2020 TESLA MODEL 3 charging

Battery Information
About the Battery
Model 3 has one of the most sophisticated
battery systems in the world. The most
important way to preserve the Battery is to LEAVE YOUR VEHICLE PLUGGED IN when
you are not using it. This is particularly important if you are not planning to drive
Model 3 for several weeks. When plugged in,
Model 3 wakes up when needed to
automatically maintain a charge level that
maximizes the lifetime of the Battery.
Note: When left idle and unplugged, your
vehicle periodically uses energy from the Battery for system tests and recharging the
12V battery when necessary.
There is no advantage to waiting until the
Battery’s level is low before charging. In fact, the Battery performs best when charged
regularly.
Note: If you allow the Battery to discharge to
0%, other components may become damaged
or require replacement (for example, the 12V
battery). In these cases, you are responsible for repair and/or transporting expenses.
Discharge-related expenses are not covered
by the warranty or under the Roadside
Assistance policy.
The peak charging rate of the Battery may
decrease slightly after a large number of DC
Fast Charging sessions, such as those at
Superchargers. To ensure maximum driving
range and Battery safety, the Battery charge
rate is decreased when the Battery is too cold,
when the Battery’s charge is nearly full, and when the Battery conditions change with
usage and age. These changes in the condition of the Battery are driven by battery physics
and may increase the total Supercharging
duration by a few minutes over time.
Battery Care
Never allow the Battery to fully discharge.
Even when Model 3 is not being driven, its
Battery discharges very slowly to power the
onboard electronics. The Battery can
discharge at a rate of approximately 1% per day, though the discharge rate may vary
depending on environmental factors (such as
cold weather), vehicle configuration, and your
selected settings on the touchscreen.
Situations can arise in which you must leave
Model 3 unplugged for an extended period of time (for example, at an airport when
traveling). In these situations, keep the 1% in
mind to ensure that you leave the Battery with a sufficient charge level. For example, over a
two week period (14 days), the Battery may
discharge by approximately 14%.
Discharging the Battery to 0% may result in
damage to vehicle components. To protect
against a complete discharge, Model 3 enters
a low-power consumption mode when the
displayed charge level drops to approximately
0%. In this mode, the Battery stops supporting
the onboard electronics and auxiliary 12V
battery. Once this low-power consumption
mode is active, immediately plug in Model 3 to
prevent a jump-start and 12V battery
replacement.
Note: If the vehicle is unresponsive and will
not unlock, open, or charge, then the 12V
battery may have become discharged. In this
situation, contact Tesla.
Temperature Limits
For better long-term performance, avoid
exposing Model 3 to ambient temperatures
above 140

Charging Instructions
Opening the Charge Port The charge port is located on the left side of
Model 3, behind a door that is part of the rear
tail light assembly. Before charging, park
Model 3 to ensure that the charge cable easily reaches the charge port.
With Model 3 unlocked (or an authenticated
phone is within range) and in Park, press and
release the button on the Tesla charge cable
to open the charge port door.
You can also open the charge port door using
any of these methods:

wall outlet instead of using energy stored in
the Battery. For example, if you are sitting in
Model 3 and using the touchscreen while
parked and plugged in, Model 3 draws energy
from the wall outlet instead of the Battery.Caution: The connector end of the charge
cable can damage the paint if dropped
onto the vehicle.
During Charging
During charging, the charge port light (the Tesla "T" logo) pulses green, and thetouchscreen displays the charging status. The
frequency at which the charge port light
pulses slows down as the charge level
approaches full. When charging is complete,
the light stops pulsing and is solid green.
Note: If Model 3 is locked, the charge port
light does not light up.
If the charge port light turns red while
charging, a fault is detected. Check the
touchscreen for a message describing the
fault. A fault can occur due to something as
common as a power outage. If a power outage
occurs, charging resumes automatically when
power is restored.
Note: When charging, particularly at high
currents, the refrigerant compressor and fan
operate as needed to keep the Battery cool.
Therefore, it is normal to hear sounds during charging.
Note: Air conditioning performance is
generally not affected by charging. However,
under certain circumstances (for example, you
are charging at high currents during a
particularly warm day), the air coming from
the vents may not be as cool as expected and
a message displays on the touchscreen. This is
normal behavior and ensures that the Battery stays within an optimum temperature range
while charging to support longevity and optimum performance.
Warning: Never spray liquid at a high
velocity (for example, if using a pressure
washer) towards the charge port while
charging. Failure to follow these
instructions can result in serious injury or
damage to the vehicle, charging
equipment, or property.
Stopping Charging
Stop charging at any time by disconnecting
the charge cable or touching Stop Charging
on the touchscreen.
Note: To prevent unauthorized unplugging of
the charge cable, the charge cable latch remains locked and Model 3 must be unlockedor able to recognize your authenticated phone
before you can disconnect the charge cable.
However, in cold ambient temperatures below
41

