Photo: Tesla
Tesla has always been praised for the efficient energy management of its vehicles, which are almost unaffected by the vampire drain. However, the Cybertruck has annoyed users with high battery drain while sitting overnight and doing nothing. Tesla has been taking steps to solve this issue and improve life for every owner, not just the Cybertruck.
Because EV batteries have very limited capacity, EV makers have tried all the tricks to use the energy in the most efficient way. This is an area that Tesla has traditionally dominated while legacy carmakers lagged behind. The latter have mostly re-purposed ICE platforms by replacing the engine with an electric powertrain. This is an approach that doesn't take into account specific EV needs, most importantly energy saving.
Aerodynamics and losses in the drivetrain play an outsized role, but a lot can be saved in every component of an electric vehicle. Replacing the PT heater with a heat pump allows you to squeeze some more miles in cold weather, for instance. By designing the door handles flush with the car's body, you save even more, and so on. These small changes add up to make the difference between a mediocre EV experience and a happy customer.
Tesla has been the undisputed leader in efficiency (at least until Lucid came along), but there are things to adjust with every new model. This might explain why Cybertruck owners have complained about high battery drain even when nothing is using the battery. This affects almost all EVs to a certain degree, with owners calling it phantom or vampire drain. Rivian owners have been among the most affected, although not even Tesla owners have been spared.
Tesla is addressing this battery drain in several areas, helping owners make the most out of their EVs. Last week, Cybertruck owners noticed a significantly reduced battery drain after the latest software update. This version (2024.20.9) rolled out on July 9, and the release notes didn't mention anything besides the improved charging speed from 2024.20.7. However, one week later, Cybertruck owners noticed that the vampire drain was completely gone, with zero battery hit when nothing uses the battery overnight.
Tesla went a step further with its mobile app to offer another significant improvement in this area, this time for all Tesla owners. The Tesla App version 4.35 introduced an important change in the way it communicates with the vehicles. Until now, simply opening or refreshing the app would wake up the car, resulting in some marginal battery drain. After this update, the app won't wake the car anymore unless you send a command or request information, conserving more energy.
This, of course, only works if the car is already in deep sleep. If your vehicle has Sentry Model enabled or has climate control running, pre-conditioning, charging, or other scenarios that require it to be awake, it will still exchange data with the app in real time the moment the app is opened.
Aerodynamics and losses in the drivetrain play an outsized role, but a lot can be saved in every component of an electric vehicle. Replacing the PT heater with a heat pump allows you to squeeze some more miles in cold weather, for instance. By designing the door handles flush with the car's body, you save even more, and so on. These small changes add up to make the difference between a mediocre EV experience and a happy customer.
Tesla has been the undisputed leader in efficiency (at least until Lucid came along), but there are things to adjust with every new model. This might explain why Cybertruck owners have complained about high battery drain even when nothing is using the battery. This affects almost all EVs to a certain degree, with owners calling it phantom or vampire drain. Rivian owners have been among the most affected, although not even Tesla owners have been spared.
Tesla is addressing this battery drain in several areas, helping owners make the most out of their EVs. Last week, Cybertruck owners noticed a significantly reduced battery drain after the latest software update. This version (2024.20.9) rolled out on July 9, and the release notes didn't mention anything besides the improved charging speed from 2024.20.7. However, one week later, Cybertruck owners noticed that the vampire drain was completely gone, with zero battery hit when nothing uses the battery overnight.
Tesla went a step further with its mobile app to offer another significant improvement in this area, this time for all Tesla owners. The Tesla App version 4.35 introduced an important change in the way it communicates with the vehicles. Until now, simply opening or refreshing the app would wake up the car, resulting in some marginal battery drain. After this update, the app won't wake the car anymore unless you send a command or request information, conserving more energy.
This, of course, only works if the car is already in deep sleep. If your vehicle has Sentry Model enabled or has climate control running, pre-conditioning, charging, or other scenarios that require it to be awake, it will still exchange data with the app in real time the moment the app is opened.
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