Range anxiety is a common concern for new Tesla owners. However, with smart charging habits, you can maximize efficiency and reduce anxiety. This guide gives you essential Tesla charging tips to extend battery life and optimize charging times. This can help you make the most of your EV experience.
Tesla Charging Tips
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1. Plan Supercharger Stops with Tesla’s Navigation
With Tesla’s built-in trip planner, you can automatically map out Supercharger stops. It can also factor in real-time traffic and charger availability. This tool helps you avoid running out of charge unexpectedly. Although when driving, I still like to charge a little extra between charging to reduce range anxiety.
You can also look up an address on your phone and share it directly with your Tesla. This is a great feature that’s easy to miss. Here are 28 Tesla Easter Eggs and Hidden Features.
2. Precondition Your Battery for Fast Charging
Even if you know where you’re driving, it’s good to map in your destination… or at very least, the Supercharger station you’re driving to. This prompts your Tesla to precondition the battery for optimal charging speeds. This will save you time when on a road trip, especially if it’s in cold weather.
3. Charge After Driving to Reduce Energy Loss
Instead of fast charging at the start of a drive, charge right after finishing a trip. Your battery will be a little warmer. This can improve efficiency and reduce charging time, even more so in cold weather. Your car won’t have to use as much energy to warm up the battery. It’s subtle, but all these Tesla charging tips add up.
4. Use Regenerative Braking to Extend Battery Life
Tesla regenerative braking recaptures energy while driving. This can improve your overall Tesla energy efficiency. In stop-and-go traffic, you can adjust your driving habits to maximize regen braking. There’s no need to speed up really fast to wait at a red light. On top of that, you can reduce wear on brake pads. You might never need a replacement.
5. Keep Your Speed Below the Limit
By driving slower, you’ll use less energy. And it’s a non-linear change in the amount of energy you use. The average commute time in the U.S. is about 30 minutes. You might only save a few minutes by speeding. To compare, people watch close to three hours of TV each day. Or for many, swap this out with mindless phone scrolling.
On top of that, driving slower can reduce the risk of accidents and speeding tickets.
6. Drive in Chill Mode to Reduce Energy Costs
If you like to drive fast, that’s great! But it comes at a cost. The two previous Tesla charging tips go hand-in-hand with this one. Tesla has different driving modes to adjust the acceleration. I’ve kept my Model Y in chill mode the entire time. It still likely has faster acceleration than most cars on the road.
7. Optimize Home Charging for Cost and Convenience
For daily commuting, charge at home instead of Superchargers. Getting a full charge at a Supercharger might cost close to $20. To compare, it’d be close to $10 with charging at home. You can save a lot over time and the cost to charge varies a lot based on the area you’re in.
8. Use Destination Chargers and Third-Party Networks
Similar to the first Tesla charging tip, planning out longer trips can reduce range anxiety and costs. More destination chargers have popped up at hotels. If staying at one, you can often charge for free as an added perk. When using third-party chargers, you might want to use a Tesla charger lock as well.
9. Take Advantage of Free Tesla Charging
Some workplaces, shopping centers, and Tesla’s referral program offer free or discounted charging. Research nearby locations to save on charging costs. Here’s how to find free EV chargers…
10. Keep Your Battery in the Ideal State of Charge
For daily use, charge your battery between 20-80% to reduce long-term degradation. Save 100% charges for long road trips. There have only been a few times that I’ve charged close to full capacity. That was during the winter when driving range is a little lower.
11. Monitor Battery Usage to Optimize Driving Habits
Use the Tesla Energy app to track energy consumption. You can get some good insight into what’s using more or less energy than expected. Driving techniques, such as smooth acceleration and lower HVAC use, can help extend range.
12. Use Slow Tesla Charging for Battery Longevity
When charging at home, lowering the amperage reduces heat buildup. This can extend a Tesla’s battery lifespan. And this adds to other points on this list. There are many benefits from charging a Tesla at home.
13. Enable Off-Peak Charging to Avoid Grid Strain
Charging during off-peak hours, reduces demand on the electrical grid. This might mean charging late at night or early in the morning. And in some areas, this can lower your electricity bill. Many utility companies offer time-of-use rates, which provide lower pricing during off-peak hours. A Tesla comes with a scheduled charging feature to automatically start charging at the most cost-effective time.
14. Use an Energy-Efficient Route Instead of the Fastest Route
Tesla’s navigation tends to default to the fastest route. But instead, you can choose energy-efficient routes. You can pick slower, but more direct routes. Avoiding lots of hills can help as well. Teslas are good with recapturing some energy, but there’s still loss.
15. Add Solar as a Source of Electricity to Charge
This comes with big upfront costs. However, adding solar power to your home can save you over the long run. Energy is lost over through grid transmission. Localizing your energy production can be more efficient and provides a good safety net when there’s issues with the grid.
Tesla Charging Review and More Tips
With these Tesla charging tips, you can reduce range anxiety. On top of that, it can help maximize efficiency and extend your vehicle’s battery life.
Whether optimizing home charging, regenerative braking, or free charging, small changes can add up. What are your favorite Tesla charging habits? Feel free to reach out to share tips or ask any questions. And if you’re up for a real adventure, here’s some hands-on insight for Camping in a Tesla.