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Though perhaps it was not Tesla's intent, this might be a feature, not a bug. Some cars (notably the Volt) will not charge an Li-Ion battery beyond about 85% n
by SeanLuke 14y ago
Though perhaps it was not Tesla's intent, this might be a feature, not a bug. Some cars (notably the Volt) will not charge an Li-Ion battery beyond about 85% nor allow it to drop below 15%. As a result the battery has an effective capacity of about 70% its full capacity. As I understand it the reason for this is battery life: these battery chemistries last much longer when only in a partially charged state.
I think that Tesla is pushing this: a quick Google suggests they may be charging up to 95% and maybe dropping to 5% in their standard packs. 40kWH usable charge on a 60kWh pack brings this down to maybe 65%, which should last a good long time.
- timdorr 14y agoThe Model S has two charge modes: standard and max range. Standard is the default and charges to 90% of capacity (approximately 240 miles in rated range). Max Range goes to 100%, but is discouraged for battery health reasons and has to be set manually each time you charge. It looks like Tesla is doing things similar to the Volt, but gives you the option to override.
- SeanLuke 14y agoIt always seemed to me that the Model S's two settings might be better described as "pushing it" and "really pushing it". Chevy's maximum state of charge is 80%. The Model S's 90% is pretty surprisingly high, but of course the Model S battery chemistry (Lithium Nickel) is different from the lower-charge one in the Volt (Lithium ion Phosphate).