Requirements for Garage plug for Model 3

[mbenet108]

What are the voltage plug requirements in a regular garage plug for the Model 3?

 

[shahryaran]

What are the voltage plug requirements in a regular garage plug for the Model 3?

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[father_of_6]

240v is the answer, but is that really the question?

I suspect that's not what you actually want to know, since in most cases there are only two possible answers to your question (120v and 240v), and since an EV is obviously more likely to need something more substantial, like an electric stove or electric dryer.

Most people who home charge their Tesla either use a mobile connector like @shahryaran linked to, or a hardwired connector like Tesla's Wall Connector (also known as a HPWC).

The Wall Connector is the safer, better, faster, and in most cases actually cheaper way to home charge. If you're choosing between the two, the HPWC is preferred by many (or most?) owners.

The only benefit of the mobile connector is in the event you plan to L2 charge somewhere other than home (e.g. a friend's house, an RV park, etc). Most of the country is sufficiently covered in SuperChargers, such that L2 charging away from home is less important.

One other thing you should know is that the entry level Model 3 can only charge (for home charging) at a max of 32 amps, while the LR and P variants can charge at up to 48 amps.

I'd suggest getting a Tesla HPWC with a 60 amp circuit so that it can provide 48A of power. (Continuous loads can only be 80% of the circuit max).

 

[HankLloydRight]

Getting a 240v circuit at 50 amps so you can charge at 40amps is way more than most people need. Running a 60amp circuit will be much more expensive with only very marginal benefits. At 40 amps, you can still charge from zero to full overnight. Rarely is there need for more/faster charging.

 

[Dan Detweiler]

Everybody's circumstances are different, but for us a 60 amp circuit is almost a requirement. We are a one car family and have little time between me getting home from work (3rd shift) and my wife going to work. We need to get as many electrons into the battery as we can as quickly as we can.

For most, simply using a 120v plug is sufficient. Not desirable maybe, but sufficient.

Dan

 

[father_of_6]

For most, simply using a 120v plug is sufficient. Not desirable maybe, but sufficient.

I respectfully disagree with this.

While I agree that *most* people's daily driving could be provided by 120v charging under IDEAL conditions, this excludes anyone in cold climates, and also is generally very unforgiving.

What I mean by that is, with L2 (240v) charging, one can forget to plug in for a day or two and it might not even matter... but for someone relying on a much slower 120v charging, that car needs to be plugged in *ALWAYS* when it's not being driven.

 

[Dan Detweiler]

I respectfully disagree with this.

While I agree that *most* people's daily driving could be provided by 120v charging under IDEAL conditions, this excludes anyone in cold climates, and also is generally very unforgiving.

What I mean by that is, with L2 (240v) charging, one can forget to plug in for a day or two and it might not even matter... but for someone relying on a much slower 120v charging, that car needs to be plugged in *ALWAYS* when it's not being driven.

I drove for 5 years using 120v plug. It's not ideal, but it is possible.

Dan

 

[father_of_6]

I drove for 5 years using 120v plug. It's not ideal, but it is possible.

Dan

Possible, yes. But not in very cold climates.

It's also possible to walk a few blocks with a 5 gallon gas can each time you want to put gas in your car, but it's not something I would recommend to showcase the convenience of driving an ICE vehicle.