Managing battery health and performance

There are user practices that can help maintain the traction battery's condition and performance over time. Some scenarios can lead to battery damage and should always be avoided.

Low battery level and discharged battery

 Important

The traction battery can sustain severe damage if it is not charged after the battery level reaches 0%. The vehicle draws a small amount of power when parked. This means that leaving the vehicle with a low battery level without charging can lead to a discharged battery and battery damage. If the battery level is below 20% when parked, it is recommended that you connect the vehicle for charging as soon as possible.

If the battery level reaches 0%, the battery is considered discharged or empty. The vehicle then needs to be charged as soon as possible to reduce the risk of battery damage.

The smaller 12 V battery is also at risk of going flat if the traction battery can't supply it with power. If both batteries have gone flat, the vehicle will have no power at all and no ability to initiate charging.

High state of charge

 Important

The traction battery can sustain damage if the vehicle's battery level is kept very high for a long period of time.

If you are leaving the vehicle plugged in for charging without any immediate plans to drive it, select the target battery level recommended in the vehicle's charging view.

Charging habits

AC charging is the recommended charging mode for everyday charging. This helps maintain the condition of the battery over time. DC charging causes more wear.

You can set a target battery level by selecting a value in the charging view. This will help you to maintain good charging performance and battery longevity.

Long-term parking

When leaving your vehicle parked for longer than one month, the recommended battery level is 40-60%. Use or charge the vehicle to reach the recommended level.

If you are leaving the vehicle parked for longer than three months, it's recommended to keep it plugged in but set the battery charging limit to 50%. This is for better battery health.

Regularly check the battery level and make sure that charging is working.

 Tip

There is a separate section in this manual with more recommendations for long-term parking.

Parking in hot weather

 Important

Avoid exposing the vehicle to extreme temperatures. Avoid leaving the vehicle parked for longer than 24 hours if there is a possibility that the temperature could reach 55 °C (131 °F).

When it is warm out, you should plug the vehicle in while it is parked. High temperatures cause battery damage, especially when the vehicle is exposed to hot weather for prolonged periods. The vehicle can actively cool the battery while it's parked, but that uses power. When you' return to your parked vehicle, the battery level may be noticeably lower than before. If the vehicle is plugged in for charging, it can cool the battery without lowering the battery level and risking a discharged battery.

In hot temperatures, it is recommended that you park in a shaded spot. Strong sunlight combined with high temperatures can lead to very high battery temperatures and excessive cooling needs.

Parking in cold weather

When the battery is cold, the vehicle temporarily reduces battery performance until it has warmed up. Driving the vehicle in a state of reduced performance doesn't harm the battery.

To avoid temporarily reduced performance from a cold battery, connect the vehicle for charging and activate the vehicle's preconditioning prior to your trip. The vehicle can then heat the battery without affecting performance and available range.

If temperatures are below -30 °C (-22 °F), avoid leaving the vehicle parked without charging for longer than 24 hours.