I'm really excited to get my car but I can't understand charging to save my life. I am going to get a Nema 14-50 outlet in my house. I know I will sometimes need to charge on the road and at hotels and all those plugs look different (and pretty quickly after I get my M3 SR+). Do I have to buy a bunch of different adapters to match the charging spots I expect to use? Does my car come with any adapters or way to charge the thing at all? If so, what does it come with and what can I plug that in to. And then it looks like a number of the charging stations are not Tesla stations. Do I need to open accounts with each of the different companies that run the charging stations ahead of time?
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Charging for Liberal Arts Majors
- Thread starter Nevada Jen
- Start date
eprosenx
Active Member
Welcome to Tesla ownership!
I do recommend a bit of reading first. Tesla actually has a lot of good info on their web site.
Home Charging Installation
I also wrote up a couple of articles, but they are fairly technical:
https://www.article625.com/2019/05/01/how-should-i-charge-my-tesla/
Tesla Mobile Connector Gen 2 vs Wall Connector – Article625.com
If you do end up with a NEMA 14-50 or 6-50 receptacle at home as your solution you will need to buy a $35 adapter since Tesla no longer includes the 14-50 by default. Order now as they have been having stocking issues!
Mostly on the road you will just need the included J1772 adapter, but if you want to be able to charge of friends dryers plugs or RV sites you may want a handful of different adapters (you can go as crazy with this as you want, but it is generally not necessary).
Yes, you will need to pay 3rd party stations (Tesla will auto bill your credit card for use of their superchargers), but that is generally easily done by downloading an app. Yes, you can also order physical charging cards (which I have done), but in most cases the app works fine too. There are only a couple third party charging networks I have ever used, and these are mostly just for “fun” rather than necessity. (YMMV)
Good luck!
Short answer from my own experience: buy the 14-50 adapter for $35 to cover your home usage. The car comes with the J1772 adapter that most non-Tesla stations use. Get a free Chargepoint account.
Do those things and you will cover the vast majority of scenarios.
Also, welcome and enjoy the car!
Do those things and you will cover the vast majority of scenarios.
Also, welcome and enjoy the car!
If you are bothering to install a 14-50 outlet, don't rule out installing a Wall Connector instead.
It's a nice piece of mind to keep the "portable" connector in the car. That way you're never without it by accident, less *sugar* to worry about. So if you do keep a UMC in the car you need to get a second dedicated one for home.
A UMC should have the 14-50 outlet Ground Fault Protected which raises the price of the 14-50 install by a $100 or so.
If you choose a Wall Connector it only costs a little more than a UMC ($500 vs $275) but the Wall Connector does not need the Ground Fault protection (because it's hardwired) so the difference is a $125. Labor shouldn't be that different (maybe 30 more minutes labor for Wall Connector).
On long range Model 3 the wall connector will charge faster on the 50A circuit than the UMC. I'm not sure about the SR+ though.
Wall Connector is better suited for outside use. Can be tied to another Wall Connector to charge multiple Tesla's and balance the load on a single circuits. It can be dialed into any amperage you want, or might change too in the future. You can take it with you if you move and have an electrician replace it with a 14-50 outlet.
People automatically think "14-50" outlet when they really should think "Wall Connector".
Now if you have some other purpose for the 14-50 outlet that changes things.
Tesla charging options -
Tesla Superchargers are available and primarily designed for long range travel. They provide the ability to cross the country. These are not free (unless you have free Supercharging) and are charged to the Credit Card on your Tesla account. While some think that they are extremely expensive (they are more expensive than home charging) they are relatively cheap when compared to DC Fast chargers that other EVs use. A Supercharger can charge to about 80% in under an hour, new V3 chargers can be even faster.
Due to an early promotion from Tesla to get people to but cars (free Supercharging for life), some Superchargers are located in metropolitan areas (especially SoCal and SanFran) and can be very busy.
So, in general, my recommendation
For J-1772 plug (as well as Tesla) locations, use Plugshare web or app.
For better understanding of how far you can go, get in the car and say "Navigate to New York City" after a few minutes, you should receive the route, each Supercharger that you have to stop at and how long. Once you get rid of some range anxiety, you will realize that this is only a suggestion and that other option are available. Also, remember that this gets you to your destination, you may want to stay a little longer a your last stop to make sure that you have power to get around after arriving.
Tesla Superchargers and Destination chargers are available on the map by touching the lower right corner of the map and when the button appear, hit the charging button.
- HPWC - Hard-wired Wall charger with Tesla connector for car
- UMC - Mobile Connector with available adapters for many plugs. A 14-50 adapter and standard 120V 15A adapters used to be standard, but they are dropping some options. Make sure you have both. The connection to the wall plug is not designed to handle daily plugging and unplugging, that's why I have two, one stays at home, one in the car.
