Intro and question

[SonorousAria]

Hello all! I’m new here. I’m taking delivery of a 2014 P85 on Monday. I have some questions about charging for those on here. I live about 10 min from a supercharger, and by my calculations, it would cost me about the same to charge there as it would at home. I’m going to try to think of it as a gas station and use it as such for as long as possible. That being said, the convince of a home charger will probably make that the way I go before too long (especially since the car I’m getting has dual chargers). That may end up having to wait because I will have to upgrade my electrical panel for the charger as it’s already at capacity.


That being said, I’m curious about she different generations of wall connectors. What’s the difference between Gen1, Gen2, and Gen2 Signature? Is Gen2 the current generation on the Tesla site?


Thank you all!!!

 

[f205v]

Gen2 is the current one.
Signature is just aesthetics, nothing changes inside.

 

[dgpcolorado]

Even if your car has dual chargers there is no particular reason you need to install a high current (80/100 amp) wall charger at home. A 50 amp circuit may suffice for home charging because you will be at home for the several hours it will take to charge. The real advantage of dual chargers is when using destination charging on the road.

The reason I mention this is because you may be able to fit a 50 amp (or even a 30 amp) circuit in your panel more easily than a 100 amp circuit. If you install a 14-50 outlet you can just use the mobile charge cable that comes with the car.

If your panel is full because there is no room for additional breakers, you may be able to switch some of them to half size breakers. If your panel is full because you are already using much of the overall capacity, that would be time for a service upgrade, which could be expensive. Nevertheless, you might find it easier to add a 50 amp circuit than a 100 amp circuit. An electrician can do a load analysis for you.

Electric car charging is a long steady load, unlike many other household uses, so it requires circuits and wiring in good condition for safety.

If you have any questions about setting up home charging, this is a good place to ask them:

FAQ: Home Tesla charging infrastructure Q&A

 

[JonathanD]

I'd strongly suggest having the electrical work done for home charging. One of the best things about owning this car is getting home, plugging in, and not ever having to worry about it.

 

[ewoodrick]

While you can indeed always charge at Supercharger, charging at home is a significantly better experience.
I don't ever think about charging, except for road tripping.

 

[KyleDay]

Yes, get home charging. Supercharging is for when you're on the road. It's inconvenient otherwise.

 

[maximizese]

Everyone has different situations. There are some who drive 40K+ miles road-tripping and others have short daily commutes putting on less than 100 miles a week. The Supercharging network was intended for long distance drivers and not for local daily drivers; however, many Tesla owners do not have charging capabilities at their homes or work place...something that will hopefully change in the next few years.

Generally most folks prefer to charge at work or at home when the car is going to sit for 4-14 hrs. Many people find that charging at 4kW-9.4kW (can be done on a 50A line) per hour is plenty. The other thing is that waiting at a Supercharger gets very old. You have no better options when you're on the road, and many Supercharger stops have sights to see, places to eat, and much coveted restrooms. I've never needed to charge above 40A at home; though there are times when a visit the local Supercharger is helpful:

1) The nights when someone forgets to plug the car in.
2) The day before a road trip to make sure it's charging properly.
3) When your city is replacing the sidewalks and you lose access to your driveway.

 

[tranzndance]

Right now, you think that going to a gas station is an acceptable and regular routine. Then, once you don't have to go somewhere to "refuel" your car, you will appreciate not going out of your way for non-road-trip charging. If you have a mobile phone, isn't it nice to plug it in before you go to sleep and have it ready in the morning, instead of going outside of your home to charge it?

Hello all! I’m new here. I’m taking delivery of a 2014 P85 on Monday. I have some questions about charging for those on here. I live about 10 min from a supercharger, and by my calculations, it would cost me about the same to charge there as it would at home. I’m going to try to think of it as a gas station and use it as such for as long as possible. That being said, the convince of a home charger will probably make that the way I go before too long (especially since the car I’m getting has dual chargers). That may end up having to wait because I will have to upgrade my electrical panel for the charger as it’s already at capacity.


That being said, I’m curious about she different generations of wall connectors. What’s the difference between Gen1, Gen2, and Gen2 Signature? Is Gen2 the current generation on the Tesla site?


Thank you all!!!

 

[bmah]

Hello all! I’m new here. I’m taking delivery of a 2014 P85 on Monday. I have some questions about charging for those on here. I live about 10 min from a supercharger, and by my calculations, it would cost me about the same to charge there as it would at home. I’m going to try to think of it as a gas station and use it as such for as long as possible.

Congratulations on the P85! Noting the 2014 build date...is yours one of the few with Autopilot?

I don't have a lot to add what other people have said about charging, except that the difference between a gas station and a Supercharger is that you'd usually in and out of the gas station in 5-10 minutes or so...Supercharging even under the best of circumstances isn't that fast. If you can make it work, home charging is wonderful. I've home charged (except for road trips) since 2015. For a week earlier this year I couldn't charge at home and had to rely on a local Supercharger...I hated the experience.

You're located in California...note that on TMC we have a thread for every Supercharger so you can look it up to see if there's anything notable, such as how busy it is (some crowded Superchargers in SoCal or the Bay Area have lines at certain times).

Bruce.

 

[ucmndd]

Wait in the ridiculous line at the Rancho Cucamonga supercharger once or twice and you’ll very quickly prioritize home charging. Get it done! Your ownership experience will be unquestionably better.

