My name is Ken Laffend. I just ordered a 4wd Tesla S in Berwyn PA. I would like to know how practical 110v volt charging is and what the charging rate is? Thank you.
110v charging
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deonb
Active Member
You get around 3 miles per hour from a normal 15A outlet, and about 4 miles per hour from a 20A outlet.
If it's cold, most of the power will instead by used to warm up the battery, and it can drop to as low as 1 mile/hour.
It's also much more expensive to charge from 110V due to the high losses - generally the cost (< $300) of installing a 240V will pay for itself within a year.
If it's cold, most of the power will instead by used to warm up the battery, and it can drop to as low as 1 mile/hour.
It's also much more expensive to charge from 110V due to the high losses - generally the cost (< $300) of installing a 240V will pay for itself within a year.
110v charging rate is 3 miles of range per hour of charging, so if you drive less then 20 miles a day then you can get by with a 110V, but if you drive 20-100 miles a day then a 240V 40 Amp is preferred, this method charges at 29 miles of range per hour anything over 100 miles a day I would consider a car equipped with dual chargers...
Here is some info Tesla Charging | Tesla Motors
Here is some info Tesla Charging | Tesla Motors
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I love my Model S as much as anyone, but I have to say it's just not practical for 120V to be your primary source of charging. It's just not the same experience. I wouldn't recommend a Tesla unless you can have 240V charging at home, or at the very least at work.
Doug_G
Lead Moderator
I don't recommend it. A friend of mine currently has no access to 240V because of bad timing for a real estate move - he's out of his old house, the new house isn't ready, and he's camping out at a friend's house where there's only 110V available.
His friend happens to live close to his work so he can just barely eke it out if he does NO other driving. He had to visit the dentist the other day and had to come by our charging station for some power.
Trust me, you won't enjoy the car dealing with all that.
His friend happens to live close to his work so he can just barely eke it out if he does NO other driving. He had to visit the dentist the other day and had to come by our charging station for some power.
Trust me, you won't enjoy the car dealing with all that.
purplewalt
Active Member
Hi Ken.
Welcome to the Forum and congratulations on your new car.
You just need to contact three local electricians to get their quotes and upgrade to 240 V, NEMA 14-50 outlet.
Don't be specific about what the outlet is for, as sometimes the electricians may pad their quote (because of perceived affluence).
Cost will be relative to location of outlet from main distribution panel, amount of existing available space on the panel and local electric codes.
When I got my car, I only had a 110 outlet for the 1st three weeks.
I did not drive the car on the weekends just to get a bit of a reserve.
So charging with a 110 V outlet can work in a pinch, but it will make you nuts: having a great car and no really viable method to consistently recharge it.
(And then you won't be able to drive it whenever you want to.)
After my electrician came back from his 4th of July weekend, our schedules finally coincided, the 240 V outlet was installed and it has been happy (home) charging ever since.
Welcome to the Forum and congratulations on your new car.
You just need to contact three local electricians to get their quotes and upgrade to 240 V, NEMA 14-50 outlet.
Don't be specific about what the outlet is for, as sometimes the electricians may pad their quote (because of perceived affluence).
Cost will be relative to location of outlet from main distribution panel, amount of existing available space on the panel and local electric codes.
When I got my car, I only had a 110 outlet for the 1st three weeks.
I did not drive the car on the weekends just to get a bit of a reserve.
So charging with a 110 V outlet can work in a pinch, but it will make you nuts: having a great car and no really viable method to consistently recharge it.
(And then you won't be able to drive it whenever you want to.)
After my electrician came back from his 4th of July weekend, our schedules finally coincided, the 240 V outlet was installed and it has been happy (home) charging ever since.
Hey, OP! I see that there is a couple of HPWCs in/near your town. One is at a Service Center, so you might have to call ahead to use it. There's also a plugshare user with an HPWC that you may be able to borrow from time to time. Looks like you're near The King of Prussia Mall as well. There's a Tesla store there which will surely have some HPWCs and 14-50s you can use. If you combined your 110v home charging with occasional trips to these HPWCs you would be fine.
PlugShare - EV Charging Station Map - Find a place to charge your car! >> great website for assessing your local charging options.
I agree with other posters who say you should *really* try to find a way to upgrade your home charging to something better tho, since you're lucky enough to have home charging to begin with.
As for me, I have no home charging at ALL, but I occasionally visit some local HPWCs and get some work done while it charges, or I visit a Supercharger once in a while. Anyway, it works for me, and I've had no problems of running low on charge in 6 months. 110v isn't a death sentence if you have some local HPWCs you can use.
PlugShare - EV Charging Station Map - Find a place to charge your car! >> great website for assessing your local charging options.
I agree with other posters who say you should *really* try to find a way to upgrade your home charging to something better tho, since you're lucky enough to have home charging to begin with.
