Like anything that's used regularly, the battery in your Tesla will also degrade over time. Charging performance decreases, and capacity diminishes. – In short, the “Battery Health“ It decreases. While this is normal, it is still undesirable due to its direct impact on the vehicle's residual value.
In this article, we'll show you how to find out how exactly what the condition of your battery is.
Tesla Battery Status
How quickly and significantly a battery's performance deteriorates depends not only on the cell chemistry, age, and battery size, but above all on usage patterns. Economical driving and gentle charging significantly increase the battery's lifespan. In another article, we'll show you how to extend your battery's lifespan. Charging a Tesla as gently as possible.
For those more interested in the current status, Tesla provides this information in the infotainment system under Vehicle -> Service -> Battery status An overview is provided. This uses data from the battery management system to offer a rough overview.
Tesla battery degradation readout
Anyone who wants to know more and also recalibrate their Tesla battery can use the Battery Health Test. make – In other words, technically speaking “Battery status test“. This can be found in the same submenu and checks the battery for up to 24 hours in ranges between 0 and 100% charge level.
Ultimately, the result is a simple percentage: How much performance remains relative to the original condition? On average, a 2.3% loss per year is normal, although many Teslas perform somewhat better. Often, even after more than 150,000 kilometers, 85–90% of the original performance is still present.
By the way: Based on the test results, your Tesla adjusts, among other things, the displayed remaining range.
Start Health Check
To start the test, several prerequisites must be met: First, the vehicle's battery charge should be below 20%. “run empty“, Perform all pending software updates and ensure that no system warnings relating to the high-voltage battery (BMC) or thermal management (VCFRONT) are active:
Next, connect the Tesla to an AC charger with at least 5 kW of power. Then The test can now be started. During this time, the vehicle is largely unusable. Normal standby functions such as Sentry Mode and climate control are deactivated, and you should not disconnect the Tesla from the charger.
If necessary, you can always restart the test via the touchscreen, where a progress bar is also displayed, or the Tesla App cancel. Then your Tesla will simply return to the “normal“ Charging mode is active and charges until the set limit is reached.
When is a Tesla battery test useful?
The Tesla Battery Health Test is informative, but not a gimmick. It's not just a software feature; it tests physical vehicle components that can be subjected to high stress. Therefore, only use it if you actually need the information. – for example, before a vehicle sale.
In any case, Tesla does not allow repeated tests: After a successful test, the function is only available again when the battery performance has decreased sufficiently for the difference to be measurable in a subsequent test.
If your battery is in good condition, you should also check the Tesla Maintenance Bundle Teslabs ensures that the rest of your vehicle is also restored to top condition.
Have you already performed the battery health test? Feel free to share your results in the comments!
