Basic question ... about to get Model 3 and have no place yet to charge it.

[jonquiljo]

All I have is 110 in the garage. Electricians around here are as hard to get as Teslas! So it could be a couple of weeks or more. This house is wired under 2016 California Title 24 (from remodel), so it may be a pain with permits, etc.

I live a bit of a drive from SCs (though they are building some very close by). The closest fast chargers are EVGO at the local Whole Foods. I've seen Teslas there, but I don't know of the adapters.

Are there other networks to look for?

What do I need for a "fast charge" EVGO station (some are Level 2)?

What cords/cables come with the car? Even the 110 in my garage is about 20 feet away. Thanks.

 

[Remonster]

All I have is 110 in the garage. Electricians around here are as hard to get as Teslas! So it could be a couple of weeks or more. This house is wired under 2016 California Title 24 (from remodel), so it may be a pain with permits, etc.

I live a bit of a drive from SCs (though they are building some very close by). The closest fast chargers are EVGO at the local Whole Foods. I've seen Teslas there, but I don't know of the adapters.

Are there other networks to look for?

What do I need for a "fast charge" EVGO station (some are Level 2)?

What cords/cables come with the car? Even the 110 in my garage is about 20 feet away. Thanks.

Although 110 is certainly not the best, you may find it's sufficient for your daily commute.

EVGO uses CHAdeMO I think, and the problem right right now with CHAdeMO is simply getting the adapter, and they're pretty pricey @ $450. They're constantly out of stock on Tesla's website.
CHAdeMO Adapter

Look for Tesla Destination Chargers nearby, which are solid Level 2 charger. Usually 40AMP at 220V or more. I use ChargePoint for my 3rd party charging, they're popular in CA.

This is the charging adapter you're provided with your car, along with a Nema 14-50 220v wall plug along with the Nema 5-15:
Gen 2 Mobile Connector Bundle
It has a 20ft cable.

 

[JD M3]

How many miles do you commute on a daily basis? If not a lot then the 110V charger may be sufficient. We actually bought a level 2 charger to install but then realized we didn't need it. My daily commute is 12 miles round trip. At 110V the car charges at about 5mi/hr. So one overnight charge provides enough miles for the entire week. As long as your commute is under 60-70 miles each day you should be able to recharge those miles each night on 110. The car comes with a 110wall charger. I'm not sure of the length though, 110 might be a little too long. If you don't need level 2 charging you could probably have an electrician wire a 110 outlet closer to your car pretty easily.

If you travel a lot each day and need level 2 charging, the cars come with an adapter so you can use public charging. There are also apps such as plugshare that help you find public charging stations across many different charging networks.

 

[Kevy Baby]

A 120v outlet worked fine for me for the first three weeks of ownership. my commute is about 44 miles R/T + a couple of miles when I went out to lunch. 120v charging gives you 5-7 MPH charging (for me it was never less than 6 MPH), so assuming you can get 10 hours of charging each night, that is at least 50 miles. Though there were a couple of nervous days for me, I never had to hit a Supercharger (or any L2 charging).

ETA: since you may be right at the limit of the length of the included charging cord, I would see what you can do to make minor adjustments to avoid using an extension cord. However, if it can't be avoided, make sure it is a new (or very good condition) grounded cord, and I would recommend at least 12 AWG cable, though 14 AWG may be okay it it is only a 10 foot extension. But don't let an extension be your permanent solution!

 

[PACEMD]

How much do you drive? A 15 amp 120v circuit will charge at 5 mph and a 20 amp 120v circuit at 6 mph in warm weather, slower in the cold. I charge at 15 amp 120v at home which is fine for my needs but wouldn't work if you drive more than 50 miles/day and/or are home less than 10/12 hr/day. Modern circuits/wiring are/is 120v/240v, by the way. There are older 110v/220v circuits still around.

 

[PACEMD]

The included charger length with my P3D- is 20'...........I have adaptors for 15 and 20 amp 120v.........the 15 amp adaptor was included, the 20 amp I had to buy from Tesla for $35........

