Brand new 2018 Model X 75D battery question

Brand new 2018 Model X 75D battery question

My wife and I just took delivery if our new MX 75D and we love it. We do have some concerns about the first 2 times we charged which was done at the Tesla superchargers.

I noticed our first charge to 90% only showed 208 miles which should have been 213.

Our second charge, I decided to go to 94% which showed at 217 in miles which should have been 222.

It looks like we off 5 miles and not sure if this is normal or I'm missing something. Has anyone else experience this? Thank you in advance.

MelaniaFromBrentwood | 27. kesäkuu 2018

There are MANY threads on this already. This is a software estimation based on how you drive the car. If you just took delivery, the software has no clue how you're driving (the acceleration, temperature, tires, roads, etc all make a difference). Additionally, no one has EVER achieved the range that Tesla advertises because they use a generous algorithm to generate the range they advertise. Moreover, your new car has new tires, which have much greater rolling resistance for the first 1000 miles (and gets better). Finally, if you have 22" wheels/tires, you'll get less range than the 20" ones.

Basically, don't think about this. Don't worry about it. Just enjoy your car. Because your car could say 217 miles but you drive it 55 MPH on flat/smooth road in 85 degree temps with no air conditioning and you'll get 350 miles. On the other hand, it could say 217 miles but you get 100 miles because you're on 22" wheels driving in winter in -20 weather, running heater full blast, driving uphill much of the way. See what I mean? This is an ESTIMATE. Better to switch to percentage instead of range so you don't think about this anymore.

burdogg | 28. kesäkuu 2018

MelaniaFromBrentwood - that is incorrect...The rated range snapshot has NOTHING to do with the way you drive your car - ie, all the software is doing is taking the percentage, like op is doing, at say 90% and converting it to how many miles the car "should" get if driven based off the rating system they used to get the EPA range of the car. Thus when your car has 90% battery, it should show 213 miles - it has ZERO to do with how you drive the car. Rated range is what you SHOULD get IF you drive at around 315 wh/mi. Now, rated range will drop faster if you have a higher wh/mi or it will drop slower if you have a lower wh/mi. BUT when charging...the rated miles shown has ZERO to do with how you drive - you AREN'T driving.

The only thing that matters with how you drive the car is whether or not you will get that 213 miles. Meaning, the rated range is always a snapshot of your battery percentage. So even though the rated range is 213 - if you drive it extra hard, uphill at 75 mph, etc.... then that 213 rated miles will drop faster - as does the percentage of the battery - the two figures are correlations of each other.

I for one would never use the percentage range - why? Because how in the world do you know if you can make it to grandmothers house with 45% range left? Is Grandma's house only 40% away? No, it is 65 miles away - so you have to do the calculations in your head over and over and over as you travel to grandma's house, trying to figure out if you have the miles to make it or not. Let the car do it for you - knowing that the miles will drop faster as your wh/mi goes above 315 or so...No distance in this world is %. It is all miles (or km) and thus you are making your brain work even harder to know if you can make it to x destination or not.

But back to ops question - it does seem odd that you don't get the full 213. I would charge it to 100% - and drive it right after you get to 100%. I would then drive it down to say 10% or so, and then charge to 100% again (and drive it as soon as you hit 100%) and drop it back to 20% or so, then go about charging to 90% again and see how it does then. A side note - when you charge to 100% - don't let it sit there for too long at that state of charge - not as great for the battery - fine to charge to 100%, but just drive it as close to the time you get the full charge as possible.

Redmiata98 | 28. kesäkuu 2018

I find it is best to use the energy app, it is more accurate and adjusts on adjustable real world incremental changes.
Energy App
Use the Energy app to view real-time and projected energy usage. Choose from two types of charts:
(See page 72 od user guide for more information.)

fosh | 28. kesäkuu 2018

For the OP - we also just took delivery of a Model X 75D, and mine at 90% shows 208 (rated).

jerryk | 28. kesäkuu 2018

We see 207-202 miles on our display at factory default 90% charge cutoff. It varies a bit. | 28. kesäkuu 2018

I fully agree with Bulldog, but not sure it's worth the bother to charge/discharge to get a slightly more accurate range number.

