Looking at Teslas: Charging at Home Options

[Buster1]

I've done a few searches and found some ingenious home charging options.

But what do most folks do for home charging at night? Basic extension cord 110V, or do you need an electrician to wire up a 220V outlet in the garage?

What are most folks doing, and what comes with the car for home charging?
Thanks!

Buster

 

[Dwdnjck]

First thing you do, if you have a gas clothes dryer, is to check and see if you have an unused 220 plug. If you do,have it moved. A 110 can work depending on how much you drive, especially in consecutive days

 

[Buster1]

Thanks. Nope, we have an electric dryer so that outlet is being used.
My breaker box is outside of my garage, so conceivably an electricial could wire up a new 220V? Maybe?? Are folks doing that?

 

[Az_Rael]

A basic 110 plug can be used if you drive ~40 miles a day or less. But I think most people end up putting in a 220V connection of some sort (be it a NEMA 14-50 plug, a Tesla Wall Charger or a 3rd party J1772 charger)

 

[cmorgan]

I'd recommend installing a HPWC on a 60A circuit (so you can charge at 48A). If you have the higher current charger option you could go bigger but if you mostly charge overnight its ok to add 35 miles per hour of charge.

I keep the UMC in the trunk for use when charging remotely and not using superchargers.

 

[mikeash]

A 240V outlet is best. That will fill up the car overnight and you won't have to worry. If your breaker box is nearby, any licensed electrician should be able to install a NEMA 14-50 outlet (best for a Tesla) for a few hundred dollars at most.

120V will work fine as long as you don't drive a huge amount. You'll add 40-50 miles of range overnight. If your driving averages less than that, then you're all set. However, it could be problematic if you come back from a big trip and need to do a lot of driving the next morning. It's also less efficient, as there's overhead to charging that really eats into the small amount of power you get at 120V.

 

[TexasEV]

I'd recommend first reading the Tesla charging page:
Tesla Charging | Tesla
and then decide if you want to install a 240V 50A outlet (NEMA 14-50) which is the less expensive option or a Tesla wall charger which is the more expensive option. Don't even consider using 120V unless impossible to have a 240V circuit installed in your garage.

 

[jgs]

I could have sworn there used to be a sticky thread under battery & charging where @FlasherZ had provided all the info in exhaustive, not to say excruciating, detail, but I can't find it now. Oh well.

Anyway, I agree with @mikeash. Get a NEMA 14-50 and use the UMC that comes with the car. Probably now you are going to say you're concerned about the hassle of needing to uplug your UMC and take it with you every time you leave the garage. Don't worry about that. You don't need to do it. You might want to take your UMC with you on road trips, but otherwise you will be leaving it in your garage at all times, with high probability, since your car has a large enough battery to cover almost anyone's daily driving. So, save your money and don't buy a HPWC or a second UMC -- after all, you can always buy one later if it turns out I'm wrong. Personally, I don't even take my UMC on all road trips any more -- between Superchargers and public J1772, it's seldom needed on the trips I take. (I have used it in anger exactly once when on the road, and even then I didn't really need to.)

Or if you like the look of the HPWC and have the money to burn, go crazy. But since you're asking about 110V charging (don't do that BTW, it will be annoying) I assume cost is at least somewhat of a consideration.

 

[Lloyd]

Thanks. Nope, we have an electric dryer so that outlet is being used.
My breaker box is outside of my garage, so conceivably an electricial could wire up a new 220V? Maybe?? Are folks doing that?

You can use a dryer buddy!

 

[Buster1]

Thanks guys. I read the Tesla Charging website too. Appreciate the link.

So do I have to get a Tesla Wall Adapter? Or can I just use the supplied travel Mobile Connector every night to a 240V outlet for best results? Seems like that was what you were recommending above.

Sorry for all the newb questions.

 

[jgs]

Thanks guys. I read the Tesla Charging website too. Appreciate the link.

So do I have to get a Tesla Wall Adapter? Or can I just use the supplied travel Mobile Connector every night to a 240V outlet for best results? Seems like that was what you were recommending above.

Sorry for all the newb questions.

Just use the supplied mobile connector ("UMC") in my opinion.

 

[TexasEV]

Thanks guys. I read the Tesla Charging website too. Appreciate the link.

So do I have to get a Tesla Wall Adapter? Or can I just use the supplied travel Mobile Connector every night to a 240V outlet for best results? Seems like that was what you were recommending above.

Sorry for all the newb questions.

You only need to get the Wall Connector (formerly known as HPWC) if you want to charge at greater than 40A. Most people (including myself) do just fine with a 240v 50A outlet (NEMA 14-50 outlet) and the UMC that comes with the car. It will fully charge overnight. Note that the car charges at 40A when plugged into a 50A outlet. It's always 80% of the circuit rating. That's a source of confusion for new owners.

 

[FlatSix911]

I could have sworn there used to be a sticky thread under battery & charging where @FlasherZ had provided all the info in exhaustive, not to say excruciating, detail, but I can't find it now. Oh well.

Here is the referenced FAQ charging thread thanks to Flasher ...

FAQ: Home Tesla charging infrastructure Q&A

 

[Btrflyl8e]

I've used only my dedicated 14-50 with the UMC since 2013. My daily commute is about 60 miles r/t. It's never been a problem, it charges at 30 mph, so a couple of hours and I'm back to where I started. I leave the UMC plugged in the garage. Easy, peasy. I did have space in my panel to add it, and have an electrical genius at home who was able to run it himself for about $200 (that wiring ain't cheap).

 

[Hash Browns]

I agree with most of the other posters that using the Mobile Connector with a 240v outlet is best.

Consider also that Teslas are super fun to drive. So even if your commute is 40 miles roundtrip and a 110v source can support that, many folks end up driving their Tesla a lot more often and further than the car it replaced.

 

[Btrflyl8e]

I Consider also that Teslas are super fun to drive. So even if your commute is 40 miles roundtrip and a 110v source can support that, many folks end up driving their Tesla a lot more often and further than the car it replaced.

True story. I have 12,000 miles on my new one, and I took delivery May 25th!

 

[WannabeOwner]

Basic extension cord 110V, or do you need an electrician to wire up a 220V outlet in the garage?

My two-pennyworth is that I would not want to own an EV unless I could charge it "overnight". Having a short commute, and a large battery, is fine and in theory will average-out, but there will always be back-to-back days that need full range.

Tomorrow I have to do a morning and evening journey that, combined, need a 25 minute top-up of supercharger time (according to evtripplanner), but the only suitable supercharger is 30 minutes extra drive ... so I am hoping that my household supply will be "just enough" to top up between morning and evening drives so I don't need any additional charging.

 

[FlatSix911]

My two-pennyworth is that I would not want to own an EV unless I could charge it "overnight". Having a short commute, and a large battery, is fine and in theory will average-out, but there will always be back-to-back days that need full range.

Tomorrow I have to do a morning and evening journey that, combined, need a 25 minute top-up of supercharger time (according to evtripplanner), but the only suitable supercharger is 30 minutes extra drive ... so I am hoping that my household supply will be "just enough" to top up between morning and evening drives so I don't need any additional charging.

This exactly the right approach to stress free EV ownership ... just charge overnight and only destination charge when traveling