# Why parked electric cars can gradually lose battery charge

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/why-your-ev-battery-still-loses-charge-while-its-parked/
- Published: 2026-10-24T23:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-24T23:22:38+00:00
- Original publisher: Engadget
- Original article: https://www.engadget.com/2292646/ev-battery-why-it-loses-charge-when-parked/
- Topics: Gadgets

## Key points

- Parked EVs still use power for checks and connected features.
- A Model 3 may lose about 1 per cent daily, depending on conditions.
- Disable unnecessary features or keep the car plugged in for long storage.

## Summary

An electric vehicle can lose charge while parked because locking it does not switch off every system. Battery checks, maintaining the smaller 12-volt battery, connected services and features such as cabin climate control or vehicle surveillance can all use electricity, so losses may build up over a long trip away.

The amount varies with the car, its settings, the weather and how often apps wake it. Tesla says a Model 3 may lose about 1 per cent daily, while Recurrent reports sleeping Teslas can lose 0.1 to 0.3 per cent a day and cars running power-hungry features may lose several per cent. Cold weather can also change the range estimate without an equivalent drop in stored energy; for longer storage, Tesla advises keeping the Model 3 plugged in and at around 50 per cent charge.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.