The key is the range is an estimate not an absolute. Tesla (or any EV) is showing you a calculated value of what the chemical capability is of the battery. It will never be perfect. Tesla tend to be conservative (of the EPA numbers) to help reduce the chance of running out. Showing 2.4% low at 90% seems within reason. On an ICE car, you're lucky to have a gas gauge that is within 20%. Full and empty are usually the only accurate points. While an EV is far more accurate, it also is not a perfect system. It gets calibrated when you charge to 100%. After that, it is strictly a calculation. Over time if you don't charge to 100%, the range value will slowly drift downwards. The same battery capacity exists, it just becomes a bit less accurate between 100 and 0. The end points are always accurate and you are actually getting the same amount of real range if your conditions were identical. A recharge to 100% will reset the calibration point. Note that 100% charging is not great for the battery longevity - use it when you need it, but otherwise, you should charge to 90% or less daily. | 28. kesäkuu 2018

Bulldog -> burdogg (sorry about that!) | 28. kesäkuu 2018

Bulldog -> burdogg (sorry about that!)

burdogg | 28. kesäkuu 2018

I knew what you meant :)

And yes, I think rebalancing is unnecessary right now, just threw it out there... :)

fosh | 28. kesäkuu 2018

Just to add to TeslaTap - on my 2014 S85 (rwd), I find the rated range to be more accurate (hopefully) in regards to the Tesla published numbers as the battery gets lower (e.g., at 90% battery remaining, and doing the math comparing to Tesla's published rated miles at 100% (265), there 'appears' to be a degradation of about 5%, while at say 40%, doing the same math yields an 'apparent' degradation of 2%.

Once the UI allowed the user to switch between miles and %, I immediately set it to display % to avoid the mental anguish of checking this on a daily basis (especially around town - for road trips, I sometimes switch back to miles, but even that is less important when traveling via Superchargers).

markyone7 | 28. kesäkuu 2018

Thank you everyone for your input, much appreciated.

I totally understand that actual driving method, environment, etc. is what will give the actual miles which is same with ice cars.

My concern is that I may not be getting the potential mileage I'm suppose to get.

For example, if I charge to 100% and only show 232 and another brand new MX 75D at 100% gets 237 and we both drive the same road at the same speed, same weight, no ac, etc, and he ends up traveling 5 more miles than me then there is an issue.

I know the batteries degrade over time but I sure don't want a head start after a few days.

I drive the model 3 and the percentage to mileage is accurate to Tesla potential miles.

Again, thanks for the feedback. I will talk to service and see what they say.

bonhari93 | 28. kesäkuu 2018

My 75d charged to 237 in the first month, now after 4700 miles it will only charge to 232. I don’t think it is unusual but I will get concerned if it drops more in the first year. Other posts I had read say that it will drop slightly in the first year but levels off after that.

jjgunn | 28. kesäkuu 2018

Charged an MS 85 to 90% = 228 miles

Pulled 279 wh/mi on a 50 mile trip today. Have 184 miles left.

Had to drive like my 97 year old grandma but conserved energy.

jjgunn | 28. kesäkuu 2018

Also. Don't charge to a full 100%. You lose Regen. Better to go to about 98% for a long trip. For normal driving keep the battery pack between 20%-80% for best battery health per MIT professor

davhud62 | 29. kesäkuu 2018

Can someone tell me how much battery drain should there be during maintenance. I am having my car wrapped and took my Model X in with 223 mile, now it is showing 193 miles. New to the Tesla family and just want to get an understanding of what to expect. Thank you I have only drove my Model X from the dealership to the place to get it wrapped, 82 miles. Yes I took the long way to the shop. The car is so fun to drive

Redmiata98 | 29. kesäkuu 2018

Dav, what is the number of days that the drop occurred? My P90 loses 1-3 miles/day if it sits undisturbed. If the doors are opened, car moved a few feet, turning on when the fob is near etc. the consumption will obviously be higher. If you lost 30 miles overnight, you probably have an unusual parasitic draw that needs to be identified. (Remember that each time you check on the car, it consumes electricity because the car “wakes” to provide you the data you request.)