4.Pull the charge cable from the charge
port.Caution: The release cable is designed for
use only in situations where the charge
cable cannot be released from the charge
port using the usual methods. Continuous
use may result in damage to the release
cable or charging equipment.Warning: Do not perform this procedure
while your vehicle is charging or if any
orange high voltage conductors are
exposed. Failure to follow these
instructions can result in electric shock and serious injury or damage to the
vehicle. If you have any uncertainty as to
how to safely perform this procedure,
contact your closest Service Center.Warning: Do not attempt to remove the
charge cable while simultaneously pulling the release cable. Always pull the release
cable before attempting to remove the
charge cable from the charge port.
Failure to follow these instructions can
result in electric shock and serious injury.
Charge Port Light

2.Adjust the charge limit by touching Set
Limit , and drag the arrow to move the
charge limit setting. The setting you
choose applies to immediate and
scheduled charging sessions.
3. The current automatically sets to the
maximum current available from the
attached charge cable, unless it was
previously reduced to a lower level. If
needed, touch - or + to change the current
(for example, you may want to reduce the
current if you are concerned about
overloading a domestic wiring circuit
shared by other equipment). It is not
possible to set the charging current to a
level that exceeds the maximum available
from the attached charge cable. When
you change the current, Model 3
remembers the location. If you charge at
the same location, you do not need to change it again.
Note: If Model 3 is charging and detects
unexpected

Scheduled Charging is best used to determinewhen your vehicle should start charging;
Scheduled Departure is best used to
determine when charging should complete for
your drive.
Note: Your vehicle aims to finish charging
before 6am (end of off-peak hours). If given
sufficient time to charge, charging may stop at
6am, even if your scheduled departure is later.
The vehicle warms the Battery and
preconditions the cabin shortly before your
scheduled departure time. If the vehicle does
not have enough time to complete charging before 6am, it will continue to charge until it
reaches the target Battery percentage.
Note: If your vehicle is not plugged into a
charger, Scheduled departure will not
precondition the cabin or battery.
Supercharger Usage Fees and IdleFees
When charging using a Tesla supercharger,
SUPERCHARGING information displays at the
bottom of the charging screen. This information includes the location, the time
that charging started, and an estimate of how
much the session will cost. When you stop
supercharging, the estimated cost of that
session displays until a new supercharging
session begins.
Note: Estimated pricing is displayed for your
convenience only and may not re

Troubleshooting Alerts
Charging equipment faultTry
different charging
equipment(CP_a004)
The charge port is unable to detect whether a
charge cable is inserted or the type of charge cable connected.
If this alert appears while a charge cable is
connected, it should be determined whether the issue is caused by the charging equipment
or the vehicle. Try charging the vehicle using different external charging equipment (charge
cable, charging station, charging stall, etc.).

charging (continued)public charging stations 154
scheduling 159
charging locations, finding 132
child protectiondisabling rear window switches 18child seatsinstalling and using 35
child-protection locks 17
cleaning 172
climate controls 125
coat hangers 26
cold weather driving 80
collision avoidance assist 111
connecting to Wi-Fi 150
console12V power socket 26
opening 24
rear 26
USB ports 24
consumption chart 74
contact informationroadside assistance 198
Tesla 208
copyrights 204
cruise control 87
D dashboard overview 2
Dashcam 76
data recording 206
data sharing 206
declarations of conformity 209
delivery mileage 207
devicesBluetooth, playing audio files 138
connecting 24
playing audio files from 138
dimensions 186
Dog Mode 128
dome (map) lights 58
door handles 15
door labels 184
doorsChild Lock 17
exterior door handles 15
interior locking and unlocking 16
keyless entry 15
locking 15
opening from exterior 15
opening from interior 15
Unlock on Park 17
unlocking 15doorsfunctionWalk-Away Door Lock 16
drive away locking 16
Drive gear 56
driverprofiles 48drivingseating position 28
starting 54
tips to maximize range 74
E
Easter Eggs 203
easy entry, driver profile 48
EDR (event data recorder) 206
electric parking brake 67
emergency braking 111
emergency