As for me, I have no home charging at ALL, but I occasionally visit some local HPWCs and get some work done while it charges, or I visit a Supercharger once in a while. Anyway, it works for me, and I've had no problems of running low on charge in 6 months. 110v isn't a death sentence if you have some local HPWCs you can use.
Electric700
Active Member
Great advice. 120 V should be fine if you have access to a Supercharger or Tesla Wall Connector, or if you drive less than about 40 miles daily. Once the battery is warm enough, or if you start charging immediately after driving, I've seen people get 4 miles/hour on 120 V even in colder weather. If you charge for 12 hours overnight, that's 48 miles of added range.
Consider getting the dual chargers just in case, so you can charge at twice the rate with a Tesla Wall Connector.
Also, welcome to the forum Klaffend!
Ken
1. welcome to this forum
2. congrats on your order
3. all previous respondents make very good points
4. i would deploy a 5-20 120v receptacle (approx 5 miles/hr charge rate) as a minimum if you you are restricted to 120v
update:
Ken & paulw
btw, y'all might consider procuring ALL the Tesla UMC adapters (including the now discontinued 6-50 and 14-30) asap as they are unfortunately disappearing quickly
1. welcome to this forum
2. congrats on your order
3. all previous respondents make very good points
4. i would deploy a 5-20 120v receptacle (approx 5 miles/hr charge rate) as a minimum if you you are restricted to 120v
update:
Ken & paulw
btw, y'all might consider procuring ALL the Tesla UMC adapters (including the now discontinued 6-50 and 14-30) asap as they are unfortunately disappearing quickly
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For daily commuting in my Leaf I do 20-40 miles and up to 75 miles on the weekend and I have gotten by just fine charging on 110v even though I use a charge timer and don't start charging until 9pm. My wife and I also own hybrid that we can take on longer trips.
That being said I have an S85D that will be arriving in late march and hope to have a 240v line installed in the garage by then as I hope to use it as our primary vehicle.
That being said I have an S85D that will be arriving in late march and hope to have a 240v line installed in the garage by then as I hope to use it as our primary vehicle.
It may be possible as some here have said, but it's not going to be pleasant. Think about if you really want to be mooching off the service center and store HPWCs frequently. Once in a while for a special circumstance or if you are traveling is expected, but not as your regular source of level 2 charging.
deonb
Active Member
Good idea about not being specific. I was showing the UMC to my electrician and after that he insisted that he'll only install a 40A breaker because the UMC is only rated at 40A.
To get a 50A breaker I had to sign a release, and he didn't want to have his name on the permit or inspection. So I instead had him just install the 40A breaker, then swapped it out to 50A myself before the inspector arrived. (6 AWG wiring).
If I just told the electrician from the beginning that this was for a dryer it would have saved a lot of pain and frustration.
I would not trust an electrician who thinks a 40Amp breaker is good for a 40Amp continuos load to do any part of the installation. If he is licensed, I would report him to the licensing board.
Thanks for all the input. It sounds right and I will install an outlet there as well as 75 miles away in OCNJ. Right now some longer trips like 250 miles to syracuse seem unlikely. There is a supercharger in Binghamton at a Hotel but it says you have to stay there to use it. If I would try to go there, I'd call the hotel and try to work something out. I'm new this forum and am still figuring out how to navigate.
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Thanks for all the input. It sounds right and I will install an outlet there as well as 75 miles away in OCNJ. Right now some longer trips like 250 miles to syracuse seem unlikely. There is a supercharger in Binghamton at a Hotel but it says you have to stay there to use it. If I would try to go there, I'd call the hotel and try to work something out. I'm new this forum and am still figuring out how to navigate.
- - - Updated - - -
Thanks for all the input. It sounds right and I will install an outlet there as well as 75 miles away in OCNJ. Right now some longer trips like 250 miles to syracuse seem unlikely. There is a supercharger in Binghamton at a Hotel but it says you have to stay there to use it. If I would try to go there, I'd call the hotel and try to work something out. I'm new this forum and am still figuring out how to navigate.
That's not a supercharger, that's a HPWC. Unless your car has dual chargers, it will give the same 29 miles or range per hour that you would get at home with a 14-50. HPWCs are installed by hotels, etc. to attract Tesla driving guests. Superchargers are free and have no relationship to a hotel or other business except Tesla uses or rents space in the parking lot. You really should go to the charging section of the Tesla web site to read all you can about the various forms of charging, then come back here and ask questions.
mknox
Well-Known Member
...in moderate temperatures. In the cold of winter, you can actually lose range since the pack heaters use more than what a 15 or 20 amp, 120 volt outlet can provide.
Just be advised that the phantom draw on the Tesla will be significant (compared to a Leaf which is essentially zero). My Leaf commute is so short that I can make it one way, and maybe even round trip, on the phantom draw of a Tesla in the winter. I've done 150 mi in two days in the Leaf using L1, but it was in the summer and is not practical below about 50 F.
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