How long can I let a Tesla car sit for without starting it?


With gas engines, it's not good to let the car sit without starting it for a long time. I'm wondering if anyone out there knows how long one can have a Tesla car sit w/o starting it. If I go away on a long business trip, would I need the car started up by someone occasionally? I guess it boils down to how well the battery holds charge, but I don't know if the drivetrain can handle long times w/o movement.
Anyone in the know?


Kevin Sharpe | 6 octobre 2010

Tesla advise you to plug in the vehicle and select storage mode if your away for an 'extended period of time' (two to three weeks according to Tesla UK). I've left mine for several weeks without incident.

Timo | 6 octobre 2010

Drivetrain excluding battery doesn't get hurt for not running it. There are no liquids or other parts that need circulating thru filters in there. It is more like your computer. You can leave it without running for decades and it still works when you plug it in. (Though for high-voltage EV I would check cables, plugs and engine corrosion before trying to start a few decades old EV :)

Battery drain and coolant is like Kevin said the the only reason to plug it in. Li-ion batteries should always have some charge, it can hurt them to drain them completely.

AC | 8 octobre 2010

Cool, thanks guys!

apoleo | 8 octobre 2010

how many time is usefull the batteries? the batteri is lion batteries but I am not very sure... thanks

vonankh | 24 octobre 2010

I was just reading about the Li-ion batteries. If they are stored at full charge, they loose about 20% after one year. But if they are stored at about 50-60% charge, they only loose a few % after one year. So there you go. BUT you'll have much additional loss of due to the systems being alive. What is the draw current when key is out of ignition I have no idea. [Perhaps Tesla can enlighten us?]

ggr | 24 octobre 2010

There are things that draw power even when the car is off. Most of them are temperature/climate dependent, such as cooling or heating the battery. But in a mild climate (like San Diego) I have left the car for a month, and it hasn't gone down enough for the "storage mode" to kick in.