Teslas are among the most innovative vehicles on the road. They feature an array of cool features that once upon a time existed only in science fiction. With so much innovation surrounding them, you may therefore wonder if Teslas turn off automatically.
A Tesla turns off automatically when you shift the vehicle into park and exit the car with your phone and key fob. It also turns off automatically when you leave the car idle for at least 30 minutes, even if you remain in it. You can also power it off via the Controls Tab on your touchscreen.
Below, we will reveal how a Tesla turns off in further detail. We will also answer whether Teslas fully turn off, or if the battery continues to run afterward. Later, we will walk you through the steps on properly turning off a Tesla, before we reveal what remains on when a Tesla is in Sleep Mode.
How Does A Tesla Turn Off?
If you ever owned a gas-powered car, you will know that you need to manually turn them off. This is not the case with a Tesla. A Tesla turns off the second a Tesla owner shifts the car into Park, exits, and closes the door. You will know the Tesla has turned off once its screen and HVAC also turns off. If there is no further activity for the next 15 minutes, the other systems power down.
Can You Fully Turn Off A Tesla?
You can fully turn off a Tesla, and you would do so by disconnecting the battery. This is only going to be required if you’re not going to use the car for a long time, such as many months, as it’s far more convenient to let the car go into sleep mode.
Teslas do not fully turn off in a traditional sense unless someone disables the battery. Just as a gas-powered vehicle needs oil, a battery, and gas to turn on, a Tesla needs its battery to function. You don’t need to take the battery out of Teslas when they turn off though, so in this sense, you cannot fully turn off a Tesla as the battery will continue to consume energy.
Sleep Mode
Once it goes into Sleep Mode, it will consume considerably less energy as opposed to when you are driving it. But if you turn off your Tesla and leave the battery in, and keep it off for three months, the battery life would still run down a lot. If you turn it off at 100%, the Tesla will have consumed about 90% of its battery life when you come back to turn it on.
How To Properly Turn Off Your Tesla
Doing It Manually
Once you are finished driving, put the Tesla in park. You can do this by looking at the end of the drive stalk and pushing the appropriate button. Take your phone and key fob out of the car, close the door, and it will automatically turn off.
Staying In The Car
If you shift a Tesla into park and it remains in park longer than 30 minutes, it will also turn off automatically. This occurs even if you shift the car into park, leave it running, and remain in the driver’s seat.
If you wish, there is also a way to turn off a Tesla by remaining in the driver’s seat. If the vehicle is not moving, you can use the touchscreen to access Controls, push Safety, and finally, Power Off. This is how you manually turn off your Tesla. You can turn your Tesla back on by pressing the brake or via the touchscreen.
Power Cycle
Teslas may be innovative machines, but that doesn’t mean they are immune to imperfections. There are times that the cars act unusually, and that may require you to power cycle or reboot your Tesla. When you need to do this, shift your Tesla into park, head over to the controls, press the safety tab, and power it off as above.
Do nothing for two minutes except sit in the driver’s seat. If you touch the brakes or the touch screen, it will disable the power cycle. You also want to keep all the doors closed for the two minute duration. Once your two minutes are up, feel free to press the brake or open the door, which will turn your Tesla back on.
What Stays On In Tesla Sleep Mode?
While the battery and all necessary systems will stay on when your Tesla is in Sleep Mode, the amount of energy they consume will be dramatically reduced. Tesla sleep mode is the car’s way to best preserve its battery when it is turned off.
When the human body sleeps, it suspends unnecessary functions, and overall energy consumption is also reduced. The same concept applies with your Tesla. The battery stays on, but any systems not conducive to keeping the car functioning will turn off.
More Energy For Your Tesla’s Next Drive
This is important to know if you travel a lot and may not have access to a charger. Typically, a Tesla will use between 6% and 10% of its battery each day, but when it is in Sleep Mode, it will consume just 1% every 24 hours.
When the car is in Sleep Mode, features like Sentry, Dog and Camp mode, and Standby must be disabled to preserve maximum battery life, as this will allow the computer to sleep. You also want to make sure you close the Tesla app on your phone. Keep it unplugged, and remember not to fret if it temporarily wakes up.
When this occurs, it will briefly check for software updates before reverting back into Sleep Mode. Most systems that are not conducive to the Tesla’s functioning will turn off when it is in sleep mode. This includes your Tesla’s communication app, assuming you keep the app closed. If you reopen it on your phone, it will wake up your Tesla and cause your battery to consume more energy.
Final Thoughts
Teslas turn off automatically when you exit them, assuming you remove the key fob and your phone from the vehicle. You can also force Teslas to turn off with the Controls Tab by pressing Safety and then Power Off. When in Sleep Mode, the Tesla’s battery will reduce by about 1% per day.