How long do Tesla batteries last?
Tesla claims its batteries last between 300,000 and 500,000 miles. For a Tesla Model 3 Long Range with a 436-mile WLTP range, that makes for between 700 and 1500 battery charge cycles.
We have experience running used Teslas on our fleet, including a four-year-old used Tesla Model 3 that had covered roughly 40,000 miles. Despite this, its battery had degraded only 2%.
Hundreds of other examples point to our findings too, so it’s safe to say that Tesla batteries can last for a long time and hold their all important percentages.
How can I care for my electric car battery?
Happily, there are ways you can help preserve the power and efficiency of your battery over time. One of the major ways of protecting the cells is by carefully managing the charging and discharging of the cells, which in an ideal world means trying to avoid the charge dropping below 20% and not adding more than 80% when charging – above the latter figure is when batteries tend to get hottest, which takes a toll on the cells’ delicate chemistry.
Happily, most EVs now give you the option to programme your car’s charging schedule, allowing you to decide when the electricity flows and, crucially, letting you set a cap on exactly how much pours into the cells.
By the same token, it’s best not to completely drain the battery. Most EVs will always make sure there’s a bare minimum of energy left even if it won’t allow the car to move, but storing your car for long periods and allowing electricity to leech away is to be avoided.
Speaking of charging, it’s best to only use DC rapid chargers sparingly. Although fine for topping up on longer journeys or in emergencies when you need a quick burst of energy, a by-product of rapid chargers’ speed is the increased, lithium-ion-damaging temperatures in the battery as it copes with the electrical onslaught.
If the car is to be used in extremes of hot or cold weather, always make sure the car is plugged in to charge (with the maximum limit set to 80%, of course) regardless of range. This trickle-charging technique allows the battery’s thermal management system to continue working and keep the cells at the optimum temperature for longevity.
