How long does a Tesla battery last? Parked, per charge and over the years

How long does a Tesla battery last? Parked and unplugged, about 1% of charge disappears per day, so a car left at 80% can sit for around two months before it reaches 20%. On the road, one charge covers 294 to 363 miles in a 2026 Model 3 or Model Y. Over its life, Tesla's own fleet data shows the pack keeping about 85% of its capacity after 200,000 miles.

Each of those answers has conditions attached, and the biggest one for a parked car is Sentry Mode. Here is each part in turn.

How long a Tesla can sit without charging

Tesla's Model 3 owner's manual gives the number directly: the battery "can discharge at a rate of approximately 1% per day" when the car is parked, which works out to about 14% over two weeks. The car is powering its onboard electronics, running periodic system checks and topping up its low-voltage battery from the main pack. Cold weather, the car's configuration and its touchscreen settings change the rate.

That 1% figure assumes the car is allowed to sleep. Anything that keeps it awake multiplies the drain.

Those figures are estimates from Tesla's approximate rate, not a guarantee. A car in a freezing long-term lot, or one that keeps waking up for app checks, will do worse.

Tesla's advice for long absences is simpler than any table: leave the car plugged in if you will not drive it for several weeks. It does not need a fast charger for this. A Mobile Connector on an ordinary outlet more than covers a 1% daily loss, and our guide to Level 1 charging at home shows what a 120 V outlet adds per hour.

Never let it reach 0%

The manual is blunt here. Discharging the battery to 0% "may result in damage to vehicle components," and Tesla says the repair and transport costs that follow are not covered by the warranty or Roadside Assistance. If the car does hit 0%, plug it in. There is also no benefit to running the battery low before charging, so plug in whenever it is convenient.

What drains a parked Tesla: Sentry Mode and friends

Tesla does not publish power figures for its parked features, but Not a Tesla App has measured several. Treat these as press test results, not specifications:

• Sentry Mode: about 250 to 300 W, roughly 1 to 2 miles of range per hour, and up to about 7.2 kWh a day. It keeps the Autopilot computer and cameras running.
• Summon Standby: about 0.5 to 1 mile of range per hour.
• Keep Accessory Power On: up to about 1 mile per hour.
• Third-party apps that poll the car can stop it from ever going to sleep.

Most of these features turn themselves off when the battery reaches 20%.

Put the Sentry figure against a real pack. A Model Y Premium holds about 79 kWh (an approximate, third-party figure, since Tesla does not publish usable capacity). At 7.2 kWh a day:

• 7.2 ÷ 79 = about 9% per day
• From 80% down to the 20% cutoff is 60 points
• 60 ÷ 9.1 = about 6.6 days

So a car left at an airport with Sentry on can use most of its charge within a week, then switch Sentry off at 20%. With Sentry off, the same 60 points last around two months. At the US average electricity price of 18.31 cents per kWh (EIA, July 2026), 7.2 kWh a day also costs about $1.32 a day to put back. Our page on the Tesla charging cost at home has the full per-kWh math.

Before you leave a Tesla parked for a week or more

1. Plug it in if you can, even on a 120 V outlet.
2. If you cannot plug in, charge to a sensible level first. On non-LFP cars, around 80% is fine; you do not need 100%, and Tesla advises against sitting at 100% for long periods.
3. Turn off Sentry Mode if the car is in a garage or secure lot.
4. Turn off Summon Standby and Keep Accessory Power On.
5. Sign out of third-party apps that check on the car, and avoid opening the Tesla app every few hours.
6. Check the charge every few days from the app, rather than constantly. Plan a top-up if it drops faster than about 1% a day.

How long one charge lasts on the road

This is the other reading of "how long does a Tesla charge last." The EPA ratings for the 2026 lineup:

Model 3 and Model Y ranges are from Edmunds' 2026 pricing guides. The Model S and Model X ended production in 2026; for those, and for older Model 3 and Model Y builds, the year pages list trim-level range, such as the 2021 Tesla Model 3 or the Tesla Model Y 2026.

In days, divide usable range by your daily miles. A Model 3 Premium RWD at an 80% limit driving 40 miles a day: 290 ÷ 40 = about 7 days between charges, less a few miles of idle loss each night.

Real-world range falls with sustained highway speed, steep climbs and cold. In cold weather a blue snowflake can appear, and part of the battery may show as temporarily unavailable until it warms, per Tesla's manual. Tesla recommends leaving the car plugged in during cold weather to keep the battery warm.

How long does a Tesla battery last over its life?

This is where most people's real worry sits: will the pack wear out before the car does?

Tesla's Impact Reports give the clearest answer available. Its 2023 report shows Model 3 and Model Y packs losing about 15% of capacity after 200,000 miles, so roughly 85% remains. The 2022 report put Model S and Model X at about 12% loss after 200,000 miles, or 88% remaining.

What that means in range: a Model Y Premium RWD rated at 357 miles new would still show roughly 300 miles at 85% capacity (357 × 0.85 = 303). Tesla's reports give the 200,000-mile endpoint, not the path to it, so a single reading from a used car tells you less than its trend over time.

In years, it depends on how far you drive. At an example of 12,000 miles a year, 200,000 miles takes about 16.7 years. Even a high-mileage driver doing 20,000 a year needs a decade to get there. Calendar age matters too, especially in hot climates, but there is no Tesla figure for age alone.

The warranty sets a floor

Tesla's Battery and Drive Unit warranty in the US runs 8 years and guarantees at least 70% capacity over that period. The mileage limit depends on the car:

• Model S, Model X, Cybertruck: 8 years or 150,000 miles
• Model 3 Premium RWD and AWD, Model 3 Performance, Model Y Premium RWD and AWD, Model Y Performance, Model Y L Premium Launch Series: 8 years or 120,000 miles
• Model 3 RWD, Model Y RWD and Model Y AWD (base trims): 8 years or 100,000 miles

The basic vehicle warranty is 4 years or 50,000 miles. If you are buying used, the battery warranty clock started when the car was first delivered, so a high-mileage car from the early Tesla Model S years may be well past it. Tesla does not publish a list price for a replacement pack, so get a written quote from Tesla service before buying an out-of-warranty car with a weak battery.

Habits that slow degradation

Tesla's guidance differs by battery chemistry, and the car tells you which applies on its charging screen:

• NCA/NCM packs (most Long Range, Premium and Performance cars): keep the daily limit around 80%, charge to 100% only for long trips, and avoid leaving the car near 0% or 100% for long periods.
• LFP packs (some base-trim cars, including some late-2021 Model 3 Standard Range Plus builds): Tesla recommends a 100% limit even for daily use, and charging fully at least once a week.
• Either type: leave the car plugged in when parked at home. Tesla "strongly recommends" it, and it lets the car manage its own temperature and charge level.

If you want to know how long a full recharge takes at home after a long trip, see our Tesla charging time guide; if you are still waiting on a new car, check whether a Tesla comes with a charger before planning your first week.

Independent site. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Tesla, Inc. Tesla, Wall Connector and Supercharger are trademarks of Tesla, Inc.