 

[jonquiljo]

Although 110 is certainly not the best, you may find it's sufficient for your daily commute.

EVGO uses CHAdeMO I think, and the problem right right now with CHAdeMO is simply getting the adapter, and they're pretty pricey @ $450. They're constantly out of stock on Tesla's website.
CHAdeMO Adapter

Look for Tesla Destination Chargers nearby, which are solid Level 2 charger. Usually 40AMP at 220V or more. I use ChargePoint for my 3rd party charging, they're popular in CA.

This is the charging adapter you're provided with your car, along with a Nema 14-50 220v wall plug along with the Nema 5-15:
Gen 2 Mobile Connector Bundle
It has a 20ft cable.

Thanks. A few stations near me have a SAE J1772 outlet. In fact some of the EVGo's have them. Is the Tesla compatible with that?

 

[PACEMD]

Yes. The Model 3 comes with a J1772 adaptor.

 

[Sophias_dad]

A J1772 adapter comes with the 3 as well.

 

[jonquiljo]

How many miles do you commute on a daily basis? If not a lot then the 110V charger may be sufficient. We actually bought a level 2 charger to install but then realized we didn't need it. My daily commute is 12 miles round trip. At 110V the car charges at about 5mi/hr. So one overnight charge provides enough miles for the entire week. As long as your commute is under 60-70 miles each day you should be able to recharge those miles each night on 110. The car comes with a 110wall charger. I'm not sure of the length though, 110 might be a little too long. If you don't need level 2 charging you could probably have an electrician wire a 110 outlet closer to your car pretty easily.

If you travel a lot each day and need level 2 charging, the cars come with an adapter so you can use public charging. There are also apps such as plugshare that help you find public charging stations across many different charging networks.

A 120v outlet worked fine for me for the first three weeks of ownership. my commute is about 44 miles R/T + a couple of miles when I went out to lunch. 120v charging gives you 5-7 MPH charging (for me it was never less than 6 MPH), so assuming you can get 10 hours of charging each night, that is at least 50 miles. Though there were a couple of nervous days for me, I never had to hit a Supercharger (or any L2 charging).

ETA: since you may be right at the limit of the length of the included charging cord, I would see what you can do to make minor adjustments to avoid using an extension cord. However, if it can't be avoided, make sure it is a new (or very good condition) grounded cord, and I would recommend at least 12 AWG cable, though 14 AWG may be okay it it is only a 10 foot extension. But don't let an extension be your permanent solution!

Oh. Well, I don't commute. I work from home! I thought 110V gave 2-3 MPH charging. If it's 5 - then I can get a lot of charging done at 110V. Is it really as high as 5MPH??? Thanks.

 

[Sophias_dad]

Oh. Well, I don't commute. I work from home! I thought 110V gave 2-3 MPH charging. If it's 5 - then I can get a lot of charging done at 110V. Is it really as high as 5MPH??? Thanks.

I was surprised to see 5mi/hr on my 120V/15 amp outlet in my 25 degree garage a few hours ago for a test. I suspect it was really rounding up from 4.5, but it still doesn't suck.

If that 120V outlet in the garage is on a 20 amp circuit/wire, you can get even more out of it.

 

[P3dStealth]

I actually don't have my nema 14-50 outlet installed yet in my garage and I have realized I don't need it. The youtubers were wrong. They were all claiming the car wont charge on a normal outlet if its too cold because it heats the battery and I've found it does. Below freezing today and its already full for tomorrows commute. I drive 25miles round trip.

I will eventually get the outlet in my garage though just in case i guess.

 

[Kevy Baby]

Oh. Well, I don't commute. I work from home! I thought 110V gave 2-3 MPH charging. If it's 5 - then I can get a lot of charging done at 110V. Is it really as high as 5MPH??? Thanks.

I get 6-7 MPH consistently.

I would verify that the J1772 still comes with the car. I mention this only because it is not listed as part of the Gen 2 Mobile Connector Bundle that "...comes standard with purchase of any Tesla vehicle." I know I received one with my M3 back in August, but they constantly change what comes with the car, so it bears confirmation in writing from Tesla.

