How to Precondition Tesla Battery

Preconditionof  Tesla Battery

Tesla batteries have a high energy density, a low risk of catching fire, and a low discharge rate.

However, despite their incredible performance, the batteries may experience a sudden loss of charge or longer changing times due to temperature changes. 

To counter this problem, Tesla EVs have a ‘preconditioning feature’ that can help you save on energy and prolong the battery life. 

Understanding Battery Preconditioning

As you already know, Teslas don’t have internal combustion engines. They use electric motors and batteries to store direct current, which is used to propel the vehicles. 

Unfortunately, the performance of the batteries can be affected by low environmental temperatures. For instance, during winter, the batteries tend to lose their stored charge due to a slower rate of internal chemical reactions required to produce current. 

As a result, you need to precondition (warm the battery to an optimum temperature level) the batteries before charging them or starting your car

How Can You Precondition Your Tesla Battery?

Preconditioning a Tesla battery is easy. You can do it manually or automatically through programmed battery optimization settings.

Here are the steps: 

Using the Climate Control Setting

Climate Control Setting - Tesla Car

Here, you only need to turn on the car’s air conditioning system to kick-start the preconditioning process.

If you have the Tesla App, you can activate the setting from the ‘Climate On’ menu. You can also manually configure the Climate Control settings through the dashboard’s touch screen. 

Through the Supercharging Navigation System

Supercharging Navigation System -Tesla

You can utilize your Tesla’s navigation settings to precondition your battery before arriving at a  supercharging station.

Simply set the car’s navigation system to identify the nearest supercharger. Once you select the navigation, a pop-up message, “preconditioning the battery for fast charging,” will appear on the navigation panel. 

The message implies your car is automatically preconditioning the battery and will disappear when you begin charging the battery at the station.

By Activating the Scheduled Departure Setting 

Scheduled Departure Setting - Tesla

If your Tesla model does not have a supercharging navigation system, you can manually precondition the battery using the scheduled departure setting.

As the name suggests, the feature allows you to set a predetermined departure time.  Simply go to the Controls menu on the dashboard, select Charging, and then set your departure time. 

Thereafter, your car will automatically precondition the battery before the departure time.

Benefits of Tesla Battery Preconditioning

Below are some of the benefits of preconditioning your battery.

Increase the Battery’s Shelf life

Battery’s Shelf life - Tesla

Preconditioning helps to maintain a consistent battery temperature. When a battery operates at the optimum temperature level, the internal electrochemical reactions occur at full potential, giving the battery a longer shelf life.

Increase the Power Output

Increase the Power Output - Tesla

Preconditioning prepares the battery for full-scale charging. A fully-charged battery, in turn, produces sufficient power to keep the vehicle’s systems running even during cold weather.

Warms the Cabin

Warms the Cabin -Tesla Car

Apart from warming the battery, preconditioning warms up the cabin, making your Tesla EV comfortable, especially in cold weather.

Final Thoughts

In summary, preconditioning improves your battery performance and extends its shelf life. It also reduces the charging time and ensures the battery has sufficient power to operate during cold weather.

The process is fairly easy. As discussed above, you can precondition the battery by setting your navigation to a supercharger, scheduling departure time, or using the Tesla mobile App.

About Post Author