Telling vehicle when / how much to charge

Cyber_Dav

Well-known member
First Name
David
Joined
Nov 21, 2019
Threads
10
Messages
329
Reaction score
469
Location
So Calif
Vehicles
Toyota Siennas (2)
Country flag
Tesla owners: can you tell the vehicle when to start charging? Can you tell it the percent full where you want it to stop?

I don't drive everyday, so there is no reason to keep it constantly topped off. I've heard (is this still true?) that lithium batteries prefer to kept at 80% instead of 100%.

For an every day driver, I expect most just charge and drive. But for true long term longevity, what would the best practice be?

(this a situation dependent question, I know. I don't have to worry about winter weather and extreme cold)
Sponsored

 

Revelation

Member
First Name
James
Joined
Nov 27, 2019
Threads
0
Messages
22
Reaction score
27
Location
Wilson, NC
Vehicles
Tesla Model 3, Res: Rivian R1T, Res: Tesla Cybertruck Tri-Motor + FSD
Occupation
IT Solutions Architect
Country flag
You have the option in the car and via the app to set the charging limit. In the car you can set a window to charge in (TOU rates) or you can set a departure time and the vehicle will start charging so that it is complete by the time of your scheduled departure.
 
First Name
Sam
Joined
Dec 10, 2019
Threads
1
Messages
9
Reaction score
7
Location
LA, CA
Vehicles
Model 3 and soon Cybertruck
Occupation
CEO
Country flag
My car only needed about 100miles charge when I used that option to finish charging before 7am. The car started to charge immediately and it was around 8pm the night before. My charger at home charges about 44 mph. Go figure.
 

larryboy31

Well-known member
First Name
larry
Joined
Apr 29, 2020
Threads
5
Messages
93
Reaction score
163
Location
springfield NE
Vehicles
2001 Dodge turbo diesel ext. cab,2016 Nissan versa, 2021 Subaru cross trek
Occupation
retired
Country flag
You have the option in the car and via the app to set the charging limit. In the car you can set a window to charge in (TOU rates) or you can set a departure time and the vehicle will start charging so that it is complete by the time of your scheduled departure.
I understand that for max battery life you should only charge to 80%. Is the battery degraded by how long it is kept charged over 80% or how many times it is charged over 80%. I might only charge to the max a couple of times a year. What effect would that have on the battery during the ten to fifteen years I will own it?
 

Crissa

Well-known member
First Name
Crissa
Joined
Jul 8, 2020
Threads
126
Messages
16,211
Reaction score
27,074
Location
Santa Cruz
Vehicles
2014 Zero S, 2013 Mazda 3
Country flag
Is the battery degraded by how long it is kept charged over 80% or how many times it is charged over 80%?
We track charge cycles, but it's probably the amount of time as well. And that means time under 20% as well.

Storage for lithium cells is usually kept to 60% for that reason.

The smaller the bites you can take out of your battery, the closer to 50% the state is, the longer it lasts.

But even if you charged to full every day and drained it every day, you'd still have most of the battery after five years.

https://electrek.co/2020/06/06/tesla-battery-degradation-replacement/

-Crissa
 


Bill906

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 21, 2020
Threads
4
Messages
1,386
Reaction score
3,229
Location
Wisconsin
Vehicles
Jeep
Country flag
I have a similar but slightly off topic question for Tesla Owners.
When I drive to visit friends and family I may need to plug in at their house. Specifically I plan on doing this when visiting my parents house 290 miles from my house. My question is, does a Tesla give a reading of TOTAL energy consumed during a charge? Total being the energy that was put into the battery, plus any energy used for battery heating/cooling, plus any energy used for preconditioning the passenger area, plus whatever losses the car can detect? I want to be able to say, "Hey dad, I just took 238kWh from you. You're electricity rate is 14.5¢ /kWh so your electric bill will be about $35 dollars higher than normal. Here's $40."
 

