Stop Killing Your Tesla Battery! How to Charge the Right Way

Tesla charging tips to maximize battery life for Model 3, Model Y, Model S/X

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The worst thing that you can do as a Tesla owner is ignore the most expensive part of your car: the battery. It not only determines the distance you can travel which is arguably the most important feature of any electric car, but the battery also has a huge effect on the actual value of the car so you absolutely want to take care of it. However, the only thing you can really do to care for the battery as an owner is to optimize your charging. After driving my Model 3 for 135,000 miles and counting, it still has 95% of its original battery capacity which is really impressive, and I believe that is mainly due to me researching and practicing good charging habits to maximize battery life and knowing the best tips so I can be a responsible Tesla owner, all of which I’ll share with you in this video. I believe there’s a balance you have to strike when it comes to optimizing battery health while also getting the most convenience out of Tesla ownership.

There are more battery chemistries that Tesla uses in their vehicles now compared to when I got my Model 3 in 2018. The main difference is that the standard range models use a lithium iron phosphate or LFP battery compared to the long range and performance models which use Nickel based or NCA batteries.

Don't overspend on an expensive home charger if you don’t need it. When you first order your car you have two options for charging: The $230 mobile connector which is a 20-foot portable charging cable or the Wall connector that costs twice as much but looks nicer and is best suited for a more permanent installation inside a garage. If you have a large budget and want the fastest home charging in a nice clutter-free design, then go with a Wall connector. It can provide up to 44 miles of estimated range per hour of charge depending on your vehicle and circuit breaker.

In my opinion, the mobile connector is the best charging solution for most people because it’s not only less expensive but it’s more useful because you can take it with you when you need to charge away from home, just throw it in the frunk. The mobile connector allows you to charge your car on a normal outlet which is the slowest, but for many people who are on a tight budget & drive less than 50 miles per day it could honestly be all they need without spending more on charging equipment. A normal outlet can provide 60 miles of range for my Model 3 if charged for 12 hours overnight. However, if you’re like me and drive more than that each day, the mobile connector paired with a $45 adapter on a NEMA 1450 outlet is probably the best bang for buck solution for home charging. Not counting the cost for the actual outlet this is a $275 charging setup that can provide 30 miles of range per hour for my Long Range Model 3 which is fast enough for nearly anybody’s driving habits.

Use low voltage charging as much as possible and only Supercharge when necessary such as on long road trips. Home charging is one of the BEST benefits owning an EV. Not only is it much cheaper than Supercharging but it’s way more convenient and seems to be better for battery life.

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[curthoaldridge]

Electrician here. A huge advantage of the Wall Connector over the mobile connector is that it requires one less conductor than a regular 240V outlet. It has built in GFCI protection etc. that make this possible. Only need two hots and a ground instead of two hots, one neutral and a ground. I would recommend the Wall Connector all day long over the mobile connector.

[bradholben]

Bro commutes 50 plus miles one way and still finds time to give us great content. We salute you!! I need to up my Tesla content game😂

[NaughtyGoatFarm]

This is by far the best charging summary I have seen.

[cerrillosstore]

I would also add that if you have a high amperage wall connector that you can still charge at a lower rate. B y lowering the rate you push less energy into the pack and it just extends the time. So in Andy's case of needing a 40% charge, he could lower the amperage from 48 AMPS to 20 AMPS and still have a full charge by 7 am. I personally set my car to charge at 18 AMPS because that comes out to 15 miles of range per hour of charging.

[gbinman]

I have done nicely with the mobile connector on a 110v circuit with my 22 M3LR, and for grins, I schedule charging to 80% only between 3pm and 8am as my utility suggests to be kind to the grid. Even if I plug in weekly all is fine. I do have the advantage of being retired and most driving is local trips. Even for road trips, I don't charge to 100%. For road trips, it is optimum to keep the battery as low as possible for efficient charging. Before and after delivery, so many insist having a 220v optimum is mandatory. I didn't think so then or now. Understanding one's use case is essential. Contrary to common belief, it has nominal impact on my electrical bill which last month was 2813 kWh of which 88 kWh was my Tesla for 3%. Friends think the neighborhood lights dim when I plug in. :)

[marklefler]

Note, the newer Mobile Connectors now come with both the 110 V cord, and a 240 V (NEMA 14-50 plug). You can also buy the NEMA 14-50 if you already have the Mobile Connector from a few years ago when they did not come with that.

