My Experience Taking my Model Y down to 0%

[easyev]

My 2023 model Y LR 19" stock wheels from Fremont has 17k miles on it, the weather was decent (62F and sunny) so I ran my battery down to 0% (0 miles). I mainly did this to lessen my fears of running out of battery on a road trip.

I started with a full battery (100% charged from home), usually when I charge to 100% for a long trip the last 8% usually takes about 35 minutes, this time it took 111 minutes. I am guessing the battery needed a lot of balancing since it has been months since I've charged to 100%.

• 317 rated miles at 100% (the number at the top of the screen near the battery icon, I think Tesla calls it "Total estimated driving distance (or energy) available")
• 315 actual miles driven to 0% from Tesla "since last charge" trip meter
• 318 miles driven shown by my USAA insurance app
• 6 hours 56 minutes of driving over a couple days, highway and county roads mostly in the Denver area at around 60F (USAA app)
• 71kWh consumption of the battery (from Tesla trip meter)
• 224wH/mile averaged. 71kWh divided by 224wH/mile = 317 miles which is magically what Tesla estimated before I started driving.
• When I got to 0% I didn't notice any power loss, however I could see 4 dots on the right side of the Power Meter. 5% is when the dots started to appear.
• I received plenty of warnings that I was getting low, the last few miles I circled my local supercharger station.
• When I tried to supercharge at 0 miles I got an error message saying something like "charging stopped". I freaked out a bit and I started to think this test has ruined my battery!
• I tried another stall and it started charging at 165kW right away and within 45 seconds it was already at 250kW. From 4% all the way to 11% it stayed at 250kW which seemed really good considering I did not precondition the battery at all and it was 62F.
• The charging session took 1:22 from 0% to 100%. (Tesla estimated 55 minutes)
• +80kWh total for the supercharger session receipt which I think included some HVAC and watching Youtube while waiting.
• +76kWh actually went just to the battery (number shown below "Charging Complete" message at top of screen).
• After the supercharger session the new rated miles at the top of the screen dropped slightly to 316.
• As for degradation I am not sure how to calculated it. If it was rated for 330 new and now displaying 316, I guess that is -4.2%. But I used -71kWh draining it to 0%, but it received +76kWh to fill it back up so I not sure how to calculate that.
• After doing this test I do feel more confident about not running out of battery.

Did this hurt my battery? I watched this video from Jeff Dahn and he suggests (20 minutes into the video) a depth of discharge of only 25% daily for NMC batteries (which is about what I am doing.) Jeff indicated that every 500 hours they did a "check up cycle" from 100% to 0% during the 2.5 years of testing. I am not sure what that check up cycle equates to in miles, but I am guessing do a "check up cycle" every 17k miles is OK for the health of the battery.

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Really appreciate this thank you for your test and details. Nothing wrong with 0% which is isn’t really “empty” as there is a reserve available.

 

[eux118]

For OP: You mention monitoring usage with USAA Insurance app? Can you elaborate how to set it up with Tesla? I am with USAA Insurance and would love to tie their app to my 2023 Tesla Model Y if it will lower my rates. I am retired military and drive less than 4000 miles a year; plug in at home on 110V and keep charge between 35% to 55% for my usage case. Thanks.

 

[Dugdale]

Eux118, The USAA app is called SafePilot. In the app it will track many things for each drive, for me I used the distance traveled and the time of each drive, I was surprised it was almost 7 hours of driving to complete this test over a couple of days. You might have to call USAA to get a link to the app, I think it is worth it to get the 30% discount if you are a good driver.

 

[kpanda17]

Eux118, The USAA app is called SafePilot. In the app it will track many things for each drive, for me I used the distance traveled and the time of each drive, I was surprised it was almost 7 hours of driving to complete this test over a couple of days. You might have to call USAA to get a link to the app, I think it is worth it to get the 30% discount if you are a good drive

did you really save 30%? you know this is big brother in your car...I'm in cyber and dont like the onboard monitoring
think the insurance industry is forcing everyone to these monitors with much higher rates if we do not use them

 

[Dugdale]

kpanda17,​

I think I was close to 30%. What frustrated me is they said I would get the discount after 6 months of driving. When I got the new bill 6 months later it was the same as when I started with USAA. They gave me an up front discount (they didn't tell me about) that went away once I got the driving discount. So it seems if you don't use the app you are paying an additional 30%.

 

[kpanda17]

kpanda17,​

I think I was close to 30%. What frustrated me is they said I would get the discount after 6 months of driving. When I got the new bill 6 months later it was the same as when I started with USAA. They gave me an up front discount (they didn't tell me about) that went away once I got the driving discount. So it seems if you don't use the app you are paying an additional 30%.

feels like it, im also with USAA
Nov 2023 to now has been a 80% increase, be it one of my 20 year olds has had a few accidents, I checked competitors and the rates are even higher
its killing me

 

[Alonzo]

When I signed up with Liberty Mutual, they had me put an app on my phone which logged my driving for 180 days. After that, I removed the app as per their instructions. At the end of the 180 days, I could receive up to 30% off my premiums. The app followed things like sudden stops, fast accelerations, using the phone while driving, driving at night, and total miles. They didn't care about speed at all. I had zero dings in about 1,500 miles during that period.

