Tesla Battery Health Test Guide: Everything You Need to Know

Monitoring your Tesla’s battery health is crucial for maintaining optimal performance and range.

In the software update 2025.8.3 released in March 2025, Tesla released a new feature to run a Battery Health Test for your car. 

Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to use this feature, including steps, prerequisites, model availability, limitations, and an alternative tool from JOWUA.

How to Perform the Tesla Battery Health Test?

• Access Battery Health: On the touchscreen, navigate to Controls > Service > Battery Health to view an initial evaluation of battery energy retention.
• Prerequisites for the test:
  • Software Update 2025.8.3 or later
  • Plug your vehicle into an AC charger (at least 5 kW)
  • At least 18 hours of plugged in time without any interaction with the car
  • Ensure the vehicle is in Park
  • No active alerts, no pending updates
  • Less than 20% battery remaining
  • Connected to Wi-Fi or a cellular connection
    

If any of these conditions are not met, your car will give you an alert screen like below:

Note: Climate control will be disabled during the test—do not leave occupants unattended in the vehicle.

• Start the Test: Go to Controls > Service > Battery Health Test, read the popup, and tap Start Test (requires Wi-Fi or cellular connection).

• Run the Test: Wait up to 24 hours; the touchscreen will show progress, the battery may discharge below 10%, and features like climate control will be disabled.

• Avoid Interference: Don’t interact with the vehicle or app during the test; cancel via touchscreen or app if needed, but don’t unplug without canceling first.
• Understand Results: After completion, the touchscreen displays a percentage of energy retention compared to when new, and the range estimate may be recalibrated.
• Schedule Service (If Needed): If energy retention impacts usability, schedule a service appointment via the Tesla app.
• Maintain Battery Health: Keep the car plugged in when not in use, set the charge limit to 80%, and avoid frequent fast charging to extend battery life.

Which Tesla Models Have the Battery Health Test?

• Model 3 & Y: Available on vehicles with software update 2025.8.3 or later
• Model S and Model X: Available on 2021+ models with matrix headlights and the 2025.8.3 update; older models (e.g., 2012 Model S) may not support it.
• Cybertruck: Not available in the main user interface, even with the 2025.8.3 update.

Why You Might Not Be Able to Run the Battery Health Test?

• Software Version: Vehicles with older software (pre-2025.8.3) won’t have the feature.
• Hardware Limitations: Older models or variants (e.g., 2021 Standard Range Model Y, early Model S/X) may lack compatible hardware or battery management systems.
• Regional Variants: Some regional variants might not include the feature
• Post-Test Lockout: After running the test, it’s unavailable until the battery management system detects a significant change in battery health.
• Connectivity Issues: Requires Wi-Fi or cellular connection; the option won’t appear without it.
• Test Conditions Not Met: Fails to start if the vehicle isn’t plugged in, has more than 20% battery, or doesn’t meet other prerequisites.

Alternative: JOWUA Battery Degradation Checker

If the Battery Health Test isn’t available on your Tesla, try the JOWUA Battery Degradation Calculator

Here's why you should try this tool out:

• Easy to Use: Simply input your vehicle’s details to estimate battery degradation without running a full test.
• Accessible: Works for all Tesla models, regardless of software or hardware limitations.
• Faster results: While Tesla Battery Health Test can take up to 18 hours, the Jowua calculator gives you a good approximation within a few minutes. It might be less accurate but it is still faster and gives you a quick insight into whether you need to run the full-fledged test or not.