4 months ago it would have been warmer. Thats probably the main reason for the drop in predicted miles.

 

Drive your car to 20% then let it sit for a few hours.. (I use 6 hours) then charge to 100%. Now you should see your mileage marker go back up. Then reset your maximum charge to 75-90% (I use 85%).
Periodically repeat to level the individual cells in the battery.

 

My Tesla 3 SR is only 4 months old with 4000 miles. It’s range has dropped from 273 miles to 267 miles at 100% charge, that is 2% in 4 months time. Is this normal?

LFP Teslas are newer, so there's not a whole lot of info about real-world battery degradation for them.

For NCM Teslas, it's normal for them to lose roughly 5% in the first year, then 1% per year after that until a maximum of about 10% loss.

 

Sometimes it’s hard to view it in MILES, try % available.. does it still go to 100%?.. not trying to be trite, but sometimes it WILL actually only show 97% at what it thinks is full charge. At that point a BMS reset could be in order. I think just that much change in miles is a temporal anomaly at this point and a drain, full charge with trickle charging would probably put you right back at 275 when it thinks it’s ’full’

 

I've had several EVs, and when looking at estimated miles left as opposed to battery percentage they would always show the estimate based on my recent driving. So if I was driving on the freeway, it would of course much less miles that if my recent drives were in the city. That made looking at estimated miles at 100% charge meaningless as a clue for determining battery degradation, as I would have to drive exactly according to EPA estimates for some time before charging for it to be comparable to the initial estimate when new. However, after I bought my LFP M3, it seems to me that's not how it works with Tesla, at least when charged to 100%. Every time I charge it to 100% it goes to 272 miles estimate (and now it started going to 271), which would be almost impossible to happen unless it ignores my recent driving habits and actually resets to the EPA estimate at 100%. If that is the case, it can be used to see the degradation, but on the other hand, it would be less useful for much more important information which is - how many miles do I really have left. It obviously becomes more accurate as the SOC goes down during driving, but it still remains a mystery to me how it goes to the same mileage every time it's fully charged.

 

...it seems to me that's not how it works with Tesla, at least when charged to 100%.

That's correct. That value is the same as percentage, but scaled to EPA-rated miles and taking any degradation into account.

If you want a range estimate that takes driving style, weather, temperature, etc. into account, use the Energy screen in the car.

 

2 responses

A) normal
B) the display lies


Relax, don't worry about it. It's normal and the meter lies.

Get out and do some long trips, get over the range anxiety.

Wait a couple of months and your range will increase significantly as it warms back up. (No, the meter will say the same thing, again it lies, but take a trip at 60 mph and you may make it to 300 miles!)

 

My new little display has both in lower corners. % & range.

 

My new little display has both side by side. % & range.

So you now get to continually worry about both of them and how they aren't agreeing.

I kinda wish they'd go back to the analog 0, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, and F meters. And maybe the 10-15% warning lights. It seems that it would calm so many people down.

And ALL of this is because so many people haven't gotten over range anxiety yet. I've been driving EVs for about 8 years, in the Tesla, the only things that I think of are "Am I full" and "Am I below 100 miles"
And a goof portion of that worry is because my wife and I share a single 120V 15A plug for charging. "Am I full" means plug her in. "Am I below 100 miles" means over 24 hours of charging needed.

 

That should have read " in lower corners "

I really don't worry about it, I always have way more charge than I'm going to use on any particular run. To rid myself of anxiety I did a limit trip the first week I had it. Drove to Bedford and back and had 8% left when I got home. No worries now.

Just got this display so I would have my speedometer in front of me especially at night.

Every morning my Y is at 80% for what ever amount of miles it says for that day. I keep it on % all the time.

"38"

 

While taking the car to 8% does get rid of a little range anxiety, that's kids play.

• Well below 5% is when things start to get tight.
• Realizing that you aren't going to make it to the next charging station without going really slow, really starts to get one over it.
• And going to a location where you absolutely have to charge on the way at a non-reliable charger definitely starts a little panic.

8% is pretty much within my normal operating parameters when travelling.

But then again, in my old ICE days, 3 times, yes three times, I ran out of gas, but managed to roll into a gas station, next to the pump.