[robertrigel]

Really informative video, Andy - thanks. FYI, my Tesla service center recommends "recalibrating" your Battery Management Unit every month or two months. This is done by charging to 100%, discharging to below 20%, then recharging to 100% again, which is then followed by normal driving and charging levels of 80%. They said doing this recalibrates the BMU controls on the car enabling it to make better estimates. Have you heard this before?

[davidharris]

Thank you so much for the information provider in your video here. My wife just got a red '23 Model 3 Performance. We'll absolutely be taking your advice for properly charging the car. We've rarely had to use the supercharger unless we're traveling on long trips. She's absolutely in love with the car. Thanks again for the information!

[habaloneh]

Got mine 23 M3P a month ago. I’m happy to hear this it reinforces what I do. 12A no more than 80% I hardly drop below 55%. My driving habits (other cars also I own help) makes this trickle charge sufficient for me. I use the car 5-6 days a week as a DD

[donaldstinnett]

Tesla now recommends NOT charging every day, and NOT keeping your battery pack at a high SoC. I recently had service done on my 2018 M3 and I was proudly telling the tech that I charged daily and was careful with the battery, and he told me this. He said the best practice is to charge to 80 or 85, then pull it down to 30 or below (percentages, of course) before charging. This utilizes the lower part of the pack which otherwise would always be charged and thus could affect the health of the cells. So I charge to 85 and drive to 25 or 20. I have done this from the beginning for my 2023 M3 and I hope the battery degradation will be minimal over the years. My 2018 has over 105, 000 miles and it has lost 10-12% of range.

[TrendyStone]

The wall connecter is really nice to have AND I got a rebate from my local utility when I purchased it. That way I can keep the mobile connector in the car all the time. I actually have two Tesla's and installed two wall connectors running off the same breaker. They have a power sharing option where the talk to each other via wifi so they never exceed your breaker amperage, which is great.

[hugofaria]

Hello,
I have a Model 3 Long Range, and I usually charge the car at the beginning of the week at 80%, and I spend about 6% per day. I get to the end of the week with about 50%, do you think I should wait until I reach 50% to charge or should I charge every day to the 80% limit?
Thanks for the great video.

[CodyOsborne]

Andy I would recommend that owners choose a HARD WIRED set up like I have with my Bolt. An outlet, especially a poor quality outlet is adds another variable that can go wrong with charging. I’ve seen many outlets melted due to poor outlets or under torqued lugs holding the leads down. For owners that install an outlet, the least you could do is double check the outlet occasionally (yearly) to make sure they are still torqued. Simply feeling it for heat can give you an early warning if there is a potential issue.

[ericv.]

I have had my 2018 Model 3 for 5 years and mostly charge at home with a Tesla Wall Connector to 80%. I only use Superchargers when I am travelling. After 75, 000 miles I still have 300 miles range when charged to 100%, so that's less than a 4% drop from the 311 mile range when new.

[deasunodonnachadha]

USed the Mobile charger on my Niro for the past 3 years. No issues. 95% of the time.

[ckva]

I've leased a Model 3 RWD since March 2023, and put about 7, 000 miles on it so far (December 2023 currently). My battery has lost 2.93% capacity since then. It started at 273 miles but now it caps at 265 miles. I've charged 90% of all charging on a small wall charger outlet because I'm a renter and they don't have the bigger/more powerful wall outlet.

[johnjoyce]

The way I look at it is if you work 8 hours a day 5 days a week that means you’re likely home most of the rest of your days so you have around 12 hours home per work day and then weekends. You can easily charge 240-300 miles during your 5 work days and then weekend anytime you’re home. The avg driver drives 12, 000 miles a year which is about 230 per week. 120v is more than enough for the average person.

Plus if you can charge at work it’s even better.

[xqhwgqf]

GREAT so much for the education. I've been researching for my first Tesla buy, and your videos are extremely well done and informative

[Thunderga]

My 2018 Model 3 doesn't have as many miles (~80k), but I am at 95% of original battery capacity still. For the first 2 years, it was a high daily mileage driver (140 miles a day), but since 2020, it barely goes 200 miles a month. So I've been keeping it at about 55-60% SoC most of the time as my charge limits.

[Roll_the_Bones]

Absolutely right, I've always followed that regimen with my early 2022 M3LR anyway, as it makes logical sense, and it's never gone over 90%, mostly 40-75% unless there's a specific requirement. Tbh, I don't think 100% charging is a great idea with LFPs either, and if I had one, I certainly would not be charging it more than 80-90% on a daily basis, whatever is said.