Getting my Tesla today- I have an outdoor 120 line/ plug but it's not quite reachable to where I'll park and will need an extension by 10 feet or so. Can I just use those normal orange extension cords from Home Depot or do I need a special one that is meant for EV/ Tesla charging.
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Extension cord
- Thread starter MikeR55
- Start date
Puddles
Member
Congrats! You can certainly try, it won't hurt anything. It probably checks for a voltage drop, and may protest. If you use a beefy cord, it should be indistinguishable from wall wiring though. Do you have a short 14 gauge extension cord? (Most people don't... 14 is definitely contractor grade).
I would go for a 12 gauge extension - never hurts to be over. Time and plugging ages those things. Just a couple of dollars more.
Side note.... If you can leave the extension plugged into outlet, it will extend wear on the plug. (That was an issue when first Tesla's came out - especially with the 240v Dryer outlets which were not meant to be plug/unplugged frequently.
Side note.... If you can leave the extension plugged into outlet, it will extend wear on the plug. (That was an issue when first Tesla's came out - especially with the 240v Dryer outlets which were not meant to be plug/unplugged frequently.
daveymcgav
Member
I noticed the standard orange extension cable was heating up more than I liked when charging, so I bought a heavy duty 10 gauge extension cable (linked below; not a referral). Much better heat and safety-wise 
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009IAXSW
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009IAXSW
CharleyBC
Active Member
Absolutely. Use 12-gauge or heavier. The vague term "normal orange extension cord" makes me nervous. We have several of those normal cords for power tools and such. None of them is heavy enough for charging the car. I bought this guy (https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IN11IJ4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1) and it has been fine the few times we've needed it. Someone above recommended 10-gauge--there's no harm in having more than the minimum!
Use of an extension cord that isn't of sufficient gauge is an absolute fire hazard, and definitely not worth it to literally save a few dollars.
Good summary here.
Easy rules are:
1. Keep it as short as possible.
2. Try not to coil it.
3. Go with a heavier gauge (lower number).
Good summary here.
Easy rules are:
1. Keep it as short as possible.
2. Try not to coil it.
3. Go with a heavier gauge (lower number).
Totally realize that but I don't have a choice I do not own the house. I am just renting. But I work from home so that should be fine.
You'll be fine with a short extension cord. But man, that 120V charging is sloooow.
Yeah 2 days for a full charge. Gonna be an adventure. I was deciding between AWD and SR+ and unfortunately SR+ is the only thing that came in.
GPinzone
Member
No, but you can charge the car there for free assuming they are not in use. BTW, do not assume the car will be fully charged. Mine wasn't!
EDIT: BTW, there may be Federal and State tax credits to installing an EV charger or 240V outlet for electric vehicle charging. The state forms may be hard to find. TurboTax didn't include it. I had to fill it out manually and append it.
XLR82XS
D M C
I know it's not 110 - but I use this with my 240 charging at home and it works perfectly. ZERO heat, great quality.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0024ECIP0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0024ECIP0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
You may want to look into free public chargers. I found one nearby via: WattStation™ Connect You don't need an account to use the station. It seems to charge about 2x-3x the rate of a standard 120V outlet, but nowhere near as fast as a Tesla Wall Charger. Still, for free, it's better than using the outlet at your house.
So a 240V outlet is about $250-350 installed. We rent and I had one out in because there was space in the panel for the 50Amp breaker and it’s just a dryer outlet in the end so I don’t think the rental company cares about that, it’s not a huge hole I’m leaving when we end the lease. Check into it with a local electrician. If you want it permitted via the local gov’t that can add $300+ to the total fyi (and not necessary)
If your rental has utilities included, make sure your landlord knows your are plugging in an EV. He/she will noticed it on the bill next month anyway.
brucet999
Active Member
Or if they have a rule against charging an EV on their power, tell them the increase is due to your marijuana grow lights.
Dan203
Active Member
110 is going to be slow. If it's on a dedicated 20amp circuit pulling max amps (16 using 80% rule) you'd get maybe 6 miles per hour of range. (and you have to buy the 20amp pigtail from Tesla) If it's only 15amps (12 using 80%), which is the pigtail they provide, you only get 3-4 miles per hour. And if it's a shared circuit you're going to have to turn that down even more or you'll constantly pop the breaker.
So basically this setup is only going to work if you have a very short daily commute and you car spends every minute it's at home plugged in.
By contrast if you get a 220v NMEA 14-50 outlet installed (32 amp max, due to Tesla cord) you'll get about 30 miles per hour of range. And if you get an actual Tesla wall charger you can get 44 miles per hour on a 60 amp breaker.
So basically this setup is only going to work if you have a very short daily commute and you car spends every minute it's at home plugged in.
By contrast if you get a 220v NMEA 14-50 outlet installed (32 amp max, due to Tesla cord) you'll get about 30 miles per hour of range. And if you get an actual Tesla wall charger you can get 44 miles per hour on a 60 amp breaker.
