Electric vehicles make for outstanding, humdrum everyday driving. But occasionally, work or an epic adventure may draw you away from home. That will mean storing your electric vehicle for an extended period.
Storing any type of vehicle isn’t optimal; cars are designed to be used. Not using them for a long time can cause issues. On the one hand, storing EVs can be less of a headache. EVs have fewer mechanical components that can falter or require lubrication. However, storing an EV also means maintaining and not permanently damaging a large, costly, high-voltage battery.
What’s the best way to store an EV for a few weeks or months? There are a few key things you need to do.
Make sure the battery is charged—but not too charged
You want to leave an EV battery with a good amount of charge. There will be some drainage over more prolonged periods from sources such as background processes and the vehicle’s 12V battery. You want enough range for the EV to be usable when you return. As with standard EV charging, it’s best to avoid the vehicle spending too long at extremes (above 80 percent charge or below 10 percent charge) which can damage the battery.
Recommendations for best storage practices differ depending on the EV manufacturer (consult your owner’s manual). Most suggest maintaining a charge of around 50 percent. Some recommend leaving a vehicle on the charger. Keeping the EV plugged in lets you set the vehicle’s charge limit to 50 percent, allowing the EV to maintain temperatures and top itself off as needed. Other brands recommend leaving their EV off the charger and disconnecting the 12V battery or placing it on a trickle charger like you would with a stored combustion vehicle.
An important way to preserve battery life is to disable as many background processes as possible. Tesla’s Sentry Mode is a noted resource hog that can drain EV batteries. However, smaller ticket items like software updates or even checking the vehicle status remotely can do so, especially if they need to wake the vehicle from a low-power sleep mode.
Move or take the weight off the tires
Sitting stationary is not great for any vehicle’s tires. It risks the tires developing flat spots where the tread flattens out after being in the same position under a constant load. EVs may face a particular risk for flat spots, as they weigh significantly more than comparable combustion cars. The Kia EV9, for instance, checks in at nearly three tons and more than 1,300 pounds more than an AWD Kia Telluride.
Moving the car periodically may be the best option to help the tires. However, that may only be feasible if you are present. Another option, if practicable, could be to leave the car on lifts to alleviate some of the load on the tires. Another strategy is to fill the tires to the maximum PSI permitted in the owner’s manual.
Find a protected location
As with a combustion car, you ideally want to store an EV in a protected area. The best option is an enclosed garage, protecting the EV from warm and cold weather extremes and precipitation. A protected parking garage or carport would also be a good option.
If the only option is parking in the open, try to avoid direct sunlight or places where the car is likely to be damaged. Consider getting a weatherproof car cover for added protection.
