Charging. At home and across Europe.

Tesla uses several chemistries; the Model 3 or Model Y name, or cell format alone, does not determine the correct limit.

Your car recommends an 80% daily limit

Follow that daily recommendation. For a longer journey, charge further as needed and allowed by the manual; avoid prolonged parking nearly full or empty. This does not prohibit charging to 100%.

LFP and a 100% recommendation

LFP has different guidance. If your car requests 100% or regular full charging, follow its stated interval rather than automatically applying 80%. The current European manual points to the Charging screen or app, rather than a universal schedule.

Identify your battery

Some vehicles identify LFP under Controls → Software → Additional Vehicle Information. Use the manual matching your car’s generation and software.

Navigate to the specific Supercharger using Trip Planner. The car prepares the battery for charging as needed; this is different from simply warming the cabin. Tesla recommends allowing roughly 30–45 minutes while navigating to a charger, with actual preparation time depending on conditions.

A short drive may not fully prepare the battery. Use scheduled preconditioning before departure, preferably while plugged in. Preparation uses energy, so include it in your journey reserve. For third-party DC stations, check whether navigation recognises the charger and whether your software triggers preparation.

At a Supercharger, power usually falls as the battery fills. Reaching 100% can therefore take substantially longer than reaching 80%. Navigation recommends energy for the next leg; adjust your reserve for weather and your route.

Check station rules, tariffs and any congestion or idle fees. Before leaving the car, confirm that charging has actually started.

You do not need to wait until the battery is nearly empty. Top up as needed and use AC for routine charging where available. Set the recommended limit and schedule so the car is ready for departure.

For longer storage, Tesla recommends about 50% and leaving the car plugged in where possible. Cold weather, parked energy use and remaining reserve still matter when the car is not being driven.