Life in Germany is becoming more expensive, so when it comes to energy in particular, the motto is save, save, save. While gas and petrol have so far been the main focus of public attention, electricity prices are also slowly but surely beginning to rise sharply. This hits Tesla drivers particularly hard, as one battery charge often equals the consumption of a detached house over several weeks.
So the view of the charging station is unlikely to be a pleasant one in the near future. Especially if you don't have a solar system to compensate for the effect.
As with combustion engine drivers, driving economically and conserving range is therefore the order of the day for e-car owners. But how does this actually work? What measures really help to noticeably reduce consumption and the number of visits to the charging station?
In this article, we provide you with numerous tips to help you increase your Tesla range and save money.
Current Supercharger prices: Sharp increase
The price increase has already taken place at Tesla's Supercharger stations. A kilowatt hour of electricity there now costs between 69 and 71 cents, an increase of almost 23 percent compared to the last valid prices, which have themselves already been increased several times recently.
A full charge thus costs between 42 (base Model 3) and 70 euros (Model S/X), depending on the Tesla battery capacity. Compared to a refueling stop with a combustion engine, these are still bearable figures, but the price increase is still noticeable.
Save electricity with Tesla: Our 21 best tips
So how do you save energy? Well, consumption and range depend to a large extent on environmental influences such as temperature, road conditions, weather and traffic. But some tips apply regardless of this:
Saving Tesla power: Drive defensively
If you want to give your Tesla more range, you should first and foremost pay special attention to your driving style. The aim is to drive as smoothly as possible with as few acceleration phases as possible. Due to the inertia, it is much easier and therefore more economical to maintain the speed of a vehicle than to build up speed.
For this reason, drive defensively and with foresight and avoid start-stop situations wherever possible. To give just one example: It is more economical to constantly roll through heavy traffic at 40 km/h than to constantly fluctuate between 50 and 30 km/h. If you do have to brake, for example at a red light, release the accelerator pedal as early as possible and leave the braking effect to recuperation.
And when you accelerate again, take your time - 0 to 100 in a few seconds is fun, but requires endless energy. If possible, also try to accelerate downhill and then just maintain your speed.
„Lässig”-Modus aktivieren
To avoid the temptation to accelerate hard in the first place, activate "Casual" mode in your Tesla. This can be found under Vehicle -> Pedals & Steering -> Acceleration. It reduces the power and torque when accelerating and thus automatically ensures lower fuel consumption compared to standard mode. While the mode is activated, the word "Casual" is displayed above the speed display.
Avoid high speeds
To save energy on long journeys, set yourself a speed limit on the highway. The air resistance of a vehicle and thus its fuel consumption increases quadratically, not linearly, with speed. So if you drive at 200 km/h, you don't need twice as much energy as at 100 km/h, but four times as much. Unfortunately, more than 120 km/h is not possible for a truly energy-saving drive - and 100 km/h is even better.
On the other hand, of course, you should not become an obstacle to traffic. Therefore, drive at a speed that allows you to cope comfortably with the current traffic situation, but not faster. You will be surprised how economical a Tesla can be at moderate speeds. And contrary to some fears, you won't really be on the road any longer with this technology. Especially in heavy traffic, speeds above 130 km/h cannot be maintained for long anyway.
Use autopilot/ cruise control
As I said, smooth driving is the key to low fuel consumption - and computers are much better at doing things smoothly than humans. You should therefore use the autopilot or Cruise control on your Tesla.
This is particularly worthwhile on the highway and on longer stretches of country road. If you drive on the highway with Autopilot at 100-120 km/h for a certain period of time, you have a good chance of getting very close to your Tesla's stated range.
Avoid short journeys
Every time you drive, your Tesla brings the battery up to operating temperature and requires energy to do so. If the journey is over again after a short time, this does not exactly contribute to greater efficiency - quite the opposite. If possible, switch to a bicycle for short journeys or cover several destinations in one trip. Of course, this requires a little more planning, but in the end you also save battery capacity and therefore money.
Avoid driving uphill
If the route planning allows a selection, avoid routes that lead over mountains or have many bends. Such routes are suboptimal for fuel consumption, as they already involve frequent braking and acceleration and require a great deal of effort to get the heavy vehicle up the hill. It is therefore better to take the route on which you can ride smoothly and evenly if it is only a few kilometers longer.
Recuperation to standard
If the recuperation level is adjustable in your Tesla model, leave it in standard mode. This allows you to get the maximum amount of energy back into the battery and, as a nice side effect, you can also drive (almost) alone with the accelerator pedal.
Check the tire pressure
Check your tire pressure regularly. This is not only for safety, but also to save energy: If the tire pressure does not reach the prescribed value, the rolling resistance and thus the fuel consumption is increased.
Reduce the load
Remove all load from the vehicle that you do not need on the journey. The greater the weight of your Tesla, the higher the fuel consumption, as a greater mass has to be accelerated.