- Tesla Destination Charger - Public chargers, similar to HPWC that are located at many locations, such as hotels and offices.
- J-1772 - The most common EV plug solution. Tesla requires the J-1772 adapter to use. I'd recommend having one, again, Tesla may no longer be including these.
Tesla Superchargers are available and primarily designed for long range travel. They provide the ability to cross the country. These are not free (unless you have free Supercharging) and are charged to the Credit Card on your Tesla account. While some think that they are extremely expensive (they are more expensive than home charging) they are relatively cheap when compared to DC Fast chargers that other EVs use. A Supercharger can charge to about 80% in under an hour, new V3 chargers can be even faster.
Due to an early promotion from Tesla to get people to but cars (free Supercharging for life), some Superchargers are located in metropolitan areas (especially SoCal and SanFran) and can be very busy.
So, in general, my recommendation
- Charge at home. This is an awesome user experience
- Charge at Superchargers when travelling. When combined with breaks, this doesn't necessarily extend trip time when compared to ICE
- Have UMC with NEMA 14-50 and 5-15 adapters in addition to J-1772 adapter when travelling. A number of hotels provide charging options, in addition, the 5-15 adapter can plug in anywhere
- Daily charging at Supercharging ONLY when you don't have L2 charging available at home or work.
For J-1772 plug (as well as Tesla) locations, use Plugshare web or app.
For better understanding of how far you can go, get in the car and say "Navigate to New York City" after a few minutes, you should receive the route, each Supercharger that you have to stop at and how long. Once you get rid of some range anxiety, you will realize that this is only a suggestion and that other option are available. Also, remember that this gets you to your destination, you may want to stay a little longer a your last stop to make sure that you have power to get around after arriving.
Tesla Superchargers and Destination chargers are available on the map by touching the lower right corner of the map and when the button appear, hit the charging button.
Leafdriver333
Somewhat Active Member
An 8 hour online course that provides a certificate upon completion isn't available.
"Certified Tesla Owner"
"Certified Tesla Owner"
Eno Deb
Active Member
Unless you are going to very remote areas, you'll most likely only need Tesla superchargers and destination chargers, and public L2 chargers that require the J1772 adapter (which should still be included with the car AFAIK, otherwise ask for one). If you plan to stay at RV parks, bringing the mobile connector and 14-50 adapter may be useful, and sometimes in a pinch using regular 120V outlets with the included 5-15 adapter may help (although charging is very slow). I don't think you should buy any other adapters right now unless you specifically know a location where you'll use them.
I'd recommend to open an account with Chargepoint (biggest charging network in the US), and perhaps others that may be common in your area, such as Blink, Semaconnect and EVGo (check Plugshare map). Chargers at hotels and retail locations are sometimes free and don't require an account.
BrokerDon
Active Member
Tesla Wall Connector has been our choice for our son's 2019 M3 LR since I found him a brand new Signature Wall Connector on Craigslist for $375 from a Tesla owner who'd received it as a Tesla Referral Reward. Check Craigslist and TMC For Sale for current pricing & availability.
I travel all over a lot with an Model 3 and my wife's Model X. As said get the 14-50 adapter - you car has the J1772 and the 120V included. I also have a NEMA 6-15 to support 220V. Lastly download the Plugshare app as it shows all of the charging networks not just Tesla's. Many of the networks like Chargepoint allow you to have an electronic card on you phone app or e-wallet. In order of usage the networks I use when away from home are Tesla Supercharger, Chargepoint, EVGo, Blink. One last point is to avoid hauling my mobile connecter in and out of my car and then potentially forgetting it when needed on the road (my friend made that mistake last week) I have a wall connector installed at home or an alternate could be a second mobile charger left plugged in at home if that works for your situation
Yeah lots of folks are selling them new for $400-ish. I might even be selling a new referral one myself.
Thank you! I think I understand. One last question: If I get the wall charger (wasn't planning on it because its just a one car garage), do I still need to buy the NEMA 14-50 to use with the wall charger? Without the wall charger i sounds like I need 2 NEMA 14-50s, 5-15 and a heavy duty extension cord. And yes, they should have a dang course! I am super excited for the car for the driving experience, but it seems like there is a lot to learn and the information is a bit hard to digest for people without science and math brains. Hoping it makes more sense when I have the actual car in front of me!
No, the HPWC is generally hard-wired, so you would not need a 2nd 14-50 adapter. Without the wall charger, you would also not need another 14-50 adapter--you'd just need one to go with your mobile connector, unless you're talking to also buy a 2nd mobile connector to leave plugged in (with its own 14-50 adapter) and a 2nd to leave in the car.
Eno Deb
Active Member
No, the wall charger does not require a 14-50 adapter.
