Tesla makes simple app change to save your EV’s range

By Joey Klender

Posted on July 18, 2024

Tesla has made a simple change in its app to save your electric vehicle’s battery and range.

EV owners across the board deal with the phenomenon of phantom battery drain, which is truly just a term that describes range loss due to the vehicle completing tasks while it is idle.

Teslas, for example, can run Sentry Mode, which monitors the vehicle’s surroundings with external cameras, which has been a culprit of range loss for some time.

Tesla Sentry Mode improvements are coming, aiming to solve battery drain

However, Tesla’s smartphone app is also a guilty party and has caused vehicle owners to grow frustrated with a loss of range even though the vehicle is not being driven. It seems Tesla is rolling out an update with App version 4.35.0, which will help combat this range loss and preserve battery life while the car is sitting:

New Version Detected: 4.35.0
Changelog is:
To conserve the vehicle’s battery, the app only wakes it when you send a command

— Tesla App Updates (iOS) (@Tesla_App_iOS) July 17, 2024

The app update release notes state:

“To conserve the vehicle’s battery, the app only wakes it when you send a command.”

Although EV owners have the distinct advantage of being able to charge their vehicles and gain range at home, there are instances where every mile counts and this will help eliminate any “range anxiety” concerns that may arise from the car running tasks.

I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

Tesla makes simple app change to save your EV’s range