 

I'm sure you can contact Tesla which I did a few years ago, and they can help. They can tell you if something is wrong. I've recalibrated the battery on my 5 yr old model 3 twice in 5 years and it has given more range (mine is LR). For mine though I would expect some degradation bc of age but it has held up well. Good luck.

 

You are very lucky to have gotten the lithium iron phosphate batteries. They are light, and prefer to be charge to 100%. They operate at maximum current right to the end of their charge when they will fall off suddenly, but they should easily be predicted by the range on the vehicle. My new 2023 model Y performance has the lithium ion batteries. I sort of regret not waiting for the new batteries. Consider yourself lucky.

 

They don't "prefer" to be charged to 100%. They just tolerate it better. They should be charged to 100% often to calibrate the BMS, but, like any Lithium based battery, they are best kept near their nominal voltage, which is at 20-80%. They are not optimal standing at 100% for a long time.

 

I think that the recommended charge level is 80% unless you are planning a long trip.

 

LFP is 100% no matter what.

 

LFP is 100% no matter what.

Only once a week. Not daily. Tesla updated its recomondation in the screen . They used to say "charge 100% at least once a week" not changed to "Charge 100% once per week". The word atleast has been removed.

 

batteries don't discharge exactly even and when charging the same might be true. I have found out tire pressure can change the range also. Weather conditions are also a variable on range, such as wind and rain. If anything was wrong Tesla would notify you. Aerodynamics is a big part so also use a good cleaner and wax, I use Jay leno products. Don't worry its all good.

 

If anything was wrong Tesla would notify you

This part of your post may be a bit misleading. Tesla is not likely to contact you of their own accord when there is an issue. But you may have meant "your Tesla" will notify you. And this likely is true.

 

Mine is even worse than you. I got my model 3 on 12/31/22 and I used the free supercharger at 100% once a week. I saw 5 miles battery degradation (From 272 to 267) within 2 months with 2000 miles. Friends suggested to set 80% only, I will try it,

 

Were you not receiving the notification to not charge to 100%

 

May not be degradation. May just be BMS eventually needing calibration. How low do you bring your percentage usually?

 

May not be degradation. May just be BMS eventually needing calibration. How low do you bring your percentage usually?

10-20%

 

Well, there is information in lots of places that charging to 100% is certainly not good or desirable even for LFP batteries, and that Tesla only recommends it so BMS would be calibrated more often. Nobody is going to sue them if their battery degrades a little faster than it theoretically could if they didn't charge to 100% every week, but they may have a good case if it miscalculates and leaves them stranded on the road when it said they should have 10% charge left. When me and others try to raise that point, they quote the user manual.

Again: charge LFP just like regular battery to 70-80% usually, then from time to time to 100% to calibrate just before a longer drive.

 

charge LFP just like regular battery to 70-80% usually,

isn't that the opposite of what Tesla recommends?

If your vehicle is equipped with an LFP Battery, Tesla recommends that you keep your charge limit set to 100%, even for daily use, and that you also fully charge to 100% at least once per week.

 

Sorry if my comment came out as "snark", but I found it funny that in the sentence prior the the one quoted I said someone will probably respond in that way, and they did. I also assumed that people who engage in a discussion read the whole thread, where I already put the link. Anyway, apologies, only trying to be helpful.

BTW I recently took a VERY long read trip in my M3 RWD and I was charging to 70-80-90% up to 10 times in a row, and I never experienced any "jumps" in displayed percentage, so the need for calibration may not be as large as we think.

 

I also assumed that people who engage in a discussion read the whole thread, where I already put the link

You did not put the link in this thread. I found it in another thread:

LFP batteries: does charging to 100% harm them?

 

My car is less than a week away from arriving, so I'm trying to gather best practice intel. The 80% rule is ok with me. The once a week at 100% is ok too. Just trying to pick the best plan as I plan several trips over the summer. In short I'm glad I joined and heard all this before I plugged it in every day to max charge. My current plan is 100% about every two weeks and a max of 80% the rest of the time.

 

Chicagobob123, I'm doing the same with my 2023 Model 3 LFP. Keep us posted on degradation with your charging plan... I am really interested on hearing how it goes! So far for me i'm losing one mile of range a month over five months when my car was new, as i've said before. Thanks for posting!