Crissa

Well-known member
First Name
Crissa
Joined
Jul 8, 2020
Threads
126
Messages
16,211
Reaction score
27,074
Location
Santa Cruz
Vehicles
2014 Zero S, 2013 Mazda 3
Country flag
My question is, does a Tesla give a reading of TOTAL energy consumed during a charge?
No. The car can't know how much energy any offboard charger uses, and it can't know how much was lost through chemical or heat losses.

I also don't know that the car actually has an ammeter before the charger or battery.

The best way to tell is to have a meter on your EVSE and count from there, then divide by miles. You'll be counting pre-heating and system management, but that is still energy your EV is using.

-Crissa
 
Last edited:

Bill906

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 21, 2020
Threads
4
Messages
1,386
Reaction score
3,229
Location
Wisconsin
Vehicles
Jeep
Country flag
No. The car can't know how much energy any offboard charger uses, and it can't know how much was lost through chemical or heat losses.

I also don't know that the car actually has an ammeter before the charger or batter.

The best way to tell is to have a meter on your EVSE and count from there, then divide by miles. You'll be counting pre-heating and system management, but that is still energy your EV is using.

-Crissa
Thanks. The plan is to have dad install a NEMA 14-50 outlet for me, so I'd be using the onboard charger. It'll probably be an arguement anyway. I'll try to pay him, he'll refuse, I'll try to give it to mom, she'll say "Don't drag me into this...". I'll hide the money somewhere they'll find after I leave. He'll call and yell at me.
 

Crissa

Well-known member
First Name
Crissa
Joined
Jul 8, 2020
Threads
126
Messages
16,211
Reaction score
27,074
Location
Santa Cruz
Vehicles
2014 Zero S, 2013 Mazda 3
Country flag
I'll try to pay him, he'll refuse, I'll try to give it to mom, she'll say "Don't drag me into this...". I'll hide the money somewhere they'll find after I leave. He'll call and yell at me.
...They'll send a check, I won't cash it, it'll go back into their account three months later... I know this story!

?

-Crissa
 

Sirfun

Well-known member
First Name
Joe
Joined
Dec 28, 2019
Threads
55
Messages
2,389
Reaction score
4,872
Location
Oxnard, California
Vehicles
Toyota Avalon, Chrysler Pacifica PHEV, Ford E-250
Occupation
Retired Sheet Metal Worker
Country flag
Thanks. The plan is to have dad install a NEMA 14-50 outlet for me, so I'd be using the onboard charger. It'll probably be an arguement anyway. I'll try to pay him, he'll refuse, I'll try to give it to mom, she'll say "Don't drag me into this...". I'll hide the money somewhere they'll find after I leave. He'll call and yell at me.
That's LOVE. No matter what how pissed off people make you, you still love um!
 


ricinro

Well-known member
First Name
Rich
Joined
Jun 8, 2020
Threads
2
Messages
317
Reaction score
366
Location
Mesa Az
Vehicles
2021 Tesla MY, 2001 ford Sportrac
Occupation
mech design engineer-ret.
Country flag
Thanks. The plan is to have dad install a NEMA 14-50 outlet for me, so I'd be using the onboard charger. It'll probably be an arguement anyway. I'll try to pay him, he'll refuse, I'll try to give it to mom, she'll say "Don't drag me into this...". I'll hide the money somewhere they'll find after I leave. He'll call and yell at me.
sometimes you can donate to their favorite charity or church etc. in their name... most folks are cool with that.
 

ajdelange

Well-known member
First Name
A. J.
Joined
Dec 8, 2019
Threads
4
Messages
3,213
Reaction score
3,403
Location
Virginia/Quebec
Vehicles
Tesla X LR+, Lexus SUV, Toyota SR5, Toyota Landcruiser
Occupation
EE (Retired)
Country flag
I have a similar but slightly off topic question for Tesla Owners.
When I drive to visit friends and family I may need to plug in at their house. Specifically I plan on doing this when visiting my parents house 290 miles from my house. My question is, does a Tesla give a reading of TOTAL energy consumed during a charge? Total being the energy that was put into the battery, plus any energy used for battery heating/cooling, plus any energy used for preconditioning the passenger area, plus whatever losses the car can detect? I want to be able to say, "Hey dad, I just took 238kWh from you. You're electricity rate is 14.5¢ /kWh so your electric bill will be about $35 dollars higher than normal. Here's $40."
Yes, the car does measure input energy as well as the energy that actually gets delivered to the battery. But it does not, AFAIK, display total input on any of the vehicle's displays. The information is available through an API, however. TeslaFi is one app that gets it and sends you an e-mail with the info you want after each charge:

Tesla Cybertruck Telling vehicle when / how much to charge ChgRpt

Not only do you get the e-mail but the charge gets logged on their server so that you can go back and find out how much you charged at your parents house after you get home thus, perhaps, avoiding the sort of discussions you mentioned in another post. If you can get their account number you can probably send a check to their account directly to the power company.

TeslaFi does not only record charges but all the details of your driving too. You will probably want if for those reasons as well as this particular problem.

iYou will find over the course of 24 hrs that the car may charge 2% a couple of times during the day to to make up for "phantom drain" which, amon other things, includes the power used to send the charge reports and other data to TeslaFi.

If you precondition the car I believe it takes the energy directly from shore power rather than from the battery and this doesn't get recorded. I, for one, will give you full credit for just reimbursing for what TeslaFi will catch but there are solutions that catch every Wh going to the car. Several of the wall chargers do this and there are separate power consumption meters that do this too. I haven;t found one that plugs into a 14-50R but there are several that install current transformers in the panel and report out through WiFi or direct internet connection. I use eGauge for this but it would definitely be overkill to install an eGauge to monitor one circuit. If, OTOH, your parents wanted to monitor in detail how they use electricity this is an excellent system.
 

Ogre

Well-known member
First Name
Dennis
Joined
Jul 3, 2021
Threads
164
Messages
10,719
Reaction score
26,998
Location
Ogregon
Vehicles
Model Y
Country flag
Thanks. The plan is to have dad install a NEMA 14-50 outlet for me, so I'd be using the onboard charger. It'll probably be an arguement anyway. I'll try to pay him, he'll refuse, I'll try to give it to mom, she'll say "Don't drag me into this...". I'll hide the money somewhere they'll find after I leave. He'll call and yell at me.
One thing I’ve learned is you don’t give them cash. Ask your dad to install the outlet, then buy him his favorite **XXX** and buy your mom something nice. Then it’s a random gift and not paying him for a job he probably enjoys doing anyhow. Ideally, spend some money on something you can all enjoy together.

Wish my dad was still around.
 

empiredown

Banned
Well-known member
Banned
First Name
Stacy
Joined
May 25, 2020
Threads
3
Messages
137
Reaction score
306
Location
78642
Vehicles
19 Carrera T, 20 MY LR AWD, 21 F-150
Occupation
Retired and Loving It...
Country flag
Several great apps out there that answer all these needs and do so easily. You will not have any problem setting charging regimes, limits, or times. As has been said, they will also track your energy use for you. The Tesla app, on phone and car, is simple and basic. As normal, third party apps take things to a new level. You just have to trust them with your info...

Personally, we use PlugShare and Stats and love them both.

áşž
 

Sirfun

Well-known member
First Name
Joe
Joined
Dec 28, 2019
Threads
55
Messages
2,389
Reaction score
4,872
Location
Oxnard, California
Vehicles
Toyota Avalon, Chrysler Pacifica PHEV, Ford E-250
Occupation
Retired Sheet Metal Worker
Country flag
One thing I’ve learned is you don’t give them cash. Ask your dad to install the outlet, then buy him his favorite **XXX** and buy your mom something nice. Then it’s a random gift and not paying him for a job he probably enjoys doing anyhow. Ideally, spend some money on something you can all enjoy together.

Wish my dad was still around.
Really thankful for all the great memories I have with my dad also!
Sponsored

 
 




Top