Razorx1337x | 29. kesäkuu 2018

Hey OP. My new MX 75D also reads between 207 to 210 miles at 90%. When I first took delivery, it was less, but in the 3 months I've now had it (and I drive a daily commute of 90 miles round trip) the overall rated usage has been around 320 to 335 w/h. I noticed that a full charge and 90% charge went up a few miles to the 210 at 90% and 235 at 100%.

I've also taken several long road trip and have been pleasantly surprised that my rated % at destination arrival was always much lower than what I actually had when I arrived. Last road trip said arrival at 6% battery but when we got home we still had 16%. That's in Mid South weather (hot) driving highway at 75 to 79 miles the whole way with me, my wife, and our 2 kids.

Long story short, I learned to forget about the estimations being off by a handful of miles and just drive (and I'm a recovering perfectionist). Have fun and enjoy the heck out of it. You won't want to drive an ICE car after this.

peg8sus | 10. heinäkuu 2018

I took delivery of my MX 75D on 6/22/18, and I am on the same boat.... 208 miles at 90% charge.

lilbean | 10. heinäkuu 2018

@davhud Mine loses about 10 miles a day.

Redmiata98 | 10. heinäkuu 2018

Bean, you must have always connected on, my daily reduction in miles is only 1 when parked.

Cashshelton | 23. elokuu 2018

Took delivery on 8-11-18 and just did first full charge as my wife is making a long run in it today and with only 715 miles on the x75d full charge is showing 231 miles range, surprised it would lose 5 miles already could this be the bad batteries they mention? The autopilot hasn’t worked from day 1 and they are replacing the radar. The back right falcon wing door won’t open with interior button and the drivers window needed help rolling up last night. Thought I upgraded after having a model 3 but build quality is not the same disappointing for a car that costs 2xas much after all the options.

Wilber | 23. elokuu 2018

Cash - it is not clear why you posted. Dont the comments above in this thread answer your questions about the battery? as for other issues, you could post them with a thread title clearly describing them - then you may get replies. You can also search for answers at

bonhari03 | 27. elokuu 2018

We are at 9500 miles now on our 75d. I charged to 90% last night and it still lands at 207, just as it has for the last 4 months. One other thing to note when tracking drain when parked is if you have temperature control engaged. I don't worry so much about that stuff any more. If I had a defect, it would have occurred by now. And I don't sweat a few miles here and there. I can easily scrub off a few miles just getting on the freeway. (The acceleration from this car is a drug!)
My advice: Set the charge limit to 100% when going out to eat. That way, you avoid the idle fees if you don't get back to to the car right away. On the the other side of the spectrum, remember you don't have to charge all the way to 90%. The charge speed drops considerably when you get near the top of the battery and if you are like me, you will scrub off those few miles when you get on the freeway. (Did I mention the acceleration is addicting?)

seeworld8 | 11. lokakuu 2018

My July 2018 MX 75d was at 206 miles yesterday on 90% charge. The only time I charged it to 100% was two weeks after delivery, I got 231 miles or 6 miles less to the advertised 237. Based on feedback on this forums, not getting the advertised 237 rated miles at 100% charge is very common for recent builds. Not sure if anyone will do something about this systemic problem. I am frustrated by the service center advisers on their lack of acknowledge on the difference between rated vs projected miles. I got the sense that it is not a problem they can or want to deal with.

jjgunn | 11. lokakuu 2018

You didn't actually lose range. This is a software issue that Tesla is aware of. Ignore it & enjoy your car.

seeworld8 | 11. lokakuu 2018

My 2 months old MX 75D was at 181 on 80% charge. This translates to 226.25 miles on 100% or a lost of 10.25 miles already. I doubt reconditioning the battery by first draining it to 0 and recharging back to 100% will get the lost battery capacity back that will last.

seeworld8 | 11. lokakuu 2018

Thanks jjgunnn. I do like the car. If it is a software issue, the service center should inform customers as such. It is hard to image they can mess up such simple calculation if there is indeed no issue with the hardware.

burdogg | 11. lokakuu 2018

seeworld8 - keep an eye on it for now - it may not be just software, but too early to really know or tell - from my understanding. If something is going wrong, Tesla will make it right - we have seen it before on here - some batteries to go bad, and they fix it. If it continues to drop in short time, then definitely let service no again and give them the history. Especially if it appears way outside normal, be persistent with the. Check on here so you can get others thoughts too if it seems abnormal - as when it does, you have more than just you telling them it is abnormal, but from your observation with others, this seems not normal :)

Right now, not sure, but if something is going wrong, it will continue to drop. At least from what I have gathered around here.

burdogg | 11. lokakuu 2018

man typos - I was being interrupted - some batteries DO go how about KNOW. persistent with THEM.

man, sometimes I wish I could edit...

