2014 Bought from a dealer. Best way to charge?

[Electricmike]

Hi
I have a 2014 model S 85 coming in a day or two I bought from a dealer. The dealer said it doesn’t have FUSC anymore. Couple of questions. I have an electrician installing a 50 amp outlet in my garage but what about charging outside the gone when needed? What is the best app to find superchargers? Is it better to use the free EV chargers or to just use a supercharger when I am out and need a charge? Any charging advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Krash]

The car will find superchargers for you, and some Tesla destination chargers by pressing on the right side of the map on the charge icon.

Plugshare is my go to for apps, but it is not exact. You may want to try several. I also keep cards from the most popular EV stations just in case I were to lose or break my phone and don't have its NFC chip to authenticate.

Make sure your car has the J1772 adapter in it to charge from generic EV stations on slower AC. The CHADEMO DC adapter is several hundred dollars. You don't see those stations very often. CCS is the new faster (DC) standard but Tesla doesn't configure US cars for a CCS adapter yet. A couple times I have wished for a CHADEMO adapter just because I found a great parking spot at a charger
requires one.

Out west I keep my mobile charger in the car when I road trip with a set if common AC plugs for RV parks and dryers. That has saved me from being stranded more than once.

Supercharging is always going to be faster. Picking a charge location will always be a cost and convenience trade-off.

 

[beatle]

All good advice here. I also use Plugshare, and it works pretty well. I even used it to find a private charger in Blacksburg while in town for a football game. I messaged him about using his charger for a few hours and he obliged. NIce Leaf owner! I've also used it to find destination chargers when heading across states. Some bed and breakfasts have Tesla chargers, and they often appear on Plugshare.

Planning your longer trips will all but eliminate needing to find a random charger. I use abetterrouteplanner.com (ABRP) which is pretty slick and customizable for your car and conditions. When out and about, I'll sometimes charge at a free public charger if there is one available, but they aren't crucial to getting around - just a way to save a few bucks. Supercharging is the key to longer trips.