IMO it really depends on where you are planning to drive if the wall charger makes sense or not. If you mainly stay near civilization, it is very well possible that you'll never use the mobile connector on the road and hence won't really need a second charging solution at home; then you can just as well save the $500 and use the mobile connector and 14-50 outlet (or even a dryer outlet if there is one in your garage).
Don't worry, it will.
Not really complicated.
Your car comes with a J1772 adapter and a mobile charger. When you get the car open the bag to see what adapters they’ve included. The other adapters you want you can buy in the Tesla store. For private charging networks you need membership, eg, Blink. They typically use J1772. Read websites and locations to determine which are suitable for your needs.
once you have the wall charger in place it will be not different than charging your smartphoneNo, the wall charger does not require a 14-50 adapter.
IMO it really depends on where you are planning to drive if the wall charger makes sense or not. If you mainly stay near civilization, it is very well possible that you'll never use the mobile connector on the road and hence won't really need a second charging solution at home; then you can just as well save the $500 and use the mobile connector and 14-50 outlet (or even a dryer outlet if there is one in your garage).
Don't worry, it will.
I would recommend the Tesla charger with 25' cord for simplicity... one connection .... done.... same process at Supercharger
I have had my MS for over 2 years have yet to use 3rd party charger ... but i suppose this depends on where you live and the SC network
Eno Deb
Active Member
Yes, but it's the same with the Mobile Connector. Just leave it plugged in. I have never used the Mobile Connector away from home and don't even bother to take it with me anymore on most road trips. It's not 2014 anymore, there are plenty of EV chargers out there in most areas, and they are usually far more convenient than hunting for an accessible outlet.
SR+ charges at 32 amps on a 240 volt circuit maximum, which is the maximum that the mobile connector allows.
The Wall Connector allows for higher amps, which is useful for people with Model 3 Long Range, which allows 48 amp 240V charging.
Advantages of using a 50 amp (or 40 amp) socket instead:
1) It's plug-and-play. Should your connector fail, you can replace it yourself rather than needing an electrician to install it.
2) It's a general socket that could be used for something else
Disadvantages:
1) It's a socket, which could have more issues than a hard-wired Wall Connector.
If you go the socket route, I would encourage you to
1) Buy a spare mobile connector (plus another 14-50 adapter if universal) and a 14-50 adapter for your UMC. Always leave that extra connector plugged in so you don't wear the socket by plugging in and uplugging.
For more consistency rather than buying another universal mobile connector (UMC), you could buy a corded mobile connector with a fixed 14-50 plug. It is more expensive than the UMC, but you avoid having the extra connection of the adapter. Corded Mobile Connector You would still want the adapter for your UMC so that if there is a failure you'll still be able to charge while waiting for a replacement.
2) Make sure that the connector's body is supported , and not dangling from the socket, so that it's not putting the cord or socket under strain.
The Wall Connector allows for higher amps, which is useful for people with Model 3 Long Range, which allows 48 amp 240V charging.
Advantages of using a 50 amp (or 40 amp) socket instead:
1) It's plug-and-play. Should your connector fail, you can replace it yourself rather than needing an electrician to install it.
2) It's a general socket that could be used for something else
Disadvantages:
1) It's a socket, which could have more issues than a hard-wired Wall Connector.
If you go the socket route, I would encourage you to
1) Buy a spare mobile connector (plus another 14-50 adapter if universal) and a 14-50 adapter for your UMC. Always leave that extra connector plugged in so you don't wear the socket by plugging in and uplugging.
For more consistency rather than buying another universal mobile connector (UMC), you could buy a corded mobile connector with a fixed 14-50 plug. It is more expensive than the UMC, but you avoid having the extra connection of the adapter. Corded Mobile Connector You would still want the adapter for your UMC so that if there is a failure you'll still be able to charge while waiting for a replacement.
2) Make sure that the connector's body is supported , and not dangling from the socket, so that it's not putting the cord or socket under strain.
Dang it. I was following until you all used the phrase "UMC." Here is what I want to be able to do. Charge at superchargers (I travel a lot), Charge at stations that take the J1772 (and any other super popular plug type I would find in Hilton or Marriot parking garages) and charge from a NEMA 14-50 outlet I am having installed in my garage right next to the right spot on the car (also installing a J hook to hold the cord and I do not want to unplug the cord from the electrical socket daily). So what do I need to buy for that. I understand I need 2 NEMA 14-50 adapters. If I am going to leave one plugged in all the time do I also need 2 UMCs?
UMC = Universal Mobile Connector. This is the charging cable that comes with the car, to which you can attach the various plug adapters (14-50, etc).
Yes, you'd need a 2nd UMC if you want to leave one plugged in at home, as well as 2 14-50 adapters (one to leave at home, one in the car with your 2nd UMC).
Yes, you'd need a 2nd UMC if you want to leave one plugged in at home, as well as 2 14-50 adapters (one to leave at home, one in the car with your 2nd UMC).
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