Looking after your battery
Tesla batteries are designed to last. A few simple habits help them stay healthy.
Which battery do you have?
- LFP (lithium iron phosphate): used in many Standard Range and rear-wheel-drive cars. The charging screen tells you if your car has an LFP battery.
- Nickel-based (NMC or NCA): used in most Long Range and Performance cars.
What charge limit to set
| Battery | Tesla's advice for daily use |
|---|---|
| LFP | Charge to 100% regularly; Tesla recommends at least once a week |
| Nickel-based | Use the "Daily" range on the charge limit slider, typically up to about 80 to 90%; go to 100% only before a long trip |
The car's charge limit slider marks the recommended daily range for your battery.
Good habits
- Plug in when you can. Teslas like being plugged in; the car manages charging.
- Avoid leaving it very full or very empty for long, except LFP batteries at 100%, which are fine.
- Don't worry about Supercharging. Using Superchargers is normal. The car protects the battery while it charges.
- Charge to 100% just before you leave on a long trip, rather than days ahead (for nickel-based batteries).
- Keep the software up to date for the latest battery management.
Endless forum debates
80% or 90%? Differences between sensible daily limits are small. The big wins are avoiding long periods at very high or very low charge.