrTaras]

It seems to me that either he has no memory, or he thinks we don't.

I got your back, Paul Revere! :cursing:

 

[TD1]

I think they could easily implement a function that informs the owner via the Smartphone app, that the battery should always have a minimum charge.

 

[tomsax]

I'm really interested to hear what he has to say if you open this discussion over e-mail. Assuming, of course, that you're both willing to share the exchange.

Yeah, I think I've done my share of riding through the streets on horseback in the wee hours of the morning. I'll let someone else ride this time. (Thanks for the support, DrTaras.)

I think they could easily implement a function that informs the owner via the Smartphone app, that the battery should always have a minimum charge.

Tesla does get data from v2.x Roadsters and I believe they have stated they will call the owner if the SOC gets dangerously low. The v1.5 Roadsters don't have the cellular modem built in.

In addition to allowing remote monitoring and commands, the OVMS device also sends low SOC messages and works on any version Roadster.