Tesla Owner Discovers Minimal Battery Drain After 10-Day Airport Parking Test

A Tesla Model Y owner recently conducted an unplanned experiment that revealed surprisingly low phantom battery drain when certain power-hungry features are disabled. The findings, shared on X (formerly Twitter) by @theevrydaychris, challenge common perceptions about Tesla’s battery consumption during extended parking periods.

When faced with non-functional ChargePoint stations at an airport parking lot, the owner left his Model Y with 80% charge before departing for a 10-day trip to Singapore. Taking precautionary measures, he disabled battery-intensive features including Sentry Mode and Cabin Overheat Protection.

The results were remarkable: After an initial 1% drop to 79% on the first day, the battery level remained steady throughout the entire 10-day period. Upon returning to the United States, the owner found his Model Y maintaining the exact same 79% charge level.

The experience resonated with other Tesla owners in the X community. One user reported just 2% battery loss over an even longer period of 16 days. Several commenters emphasized the importance of disabling features like Sentry Mode and Cabin Overheat Protection to achieve minimal battery drain.

This real-world test highlights Tesla’s ongoing efforts to improve parked vehicle efficiency. A notable advancement came in July when Tesla released a mobile app update specifically targeting phantom drain issues. The update modified the app’s behavior so vehicles only “wake up” when explicitly commanded by owners, rather than automatically activating when the app is opened – a previous design that contributed to unnecessary battery consumption.