 

[Alysashley79]

I had a loaner last week and I packed my UMC with my car when it went into service. So I had no choice but to supercharge. I spent 40 at the supercharger because I didn’t want to be a jerk and bring it back with barely a charge. (That was from 20% to 80% on a 70D). Then I pick up my car which is also in need of a charge to get home. Another 20 minutes at the supercharger. While it may work out to about the same cost for the juice. What about your time spent daily at the chargers.

 

[jorobsand]

I spent 40 at the supercharger because I didn’t want to be a jerk and bring it back with barely a charge.

Some of the service centers have their own non-public supercharger. Can't speak for all of them but I know my local one does. Might be worth it to check to see if they do so that you don't have to "waste" your time in the future.

 

[Sig72]

Even if your car has dual chargers there is no particular reason you need to install a high current (80/100 amp) wall charger at home. A 50 amp circuit may suffice for home charging because you will be at home for the several hours it will take to charge. The real advantage of dual chargers is when using destination charging on the road.

The reason I mention this is because you may be able to fit a 50 amp (or even a 30 amp) circuit in your panel more easily than a 100 amp circuit. If you install a 14-50 outlet you can just use the mobile charge cable that comes with the car.

If your panel is full because there is no room for additional breakers, you may be able to switch some of them to half size breakers. If your panel is full because you are already using much of the overall capacity, that would be time for a service upgrade, which could be expensive. Nevertheless, you might find it easier to add a 50 amp circuit than a 100 amp circuit. An electrician can do a load analysis for you.

Electric car charging is a long steady load, unlike many other household uses, so it requires circuits and wiring in good condition for safety.

If you have any questions about setting up home charging, this is a good place to ask them:

FAQ: Home Tesla charging infrastructure Q&A

^^^ This. This advice is on point. I have a Sig car with dual chargers and it's useful at destination chargers i.e. wineries, hotels, etc... At home 40a is super useful. Even 30a would probably be fine, unless you're driving 200+ miles EVERY day

 

[ScBlack]

Hello everyone, I just picked up my 2019 Model S yesterday (Aug 17). Picked up one of their demo models with about 1,000 miles that was already loaded with FSD. First time Tesla owner and first time EV owner as well. Looking forward to reading many of the tips, tricks and opinions on this forum.

The above comment on home charging; I have the free unlimited charging so I do not see the need to pay to have a 240 line installed for a charger. Plus my supercharging station is right down the street from me (4S Ranch, San Diego) and in the same parking lot of my satellite office (AKA Chick-Fil-A). I work from home, or where ever I decide to sit (even in my car). What would be the benefit to me to have a home charger then?

 

[Silicon Desert]

Yes, get home charging. Supercharging is for when you're on the road. It's inconvenient otherwise.

It seems pretty convenient for us to supercharge at the hotel while the wife and I are eating about 5,000 crab legs at the buffet. But yea, we mostly charge at home when not on a road trip.

Oh and welcome newbies.

 

[Silicon Desert]

Wait in the ridiculous line at the Rancho Cucamonga supercharger once or twice and you’ll very quickly prioritize home charging. Get it done! Your ownership experience will be unquestionably better.

Amen on that. And it wasn't that long ago when I could go there and find it to be practically empty. Now a Zoo;, and people try to convince me that the wait has nothing to do with model 3s on the road when I see half the stalls filled with them. I'm not blaming model 3s for this. SCs need to go in at a faster rate in densely used areas.

 

[SonorousAria]

Congratulations on the P85! Noting the 2014 build date...is yours one of the few with Autopilot?

Yes, that’s one of the things I was waiting for to find.

 

[SonorousAria]

Thank you all for the replies. I think I may have been grossly underestimating the cost to charge at a supercharger. I guess I’ll find out tomorrow when I road trip my car home from Fremont!

 

[jdw]

I have the free unlimited charging so I do not see the need to pay to have a 240 line installed for a charger. Plus my supercharging station is right down the street from me (4S Ranch, San Diego) and in the same parking lot of my satellite office (AKA Chick-Fil-A). I work from home, or where ever I decide to sit (even in my car). What would be the benefit to me to have a home charger then?

Two main points, first, don't underestimate the convenience of having your car ready to go at home or the time sitting/waiting at a SuperCharger. Second, SuperCharging is much harder on the battery than home charging. You may have a lease and don't care, but if it were my car, I certainly would not SuperCharge daily or even exclusively.

 

[brucet999]

Thank you all for the replies. I think I may have been grossly underestimating the cost to charge at a supercharger. I guess I’ll find out tomorrow when I road trip my car home from Fremont!

Living in Alta Loma, you know how hot it is at the Rancho Cucamonga SC. Spending 30 to 40 minutes at the SC every few days is an uncomfortable waste of time when you could plug in at home and charge overnight.

Is your house one of those with an electric dryer plug in the garage? If so, you already have a 240V 30A outlet that can charge your car from a low SOC in about 8 hours overnight, when SCE rates are lowest - about 12 cents per kWh. If not in the garage already, you may have a dryer outlet near enough that the circuit can be extended there fairly easily.

When considering home charging, check out converting to time-of-use metering. TOU rates are very low from 10pm to 8am and on weekends, making the cost less than half of what Tesla SC rates are.