battery capacity TESLA ROADSTER 2008 Owners Manual

General information about charging5-2
Charging your vehicle
Charging your vehicle
General information about chargingImportant!
Caution: If the Battery’s charge level
falls to 0%, it must be plugged in
immediately. Failure to do so can
permanently damage the Battery and this
damage is not covered by the New Vehicle
Limited Warranty. Also, if you allow the
Battery to fall to a critically low level it may
not be possible to charge the vehicle. If you
are unable to charge the vehicle, contact
Te s l a M o t o r s .
WARNING: The Battery has no parts
that an owner, or a non-Tesla authorized
technician can service. Under no
circumstances should you open or tamper
with the Battery. Always contact Tesla Motors
to arrange for Battery servicing
.S
At the end of its service life, the Battery
will be recycled. Contact Tesla Motors
for recycling arrangements.
The BatteryThe Tesla Roadster’s Battery provides power
to the motor as well as all the other electrical
systems on the vehicle, such as lights,
instruments, audio system, etc.
The Battery is one of the largest and most
advanced battery packs in the world,
consisting of several thousand lithium-ion
battery cells that store enough energy for the
vehicle to travel over 200 miles without
recharging.
Note: Actual range will vary based on driving
style. The vehicle consumes more energy if
you are driving aggressively, driving up hills, or are using more resources such as air
conditioning. Also, over time, the Battery
experiences a gradual loss of capacity,
inherent in all lithium-ion batteries. So, as
your vehicle ages, the ca
pacity of the Battery
declines.
As you drive your vehicle, the level of charge
in the Battery is depleted and you’ll need to
recharge it. The Roadster’s built-in charging
system allows you to easily recharge it by
connecting an electrical power supply to the
vehicle’s charging port.
Designed to be plugged inThe Tesla Roadster is de signed to be plugged
in when not in use. This ensures that the next
time you use the vehicle, it is fully charged
and ready to go. There is no advantage to
waiting until battery level is low before
charging. In fact, by plugging it in every night,
you eliminate the risk of damage that could
be caused by over-discharging the battery.
When plugged in, the vehicle takes care of
itself, preserving battery life by managing the
charge level and keeping the Battery at an
ideal temperature. The vehicle wakes up
every 24 hours and, if needed, automatically
initiates the charging process to keep the
Battery at an optimum charge level.
If you’re not driving your vehicle every day,
see Storing your vehicle, page 5-3 .
Leaving the vehicle unpluggedEven when you’re not driving the vehicle, the
Battery will slowly lose its charge. Therefore,
when you’re not using the vehicle, you should
leave it plugged in. However, situations may
arise in which you must leave the vehicle
unplugged for an extended time (for
example, at an airport when travelling for a
couple of weeks). If this is the case, it is your
responsibility to ensure that the Battery does
not become fully depleted. Charge the
Battery to a maximum level before leaving it,
and keep in mind that when the vehicle is left
unplugged, the Battery’s charge level will
drop to a level of approximately 50% within
the first week, and then decline at a rate of
approximately 5% each subsequent week.
Plan accordingly to ensure that the Battery
never approaches a level of 0%.
Over-discharge can permanently damage the
Battery.
If for some reason, you are unable to keep the
vehicle plugged in when it is not being used,
it is up to you to preserve battery life by
paying attention to the charge level and the
temperature (see bulleted list below). If
leaving your vehicle unplugged for more than
24 hours, follow these do’s and don’ts to
avoid prematurely decreasing the life of your
vehicle’s Battery:
• DO leave the vehicle plugged in whenever
possible.
• DO maintain at least a 15% charge level in
the Battery if leaving it unplugged for
more than 48 hours.
Roadster OHB.book Page 2 Th ursday, October 2, 2008 8:59 AM

Index
AAccessing your vehicle.................................... 4-2
Accessory power socket .................................7-7
Air conditioning.................................................. 7-4
Air distribution .................................................... 7-4
Air recirculation .................................................. 7-4
Air vents .................................................................7-5
AirbagsDeactivation ..................................................3-7
Deployment effects ................................... 3-6
Disposal information ................................. 3-8
General information .................................. 3-6
Obstruction of air bags .............................3-7
Safety information ..................................... 3-6
Service information ................................... 3-8
Warning indicator .......................................3-7
Warning labels..............................................3-7
Warnings ....................................................... 3-6
Alarm system Indicator light .............................................. 4-7
Operation ...................................................... 4-7
PIN code ........................................................ 4-8
Switching off ................................................ 4-7
Ammeter display................................................ 6-11
Antifreeze .................................................. 9-5, 11-14
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) ................. 6-5
Anti-theft alarm .................................................. 4-7
Audio system ....................................................... 8-1BBattery ....................................................................5-2 Coolant ........................................................... 9-5
Environmental Note ...................................5-2
Fluid check and top-up ............................ 9-5
Preserving ..................................................... 5-3
Range .............................................................. 6-3
Specifications............................................. 11-19 Battery Life
Overview ........................................................ 5-2
Body Cleaning ......................................................... 9-7
Covering......................................................... 9-8
Polishing ......................................................... 9-8
Removing tar spots ................................... 9-7
Repairs ............................................................ 9-8
Brake warning indicator .................................. 6-5
Brake warning indicator light .......................6-12
Brakes Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS)......... 6-5
Emergency braking ................................... 6-6
Fluid specification .................................... 11-14
Fluid top-up .................................................. 9-4
Foot brake ..................................................... 6-5
Parking brake ............................................... 6-5
Regenerative braking................................ 6-5
Specifications ............................................. 11-18
Breakdown recovery ..................................... 10-13
Bulb replacement............................................. 10-9
Bulb specifications .......................................... 10-9
CCalifornia Proposition 65 ................................. 1-2
Car covers ............................................................. 9-8
Car washes ........................................................... 9-7
Cargo capacity.................................................... 11-7
Central door locking ......................................... 4-4
Chains ................................................................... 11-10
Change of ownership ........................................ 1-2
Charge level display.........................................6-12
Charging Charge level .................................................. 5-2
Charge settings ........................................... 5-4
Charge types ................................................ 5-4
Cost .................................................................. 5-5
Current limit.................................................. 5-4 High Power Connector ............................. 5-6
Performance setting .................................. 5-4
Range setting ............................................... 5-4
Standard setting ......................................... 5-4
Storage setting ............................................ 5-4
Storing your vehicle................................... 5-3
Charging indicator light ................................. 6-12
Charging port ...................................................... 5-6
Child passengers ................................................ 3-5
Child restraints .................................................... 3-5
Child seat air bag hazard ................................ 3-7
Child seats............................................................. 3-5
Cleaning Exterior ........................................................... 9-7
Interior............................................................. 9-8
Removing tar ................................................ 9-7
Roof.................................................................. 9-7
Underbody .................................................... 9-7
Wheels ............................................................ 9-8
Windshield, windows and mirrors ........ 9-8
Wiper blades ................................................ 9-8
Climate control.................................................... 7-4
Contacting NHTSA ............................................. 1-4
Coolant Battery ............................................................ 9-5
Specification ............................................... 11-14
Cost of charging ................................................. 5-5
Covering the vehicle ......................................... 9-8
Cruise control ...................................................... 6-9
Cruise control indicator lig ht ....................... 6-12
Cup holder ............................................................ 7-8
Current limit ......................................................... 5-4
DDashboard overview ......................................... 2-5
Data recording ..................................................... 1-2
Defrosting ............................................................. 7-5
Dimensions ......................................................... 11-15
Roadster OHB.book Page 1 Th ursday, October 2, 2008 8:59 AM