Triggerplz | 11. lokakuu 2018

@Burdogg Your typos are understandable , as you type so many many many words they can’t all be perfect

seeworld8 | 11. lokakuu 2018

Burdogg, thanks! I will provide an update the next time I see a change on the rate miles on my MX 75d.

caikangze407 | 17. lokakuu 2018

just ordered MX 75D. still in 3 days window that can modify the order before production. 237 miles are plenty to my daily commute(50 miles at the most round trip). does anyone here regret not getting the 100D? 155mph vs 130mph, 4.7sec vs 4.9sec, 237 miles vs 295 miles.

jimglas | 17. lokakuu 2018

get the 100

johnse | 18. lokakuu 2018


If you take long trips, the 100D will save you significant time charging. They can both charge to 80% in the same time, but that’s 80kWh vs 60kWh. Showed me that SEA-PHX would take about 6 hours longer in a 75 vs 100.

I got the 100 :)

caikangze407 | 20. lokakuu 2018

switched mine to 100D

burdogg | 20. lokakuu 2018

caikangze407 - if you can afford it - great call - you won't ever regret having extra miles. You just might though have a time or two where you regret not having the miles.

mbirnie51 | 21. lokakuu 2018

It's not just the miles of range that is different, but the rate of charge that is most beneficial with the 100 Kw battery. My MX 75D is limited to 96K input (about 300 miles of range per hour) at any Supercharger if no one else is on your circuit, BUT the 100 Kw battery can take 120 K input (almost 400 miles of range per hour), making the amount of time you spend charging much shorter. That will make a cross country trip much shorter.....if you can afford the $$ AND you do a lot of high mileage travel, the 100 Kw battery is best suited.

This past summer I left west Yellowstone and traveled to Cody WY via US 14 and on to Sheridan WY and the extra range of the 100 Kw battery would have helped. I had to stop at an RV campsite in Cody to charge for 3 hours ( cost me $40 for charge) so I could continue on to Sheridan. That was the only time I had range anxiety in the 5+ years of driving a Tesla. I couldn't opt for the larger battery, so I have to accept the more frequent charging on trips...but I'm retired and my cross country trips are not time constrained.

kenj | 21. lokakuu 2018

@mbirnie51 - think those charge numbers you gave 96kw for 75D are only for high powered wall charging, not SC. SC charing is 120kw. A 100D is faster than a 75D because of tapering.

BTW - that was a lot to charge at a campsite.

burdogg | 21. lokakuu 2018

kenj - actually mbirnie51 is correct from my previous research. Tesla has removed a lot of things they used to show on their site - so I can't find it right this second. Anyone have the info that shows what mbirnie51 is saying? Anyway, I do know that superchargers for smaller batteries are not able to use the full 120 kW.

So there are many reasons the charging is faster...

burdogg | 21. lokakuu 2018

This isn't official - so not sure where TeslaTap gets the info, but shows there is a difference:

mbirnie51 | 22. lokakuu 2018

@burdogg...I did a quick search and found a link to support my knowledge that the lower Kw battery packs are limited.... It is because of higher voltage rating of the larger battery packs (400 VDC ) as opposed to 350 VDC for smaller 75Kw and 60 Kw.

@kenj....yes that was expensive....I was at the first RV park going into Cody from west to east...on the right side of highway.....I told the woman who signed me in that I needed a 50amp plug to accommodate my EV charging, she said she was familiar with that as others Teslas have stopped by. They charged me for a full nights stay with the last spot open with 50 amps, it was a three-way hook up site, even though I told her I'd only be a few hours. I got into Cody with 107 miles range and left with 175 miles of range. The voltage was 208 volts and the input amperage was 40 amps per the screen read out, so I was getting 8.3Kwh, or about 22 miles of range per hour. Made it to Sheridan in 3 hours with 41 miles of range and 247 wh/mile. I was very anxious the entire way from Cody to Sheridan, but was aided by the extreme downhill regeneration the last 40 miles into Sheridan. This trip would be impossible from east to west with the 75Kw battery.

