There are two ways to make your Tesla battery last longer:
Firstly, you can extend the life of your Tesla battery – making your Tesla last longer before you need a new car or a replacement battery.
Secondly, you can extend the range of your Tesla battery – making it last longer before you run out of charge.
In this article, we’ll explain how to increase the life of your Tesla battery and how to make your Tesla last longer between charges.
How to Make a Tesla Battery Last Longer
To make a Tesla battery last longer, you should charge using a wall connector daily, use superchargers sparingly, and maintain a battery level of between 20% and 90%.
To improve the range of your Tesla, you should lower your car’s weight, decrease drag (e.g., remove your roof rack), turn off HVAC, maintain optimal tire pressures, and drive consistently at a reasonable speed.
Tesla Battery Life
Your Tesla battery should last between 300,000 and 500,000 miles.
If you drive 300 miles per week, that’s a minimum of 1000 weeks – or 19 years – of driving before your battery would need to be replaced.
In practice, this means that most people won’t have to worry about the life of their Tesla battery, as it will easily last for the entire service life of the car.
However, to be on the safe side, there are some steps you can take to make your Tesla battery last longer.
5 Ways to Improve Tesla Battery Life
To get the maximum life out of your Tesla battery, follow these five tips:
- Don’t ever let the battery get too low. We recommend staying above 20%.
- Charge your battery regularly at home. Get into a routine of plugging in your Tesla overnight to charge slowly using your low-voltage wall connector.
- Use superchargers sparingly. Supercharging should be used for long journeys and quick charges when urgently needed. For the best battery life, you should not be using superchargers frequently or as your regular charging method.
- Set the charging limit of your Tesla to 90%. This can be done in the Charging menu on your touchscreen or in the Tesla mobile app.
- Only charge your Tesla to 100% if you require the maximum available battery to complete a long journey.
Tesla Battery Range
Tesla quotes the following ranges for each of its current models:
Tesla Model | Quoted range |
Model S Plaid | 396 miles |
Model S | 405 miles |
Model 3 | 305 miles |
Model 3 Performance | 340 miles |
Model 3 Long Range | 374 miles |
Model X Plaid | 333 miles |
Model X | 348 miles |
Model Y | 267 miles |
Model Y Performance | 319 miles |
Model Y Long Range | 331 miles |
However, the range of a Tesla depends on several factors, including model, environmental conditions, driving conditions, terrain, battery age, and driving style.
You could therefore find that your Tesla’s range is significantly lower than the figures above. If this is the case, there are a few things you can do to make your Tesla go further.
7 Ways to Increase Tesla Range
To get the maximum range out of your Tesla battery, follow these seven tips:
- Don’t drive quicker than necessary. The faster you drive, the more quickly you will use your battery.
- Avoid stop-start driving. Ideally, you want to maintain a steady speed wherever possible.
- Keep your tires inflated to the recommended tire pressures.
- Don’t carry unnecessary cargo. Reducing your Tesla’s weight will reduce the amount of energy needed to move the car.
- Remove your roof rack when it is not in use. This will improve your car’s aerodynamics and make it drive more efficiently.
- Keep your windows closed to reduce drag.
- If your Tesla is equipped with Air Suspension, which allows you to adjust the car’s ride height, set it to Low or Very Low when driving at high speeds, such as long highway journeys.
By following these suggestions to increase the range of your Tesla – and our tips to make your Tesla battery last longer – you can get the most out of your vehicle, both in terms of how far you can travel between charges and your car’s total battery life.