 

[PACEMD]

Right, a 20 amp circuit gives you an extra boost. I have had reliable charging above 20 degrees f, from 20 to 0 it slows a bit. I have yet to try below 0 charging, but soon.........when it gets to -25 or so here all bets are off........

 

[jonquiljo]

I was surprised to see 5mi/hr on my 120V/15 amp outlet in my 25 degree garage a few hours ago for a test. I suspect it was really rounding up from 4.5, but it still doesn't suck.

If that 120V outlet in the garage is on a 20 amp circuit/wire, you can get even more out of it.

No 20A, but at 4.5/hr - that doesn't suck at all. I'm in the SF Bay Area, so it can get as low as mid to upper 30's at night, but the garage will be 45 at worst! And that is not common.

I actually don't have my nema 14-50 outlet installed yet in my garage and I have realized I don't need it. The youtubers were wrong. They were all claiming the car wont charge on a normal outlet if its too cold because it heats the battery and I've found it does. Below freezing today and its already full for tomorrows commute. I drive 25miles round trip.

I will eventually get the outlet in my garage though just in case i guess.

Not below freezing here. I don't drive that much. I do drive about 120mi round trip for certain medical appointments - but I could get that back in a couple of days. In general it's hard to drive far around here as there is so much traffic.

I think I will get an outlet eventually anyway. The main box is right on the outside of the garage wall. Easy access. The only problem is when they remodeled they converted from a single main box to main with sub in the house itself. I think code forced them to do it. But, as a result, I think there are a lot of unused breakers in the main box. It may take a while sorting them out.

This California Title 24 code is nonsense. 3 years ago we remodeled and had to convert most lights to fixed-LED. It's nice light - all lights are LED, but cost too much! I hope the county doesn't go nuts about putting a 220V in the garage. There are too many rules!

I get 6-7 MPH consistently.

I would verify that the J1772 still comes with the car. I mention this only because it is not listed as part of the Gen 2 Mobile Connector Bundle that "...comes standard with purchase of any Tesla vehicle." I know I received one with my M3 back in August, but they constantly change what comes with the car, so it bears confirmation in writing from Tesla.

Tesla store is out of J1772. Either that means that they distribute them in cars, or everyone wants them because they don't distribute them in cars. eBay has some, but no point in buying one until I find out.

This is all ironic in that Tesla has a 20 stall supercharging station being completed about 3 miles away from here. It could be 3 days, 3 months, or 3 years. I don't know why they are taking so long.

Thanks.

 

[jjrandorin]

The only consideration you might want to check for the charging in the garage is, is the circuit a dedicated one?

 

[jonquiljo]

The only consideration you might want to check for the charging in the garage is, is the circuit a dedicated one?

Oops. Nope. I think the garage has outlets all on a single circuit. Seems stupid as many people use garage outlets for lots of things. I use one for a 2nd refrigerator.

Will the Tesla still charge on it? Even a little bit?

 

[Kevy Baby]

Tesla store is out of J1772. Either that means that they distribute them in cars, or everyone wants them because they don't distribute them in cars. eBay has some, but no point in buying one until I find out.

The Tesla site doesn't show them out of stock: I was even able to add it to my shopping cart (I wanted to make sure!).

Regardless, check with your sales adviser about whether it is included. No sense in spending unnecessary money

 

[jonquiljo]

Oops. Nope. I think the garage has outlets all on a single circuit. Seems stupid as many people use garage outlets for lots of things. I use one for a 2nd refrigerator.

Will the Tesla still charge on it? Even a little bit?

Frankly I can't tell about my garage as there have been so any electricians messing with things that everything is now mislabeled. I'll have to get an electrician ASAP.

My car was assigned today - and it is in SF already - where I will pick it up. I'm assuming they will want me to pick it up ASAP as it's at the delivery center. I better not have the electrician conflict with my getting the car. I won't leave anyone working in the house alone.

 

[MichaelP90DL]

If you've got a 240-volt dryer outlet nearby, you can plug into that. Tesla sells the adapter, and if you need an extension cable, you can find those on Amazon (30 amp limit).