Opinions on this charging plan

[boones]

Before I took delivery of my Y, I had a subpanel with 100A service and a NEMA 14-50 outlet installed in my garage. I then installed a Tesla mobile charger and can charge at the full speed of that charger. Cable management is great and its simple to plug in and unplug each day. Until this week, chargepoint chargers at my office were effectively half the cost of the lowest rate power available at my home, so I've been charging there since I got the car this past summer. Since that is a bit of a pain having to move the car during the day, I would let the car get down to 20% ish and then charge up to 80% ish, charging every few days. That worked great, but my office building is replacing the chargepoint chargers with loop chargers. Still just level 2, but the cost is 3x it was before, so I will switch to charging at home. My daily commute is short and typically I drive around 20 miles per day. Some days between 50-100. More than 100 is rare and can be planned.

Plan
Plug in every day at home, overnight at the lowest utility rates, charge to 60%.
If I need to leave on a trip, up the percentage and adjust the rate to complete right before I intend to leave

Reasons

• 60% in my LR Y is good for over 150 miles of range, way more than I need daily and enough to do some unexpected driving each day.
• Lithium Ion batteries in the Y like to be around 50% SOC
• In cold conditions regen is limited above around 60% SOC, so have to use the brakes when in most driving I do not need brakes as regen is enough and more efficient

Any opinions or factors I haven't considered in this charging plan?

 

[804son]

Personally, I would just drop the percentage down to 55%, apparently that is the upper end of the sweet spot to avoid the most calendar degradation.

 

[boones]

Thanks for the feedback. My thinking is that I reach 60% right before I leave in the morning. By the time I get to work, its below 55% and it sits there longest. By the time I get home its 50% or less. So the average SOC will be about 55%.

 

[jcanoe]

Did you know you can now enable blended friction braking (See Pedals & Steering settings)? When you enable blended friction braking the Tesla Model Y will slow at the same rate when you raise your foot from the accelerator pedal regardless of whether full regenerative braking, partial regenerative braking or no regenerative braking is available (mostly due to the battery being too cold or the state of charge being too high.)

 

[father_of_6]

In cold conditions regen is limited above around 60% SOC, so have to use the brakes when in most driving I do not need brakes as regen is enough and more efficient

I don't believe this is true. At least, it's not something I've experienced in 3 years of owning a Model 3.

Thanks for the feedback. My thinking is that I reach 60% right before I leave in the morning. By the time I get to work, its below 55% and it sits there longest. By the time I get home its 50% or less. So the average SOC will be about 55%.

But, then why even bother trying to skirt the line? If the longest drive on most of your days only uses 5% of the battery capacity, just set your SoC to 50% and be done.

That's what I do, and it's still enough for the daily commute, running a few errands, and an occasional outing in the evening somewhere even further than my commute.

The night before a road trip or a day when I know we'll be doing an excessive amount of driving, I just bump it up.

Overall, I think micromanaging the SoC won't make a major difference in calendar aging degradation... but since batteries are expensive and my driving habits support it, I see zero reason not to "baby" the battery and leave the SoC at 50%. If you can do it, then do it. If not, don't sweat it.

 

[boones]

Overall, I think micromanaging the SoC won't make a major difference in calendar aging degradation... but since batteries are expensive and my driving habits support it, I see zero reason not to "baby" the battery and leave the SoC at 50%. If you can do it, then do it. If not, don't sweat it.

Agree. Since I have to pick a number to charge to, 60% seems like a good balance. When I had access to cheaper electricity, I just kept it from very high or very low SOC.

 

[boones]

Did you know you can now enable blended friction braking (See Pedals & Steering settings)? When you enable blended friction braking the Tesla Model Y will slow at the same rate when you raise your foot from the accelerator pedal regardless of whether full regenerative braking, partial regenerative braking or no regenerative braking is available (mostly due to the battery being too cold or the state of charge being too high.)

Yep, that feature works pretty well. The blending isn't perfect, but its pretty good. I guess i still prefer not to throw away the energy as heat through the brakes.

 

[father_of_6]

Agree. Since I have to pick a number to charge to, 60% seems like a good balance. When I had access to cheaper electricity, I just kept it from very high or very low SOC.

LOL, no... we disagree. I'm saying "50", and you're saying "60". But you do yours and I'll do mine.

 

[jcanoe]

Yep, that feature works pretty well. The blending isn't perfect, but its pretty good. I guess i still prefer not to throw away the energy as heat through the brakes.

Nothing is thrown away. When blended friction braking is set to on whatever percent of the regenerative braking that is possible is provided. If you don't set blended friction braking to be on and the battery is cold or nearly fully charged there is little or no regenerative braking, slowing of the Tesla vehicle when you would expect it. Quite a surprise if unexpected.

 

[boones]

Nothing is thrown away. When blended friction braking is set to on whatever percent of the regenerative braking that is possible is provided. If you don't set blended friction braking to be on and the battery is cold or nearly fully charged there is little or no regenerative braking, slowing of the Tesla vehicle when you would expect it. Quite a surprise if unexpected.

If you, or the car, uses the friction brakes then kinetic energy is turned into heat via the brakes. If regen is used for all of the deceleration, then a good portion of that energy is returned to the battery to be used again by the car. When regen in limited due to cold or SOC, and you want to decel via regen only, then you need to start slowing down earlier. i.e. if you can avoid using the brakes at all, more energy is returned to the battery.

 

[boones]

LOL, no... we disagree. I'm saying "50", and you're saying "60". But you do yours and I'll do mine.

fair enough. Appreciate the feedback.