One of the most common concerns for new EV owners is battery life. The good news: modern Tesla batteries are robust, and the car's software largely looks after the battery automatically. Here are the simple principles that make a small difference over time.
Daily charge limits
For most batteries (NCA/NMC chemistry), a daily cap around 80% is recommended, charging to 100% only before longer trips. That reduces wear by avoiding the battery often sitting full. If your car has an LFP battery (seen in some entry variants), it's typically recommended to charge to 100% regularly — this also helps the car estimate range correctly. Always follow the car's own recommendation in the charging settings.
Avoid the extremes for long periods
- Don't leave the battery nearly empty for a long time.
- Don't leave it completely full for days either, if you can avoid it.
- If the car will sit unused for a while, a middle level (e.g. around 50%) is often best.
Fast charging and preconditioning
Occasional Supercharging is perfectly fine — it's part of the car's design. Day to day, home charging is gentler and cheaper. When you fast charge, it helps to let the car precondition the battery (the route planner does this automatically) so charging is fast and gentle.
Degradation is normal
All batteries lose a little capacity over time. Typically most of it happens early and then slowly. Slightly lower range after a few years is expected and not a sign of a fault. The battery is also covered by a separate, longer warranty, often with a guaranteed minimum capacity.
In short
Charge to ~80% daily (or 100% on LFP), charge fully before trips, avoid sitting at 0% or 100% for long, and use preconditioning when fast charging. That's how you look after the battery.