Yes! Electric cars do lose charge when parked, although the effect is minimal. The phenomenon is called “self-discharge”, a chemical reaction that takes place in the battery.
When an electric car is parked, the 12V battery (the same battery found in cars with combustion engines) trickles power to the systems that need it, thus preserving power in the lithium-ion battery pack. However, the lithium-ion battery pack will still lose charge or “drain” over time.
Providing your electric car is healthy and there are no miscellaneous sources of extreme power drain, your electric car will lose around 2% charge per week when parked.
So, if you leave your electric car parked at the airport for two weeks, it will lose around 4% charge – nothing to lose your hair over!
Lastly, it’s important to note that electric car batteries degrade over time and lose their ability to hold a charge. For example, the Tesla Model 3’s battery is rated for 300,000 to 500,000 miles (or 1,500 charging cycles).