There was a good steak house just 50 yards away on the same side of the highway, so we went over for dinner....met some nice folks at the bar waiting for our table, had a good dinner and left after 3.5 hours charging.

chadcristi | 22. lokakuu 2018

Run a charge up to 100% and drive it within a few hours of charging. Keep going (even if you start and stop over the course of a couple of days) until you get to 20% or even below before recharging. Charge back up to 80%. The Tesla range "guess o meter" is just that - a calculated guess that can vary and I wouldn't be so focused on the exact numbers.

caikangze407 | 22. lokakuu 2018

@burdogg..The problem for me is not the price tag. I don't mind to pay for more if it's worth it. But, since the EV technology is still new, the battery technology might get advanced in next couple years, with the same money we spent 3 year later, can possibly get MX with range 400 - 500 miles. Original plan was to lease the 75D for three years and move to the newest model at that time. However, Wifey rejected the plan due to the money spent on the lease is more than 50k. so we decided to buy 100D and keep for 8 years.

burdogg | 22. lokakuu 2018

Good points caikangze407 - It does all depend on how long you plan on keeping the vehicle :) As I agree, with the roadster (new one) being able to do what 600 miles on a charge - if they can really hit that, then there has got to be more miles they can do with the X - sure it is heavier, but 600 for a roadster? I would think they could at least get 400 out of that with the X.

caikangze407 | 23. lokakuu 2018

There is no doubt the battery package will become bigger and with much more density in near future. Also, the charging time will be much shorter. My guess is 120D - 140D will become available in next few years and price tag will be the same as 75D and 100D and possibly lower to compensate the tax credit.

seeworld8 | 24. lokakuu 2018

@burdogg, so update on my July 2018 MX 75d rated miles issue. The car is going in for the thorough battery tests. I had charged to 100% 3 times over the past 3 months. I got 229, 226, and 222 this morning. The rates miles is spec’d to be 237. So it started with 8 miles lost and now at 15. My call this morning to Tesla was redirected to the central office and the guy I talked to was straightforward and said new cars should get the full rated miles if charged to 100%. No reason for the quick drop of rated range. For the record, I typically charge to 80%, the car initially would get to 185/184 miles per 80%. It is now at 179/180 ish. I am sure I am not the only one here with a new Tesla not seeing the car getting the spec’d rated miles at 100% charge.

burdogg | 24. lokakuu 2018

Good to know seeworld8 - thanks for the update!

jhonittokomig | 25. lokakuu 2018


weilei0107 | 31. lokakuu 2018

@seeworld8, have you been able to bring your car in for the battery test? Did they find anything wrong with the battery?
I think my MX is also having similar issues with the many owners on this thread. Mine is delivered in Sep. and I have fully charged it twice since then and both times the app showed only 230 Miles. I brought it up once when I was at the service center for a different issue but was quickly dismissed for the reason of it being dependent on driving pattern, which as many have pointed out earlier is simply not true. The only explanation I could think of is that the battery useable capacity as measured by the software is not at the full 75kwh, which is unacceptable for a new car. I wonder what other folks have done for this issue. I worry taking in the car in to a service center will be a waste of time....

seeworld8 | 01. marraskuu 2018

@weilei, it was a waste of time as I was told they cannot do anything accept to drive my car to drain the battery down and charge it back up, which i can do myself. I am in San Diego, they said they don’t have the tools to balance the battery. I decided to not leave my car there since my battery was half full yesterday at the SC and did not want them to drive it for hours. Their explanation on driving behavior affecting the rated range when the battery is at 100% was unsatisfactory. My 75d is down to 222 miles at 100%. It is not related to how I drive. The car is averaging 335 whr/mile. They kept saying that is high, but I bet they were comparing to MS or M3 numbers. The car can get to 237 miles if the consumption rate is at 316, ideally speaking. 335 is just 5% over.