Optimizing aerodynamics
The lowest possible aerodynamic drag is one of the most important factors for maximum efficiency in electric cars. It is not without reason that Tesla vehicles are among the most streamlined models on the entire car market. To further optimize the aerodynamics, remove any superstructures that are not required, such as roof racks or roof boxes, set the air suspension to "low" and use the aero hubcaps if available.
Also keep the windows closed while driving. The Teslabs roof window seals also contribute to improved aerodynamics - and also make the ride noticeably quieter.
Saving the Tesla battery: Charging behavior
In addition to driving style and equipment, you can also do a lot right when charging. To protect the Tesla battery and increase its service life, charge daily and whenever possible at low power (e.g. B. to the wallbox or socket at home). Only visit Superchargers if you can't avoid it - charging at home is usually cheaper anyway.
Note the charging limits
With most Tesla models (exception: newer base models with LFP battery), it is worth setting a charging limit of 90% in everyday use and not allowing the battery to fall below 20% charge level. You should only charge the Tesla to 100% if you actually need the maximum range. If you do this, try to start driving shortly after reaching 100% - a full charge for too long will damage the battery.
Switch off functions that are not required
Permanently active monitoring functions such as guard mode or overheating protection do not require too much energy, but can of course still be switched off when not in use. Every little bit helps!
Energie-App nutzen
You can access the energy app via the app menu on the touchscreen of your Tesla. This shows the consumption of your vehicle over the last few kilometers and calculates a range forecast based on the current driving style and environmental conditions, which may well differ from that displayed next to the battery symbol.
Use the app to check which behaviour was particularly energy-saving and where there is still potential for optimization.
Tesla range winter: Saving tips
In winter, it is particularly difficult to get a lot of range out of a Tesla due to the low temperatures that put a strain on the battery and the high rolling resistance caused by snow and slush. Here are tips to help you make the best of it anyway.
Leave your Tesla plugged in in winter
If you have the opportunity, leave your Tesla permanently plugged in when parking. This means that the electrical systems such as the on-board computer, which are constantly active, are supplied with charging current and do not have to tap into the battery. The latter also retains some residual heat and does not cool down completely.
Parking in the garage
If you have the opportunity, always park your Tesla in a garage in winter so that it does not get the full force of the cold nights. This not only saves you energy for de-icing the windows in the morning, but also keeps the battery comparatively warm.
Pre-condition before the journey
Even if your battery has not cooled down completely due to a garage parking space: Let your Tesla preheat the battery before driving off. You are much more efficient on the road with a warm battery. You can start preconditioning conveniently via the Tesla app. If possible, ensure that the vehicle is plugged in during warm-up so that the charging current can be used for warming up.
Alternatively, you can also use the "Planned departure time" function in the app. Here you enter a time at which you want to set off and your Tesla will start the preconditioning in good time. The charge control also ensures that the battery is fully charged up to the respective charge limit at the time of departure.
Always program the Supercharger into the navigation system
If you want to charge at a Supercharger, always enter this as an (interim) destination in the navigation system, even if you know the route. This ensures that your Tesla preheats the battery to the ideal charging temperature in good time. This makes the charging process faster and with less loss.
Reduce the use of air conditioning
Few things require more energy than heating large quantities of air. This is not a problem with the combustion engine, as the waste heat from the engine is simply used for the air conditioning system. Electric cars, on the other hand, have to heat up at the expense of valuable range.
So think about whether it really needs to be 25 degrees in the car or whether a few degrees less would do. The best solution in terms of energy consumption is to switch off the air conditioning completely and only use the seat heating to keep warm - this is much more efficient.
Saving Tesla electricity in summer
However, there is potential for savings not only in the cold winter, but also in the summer months. Imagine you are on vacation in sunny Italy and want to get more range out of your Tesla Model 3 to reach your destination with as few charging stops as possible. We explain how to get through the heat as economically as possible.
Air conditioning - again?
Yes, air conditioning is also a relevant savings factor in summer. Just as with heating, the energy for air cooling must also be taken from the battery and is no longer available for the actual journey. So try not to turn your Tesla into a refrigerator, even if it's an unbearable 40 °C outside. It is often sufficient to open all doors before boarding and let the hot air escape. If you can spare a few minutes for this, you can save a lot of energy.
However, it should be noted that the air conditioning system is not always necessarily the worst instrument. Except when driving slowly, using them is still better than keeping the window down.
Prevent the heat with sun protection
The best solution in summer, however, is to prevent the vehicle interior from getting too hot in the first place. You can achieve this with Teslabs sun protection products for your Tesla. These protect the windshield and glass roof of your Model Y, 3, S or X from the sun's rays and keep the interior pleasantly cool.
Conclusion: Saving energy in the Tesla
21 tips - 21 different ways to reduce your Tesla's consumption and maximize its range. It is best to apply as many of these tips as you can, even if the savings potential varies greatly from tip to tip. You can achieve the greatest effect by adopting a more defensive driving style, optimizing aerodynamics and dispensing with the air conditioning.
Use the energy app on the central touchscreen to monitor the success of your efforts. This means you can continue to drive even in times of rising energy prices and have more money to cover other expenses.
Try it out - you can only win.
Source contribution image: myenergi via Unsplash
