Whether it’s commuting, winter, or you don’t use it much, General Motors provides some clear recommendations to help maintain battery health, tire condition, and overall vehicle readiness when storing your GM EV. Now, GM Authority is taking a closer look at what you should do if you plan to park your GM EV for an extended period of time.
The first thing to do – make sure the vehicle remains connected to a power source. When connected to a charger, the vehicle automatically monitors and maintains the high-voltage battery and 12-volt battery. Once the battery is fully charged, the vehicle’s in-vehicle charging system will use only a small amount of energy to maintain overall battery health, making it safe to leave the vehicle plugged in for long periods of time.
If plugging in isn’t an option, GM recommends users fully charge the high-voltage battery first before storing it, as the vehicle relies on the battery to maintain the 12-volt system. If the charge level drops too low, the vehicle will stop maintaining the 12-volt battery.
For long-term storage, GM recommends keeping high-voltage batteries around 30 percent charged. Additionally, owners should connect an AGM/VRLA-compatible battery tender or trickle charger to the 12-volt battery to keep it in good condition. It is also important not to discharge the 12 volt battery during storage. Another small but important tip is to keep the key at least 10 feet away from the vehicle, as that helps prevent unnecessary activation of the system, which can drain the battery.
GM recommends parking your EV in a cool, dry and clean place, away from direct sunlight. Ambient temperature is also important to battery performance, and extremely hot or cold conditions can impact overall battery health.
Unrelated to the EV powertrain, tires can also experience flat spots when the vehicle is sitting for long periods of time. Therefore, GM notes that if the vehicle will be stored for at least a month, owners should raise the vehicle or remove the tires to prevent flat spots from forming.
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