I did receive a further discount, but it was not 30%. More like 20%. This discount was/is supposed to last as long as I stay with them. Of course, after the first year my rates went up anyway. "It's just the cost of repairs have gone up so much". Overall, I benefitted from the program, but I still compare rates every year.

 

[Alonzo]

feels like it, im also with USAA
Nov 2023 to now has been a 80% increase, be it one of my 20 year olds has had a few accidents, I checked competitors and the rates are even higher
its killing me

That'll teach you to unleash teenagers onto this world.

 

[kpanda17]

When I signed up with Liberty Mutual, they had me put an app on my phone which logged my driving for 180 days. After that, I removed the app as per their instructions. At the end of the 180 days, I could receive up to 30% off my premiums. The app followed things like sudden stops, fast accelerations, using the phone while driving, driving at night, and total miles. They didn't care about speed at all. I had zero dings in about 1,500 miles during that period.

I did receive a further discount, but it was not 30%. More like 20%. This discount was/is supposed to last as long as I stay with them. Of course, after the first year my rates went up anyway. "It's just the cost of repairs have gone up so much". Overall, I benefitted from the program, but I still compare rates every year.

that I'd be open for, only big brother for a time and then remove
@Dugdale wonder if USAA will let you remove it after proving to them you drive safely

 

[Dugdale]

I didn't know that might be an option, my whole family would like to remove the app if possible.

 

[kpanda17]

I didn't know that might be an option, my whole family would like to remove the app if possible.

just do it
putting the call to usaa on my todo list, with the request to remove after six months
problem is, i have five people on the policy, big brother them all?

 

[sleepydoc]

feels like it, im also with USAA
Nov 2023 to now has been a 80% increase, be it one of my 20 year olds has had a few accidents, I checked competitors and the rates are even higher
its killing me

Car insurance has been skyrocketing across the board because repair costs are so high. I had a minor fender bender with my MY and it’s going to be over $7k to repair, and you can hardly see the damage.

 

[gottagofast]

Car insurance has been skyrocketing across the board because repair costs are so high. I had a minor fender bender with my MY and it’s going to be over $7k to repair, and you can hardly see the damage.

I just wouldn’t repair it

 

[sleepydoc]

I just wouldn’t repair it

Yeah, I might not. The problem is it was a stupid mistake on my part and I can see it so every time I go out to the car it reminds me!

 

[eux118]

Eux118, The USAA app is called SafePilot. In the app it will track many things for each drive, for me I used the distance traveled and the time of each drive, I was surprised it was almost 7 hours of driving to complete this test over a couple of days. You might have to call USAA to get a link to the app, I think it is worth it to get the 30% discount if you are a good driver.

Thanks very much. I will try it. Been with USAA for 40+ years. Has given me best prices and service. I do the Geriatric shuffle to my Tesla every day and feel like I’m twenty-five again. Priceless!

 

[Solar Windman]

I read on this forum many times that cycling the battery to less than 20% does no harm to it, yet never have I seen any scientific evidence to support that. I then see graphs - but to date they they really don’t mention anything specifically about drawing down low. I do see graphs about ‘aging’ of the battery, but thats a different issue. Given no facts to work with, I too follow the advice of Jeff Dahn who recommends staying above 25% (he sometimes says 30%) as the minimum for general day to day commuting. Then there’s the advice from Tesla in the manual to stay above 20%.

I do acknowledge that both Tesla and Jeff Dahn suggest that we use the car when we need to and charge based on circumstances - but that is for ‘tripping’ not day to day.

So here is my question, can anyone please link to a study that says draining the battery to low on a regular basis causes no issues - Thanks

I have a Model 3 purchased Dec. 2023 and the app recommends that I set the limit to 100% and charge the battery fully at least once per week. Newer batteries don't have the same 80% restriction. It would be interesting to know what the situation is on the lower end, but the app recommends keeping the battery near full. So it may depend on which battery version you have.

 

[tangible1]

I have a Model 3 purchased Dec. 2023 and the app recommends that I set the limit to 100% and charge the battery fully at least once per week. Newer batteries don't have the same 80% restriction. It would be interesting to know what the situation is on the lower end, but the app recommends keeping the battery near full. So it may depend on which battery version you have.

you have a M3 with LFP batteries?
because that's the recommended usage of said battery.

In a MYLR or MYP based on Panasonic 2107, it's 20-80 for normal usage.

 

[kpanda17]

Yeah, I might not. The problem is it was a stupid mistake on my part and I can see it so every time I go out to the car it reminds me!

Gotta fix this right?

We need insurance
It’s the necessary evil for autos

 

[sleepydoc]

Gotta fix this right?
View attachment 1029059
We need insurance
It’s the necessary evil for autos

meh - I'd probably replace the windshield just so the wipers would work properly. That's a safety issue, after all.

 

[Alonzo]

I'd probably replace the windshield just so the wipers would work properly.

It would take more than a new windshield to make Tesla wipers work properly.