Battery drains while parked

Look at parked energy use

Open the Park section in the Energy app. The manual describes viewing energy used since the last drive or charge, together with suggestions for reducing it. Compare periods of similar length. A single percentage change on the battery display does not identify which feature used the energy, and the estimate can vary with temperature and battery state. The vehicle’s suggestions are a useful starting point, but the manual’s list of factors does not prove that one feature caused all of the observed use.

Review features that stay active

When unplugged, energy may be used by cabin climate or preconditioning, Summon, the infotainment and climate-control system, Sentry Mode, and Tesla or third-party app requests. Turn off parked features and automatic routines you do not need during a check, changing one feature setting at a time. That makes it easier to see whether a change in use coincides with the setting. Record when a feature was on and the Park energy reading before and after; do not compare parking with a drive or periods with different weather.

Reduce unnecessary wake-ups

Frequent requests for vehicle status from an app are also listed as a parked-energy factor. While observing the car, open its status less often and avoid starting climate control without a need. Keep only remote commands that matter for safety or comfort. Do not diagnose a battery problem from one short interval; first compare energy use under similar conditions.

Account for temperature and charging

Cold weather affects available energy, and climate features can use additional energy while parked. Tesla recommends leaving the vehicle plugged in when it is not in use; in that case, charging equipment supplies some of the energy used. If you cannot plug in, leave enough charge for the next trip and pay attention to vehicle alerts. If the car is plugged in but has not charged for a while, a small drop can be normal: the system replenishes it after energy is used.

Read next