{"id":11405,"date":"2023-11-22T16:31:35","date_gmt":"2023-11-22T23:31:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog2.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/?p=11405"},"modified":"2024-01-29T15:16:43","modified_gmt":"2024-01-29T22:16:43","slug":"how-long-can-electric-car-sit-without-charging","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/how-long-can-electric-car-sit-without-charging\/","title":{"rendered":"How Long Can an Electric Car Sit Without Charging?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

After a long vacation, the last thing you want to come home to is an electric vehicle with reduced range (or no range at all). Most electric cars lose charge when parked, even in optimal conditions. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, there are a few tips you can use to preserve your battery power and ensure you can get from A to B without stopping to recharge or change your 12v battery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do Electric Cars Lose Charge When Parked and Not in Use?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While it’s true that electric cars lose minimal charge<\/strong> when parked (either as a result of battery self-discharge or vampire drain), it’s generally not a significant enough loss to raise concern. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Due to natural self-discharge, EVs typically lose a few percent of their battery charge<\/strong>, even when not in use. If you park your EV with a full charge and keep onboard systems like cabin climate control activated, your batteries will discharge between 0.5% to 1% per day. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, if you plan on keeping your EV parked for longer than a few weeks, you’ll want to place your vehicle in deep sleep mode, deactivate onboard systems, and ensure it has at least 50% charge. After taking these steps, you can expect to see around 2-3% discharge per month.  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understanding Electric Car Battery Drain<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Electric car battery drain can be influenced by various factors, such as the age of your EV batteries, vampire drain from onboard systems, and environmental factors like temperature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lithium-ion Batteries<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Lithium-ion batteries are commonly used in electric cars because they self-discharge at a slower rate than lead-acid batteries<\/strong>. Plus, they have a higher energy density, which lets them provide longer driving ranges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the benefits of lithium-ion batteries is that they last for a very long time, sometimes up to 20 years<\/a>. As of today, lithium-ion is the only battery type used to power electric vehicles,<\/strong> but solid-state batteries may eventually replace them for environmental reasons. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

EV charging plays a significant role in the rate of discharge while parked, especially as your vehicle ages. Note that most lithium-ion batteries experience a decrease in efficiency the longer you use them (studies have shown roughly 5% efficiency loss per 50,000 miles)<\/a>, meaning you can expect greater battery drainage in an older battery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t
\r\n\t\t
\r\n\t\t

How Neighbor is changing car storage<\/h2>\r\n\t\t <\/header>\r\n\t\t
\r\n\t\t
\r\n\t\t
\r\n\t\t \r\n\t\t <\/path>\r\n\t\t <\/svg>\r\n\t\t <\/div>\r\n\t\t

Transparent monthly savings<\/h3>\r\n\t\t

Renters save 30-50% on car storage, on average. No rate hikes.<\/p>\r\n\t\t <\/div>\r\n\t\t

\r\n\t\t
\r\n\t\t \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\r\n\t\t <\/div>\r\n\t\t

Keep your car nearby<\/h3>\r\n\t\t

Find trusted car storage just minutes from where you live.<\/p>\r\n\t\t <\/div>\r\n\t\t

\r\n\t\t
\r\n\t\t \r\n\t\t <\/path>\r\n\t\t <\/svg>\r\n\t\t <\/div>\r\n\t\t

Storage made simple<\/h3>\r\n\t\t

Don't settle for stone age tech and long contracts. Neighbor makes it easy.<\/p>\r\n\t\t <\/div>\r\n\t\t <\/section>\r\n\t\t