 

Here is what I have got so far. Kyle Conner said charging to 100% should be OK but he's not sure if doing it all the time is OK. So even he was not sure, and he has all the connections. I just talked to the Tesla Rep about my new 3 arriving and asked about charging to 100%. They said sure its OK. I said there is controversy about this are you sure? She said they get this question all the time and 100% is OK. Like anything in the early days, its as clear as mud
This is the video with Kyle Conner asking a response about the LFP battery charging

here Kyle

 

I just talked to the Tesla Rep about my new 3 arriving and asked about charging to 100%. They said sure its OK. I said there is controversy about this are you sure? She said they get this question all the time and 100% is OK. Like anything in the early days, its as clear as mud

PSA: Don't blindly trust the knowledge of Tesla representatives

 

Tesla Rep is just another version of a car salesmen, so don't really trust anything they say. Not that it proves anything, but what they say is meaningless.

 

what they say is meaningless.

Not quite meaningless. If you ask a binary question, their answer will be correct around 50% of the time.

 

Looks like Saturday is the day I get to drive this car home. Will snap some pictures. Anyone use the CCS adapter with the car? It will be about a month to get someone to install level 2 at the house.

 

The CCS adapter works great...if you can find a reliable source of power. Unless you drive unusually long distances daily, a mobile connector and a 115a plug will get you by.

 

Here is a someones comment about the cleaner watt video. Makes great sense.
The flat part of the curve is probably flatter than shown in his chart. It is not possible to balance the individual cells in this part of the discharge curve because it is so flat, virtually horizontal. Consequently with lfp it is only balanced at higher voltages on the steep part of the charge curve (about 3.4 to 3.6v per cell) If you do not take to full charge regularly the cells will become unbalanced. Then as the battery is discharged an individual group of cells can fall bellow the minimum cell voltage and the battery will be shut down by the battery management system to protect the cells from further damage even though the total battery voltage would have suggested that charge is available.

 

Here is a someones comment about the cleaner watt video. Makes great sense.
The flat part of the curve is probably flatter than shown in his chart. It is not possible to balance the individual cells in this part of the discharge curve because it is so flat, virtually horizontal. Consequently with lfp it is only balanced at higher voltages on the steep part of the charge curve (about 3.4 to 3.6v per cell) If you do not take to full charge regularly the cells will become unbalanced. Then as the battery is discharged an individual group of cells can fall bellow the minimum cell voltage and the battery will be shut down by the battery management system to protect the cells from further damage even though the total battery voltage would have suggested that charge is available.

Very good explanation why LFP should regularly be charged to 100% to calibrate the BMS (along with fixing the inaccuracy introduced by the memory effect from small chargers). I just want to stress out that nobody disputes that, and that it doesn't mean it should be left at 100% or that full charge is good/desirable for the battery.

 

I bought my LFP Model 3 RWD late December 2022. I am experiencing that kind of degradation as well... started at 272 and now stops charging at 100% which it feels is 269 after basically three months of ownership! I saw CleanerWatt youtube channel that it's common for LFP batteries to degrade faster than NCM, at least with the information available so far.

I signed up on Recurrent for free battery health reports available one time a month. I just signed up a couple days ago as of this writing, so really curious as to what they'll say...

 

I bought my LFP Model 3 RWD late December 2022. I am experiencing that kind of degradation as well... started at 272 and now stops charging at 100% which it feels is 269 after basically three months of ownership! I saw CleanerWatt youtube channel that it's common for LFP batteries to degrade faster than NCM, at least with the information available so far.

I signed up on Recurrent for free battery health reports available one time a month. I just signed up a couple days ago as of this writing, so really curious as to what they'll say...

I posted this before, but let me repeat my case: I bought M3 LFP in early Dec 22, charged mostly at home for the first 2000 miles, then went on a long trip with all fast chargings and now I have 7500. I do charge to 100% from time to time but never leave it at that for more than a few hours. My full battery reads at 270 now.

 

Thank you, I'm new here. Appreciate your input!

 

I have exactly the same; 4000 miles, dropped 273 to 267 in four months, a 2% drop. Losing one mile a month of range. The only consolation is if it continues to degrade at this rate, we will qualify for a battery replacement after 8 years. I'm thinking once it drops below the 70% guarantee i'm going to look into if i can get a new battery... i mean, it never hurts to ask.

 

I am thinking you have a LFP pack which drops some range then doesn't