Do Teslas Come With Chargers & Charging Stations? (Explained)

Buyers wanting to buy Tesla’s advanced electric vehicles only have one concern. With the expensive initial costs, is the upkeep any better?

Tesla EVs do not run on fuel like regular gas-powered vehicles, but do they come with their own chargers or have any specific charging requirements?

Here’s what you need to know.

What charging equipment is included with a Tesla?

Tesla recently stopped giving the Level 2 and Level 1 connectors with the vehicle and now sells them separately. The Level 2 connecter can be bought for $400 and the Level 1 connecter is worth $200. Previously, you got the charging equipment included with your car.

This has obviously caused some debate!

Because you cannot really use a Tesla without a charger and it’s kinda an incomplete product. It’s like buying a phone without the charger.

Tesla used to have  a standard AC-DC level 1 connector attached to all its electric vehicle models that could be connected easily to any wall outlet which users had to purchase on their own.

The CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk, claims to cut the charger’s pricing in the near future by $75.

For overnight charging, Tesla drivers would need a charging station at home. Users reported that the charging outlet provided by the automaker was slow to charge most models, which led to Tesla withdrawing all the connector amenities from all its vehicle sales.

Tesla went on to justify the charger withdrawal by claiming the addition of connectors to each sale was not profitable for owners in the long run.

Most users find the level 3 charging stations on highways and other public areas more compatible and use them more often.

If a user with a level 1 charging station at home wanted to upgrade it, it would cost them more.

Electric vehicles are shorter in range than for now, because the vehicles are still advancing, which means installing a charging station at home won’t benefit the user very much.

Moreover, many users preferred fast chargers over the standard 120 V outlet provided by the automaker.

It’s kinda interesting that charging gear isn’t included anymore. Teslas are never on sale because they have no trouble selling every car they can produce – which also means they hold all the cards (and can charge extra for charging equipment).

Do all Tesla models include the same charging equipment?

Still, Teslas don’t come with chargers anymore. You have to buy them separately. This is a controversial move from the tech giant and something people are not really happy about.

Tesla USED to include either a NEMA 14-50 connector (level 2) or a dual voltage (120 V) connector (level 1) work on all its vehicles.

As for now, any vehicle sold by the automaker comes without a connector.

The owners can either purchase the mobile connectors from Tesla separately to connect them with their home charging stations or charge their vehicles at public charging stations.

The charging equipment is still available on older Tesla models, but users still prefer superchargers over the standard mobile chargers provided by Tesla, which was one of the reasons why the automaker later removed the charging equipment from all newer models.

The mobile charger kit sold separately by Tesla now includes plug adapters.

Experts on the other hand say that the standard mobile cables provided by Tesla would have been favorable to users in any worst-case scenario.

Any Tesla model that was purchased before 2017 was equipped with a free level 1 charger. Even before, Tesla Models did not come with a wall connector, users had to purchase that separately.

Now Tesla sells level 1 chargers with adaptors separately, giving all consumers the option of choosing which charger they want with their Tesla model.

In addition, former Tesla models, Model X and Model S have free supercharging only if they were purchased before the year 2017.

Make sure to educate yourself on what is covered by Tesla’s warranty.

Do you need to purchase anything else to charge at home?

Tesla used to give consumers 3 adapters with every vehicle that was purchased.

Level 1 and Level 2 connectors were acquired for charging the vehicles at home.

Connecting the NEMA 51-15 adapter with a wall connector was the most efficient way for users to charge their Tesla because level 1 connectors are the slowest vehicle chargers in general.

Most users connected the adapter provided by Tesla to a regular outlet which would still charge the vehicle but at a relatively slower pace than the other two adapters:

  1. level 2
  2. and level 3.

The level 2 connector by Tesla provides a 240 V supply whereas the level 1 connector provides only a 120 v AC supply.

With a range of 30 miles per hour after a full charge, the NEMA 14-50 or Level 2 charger could be connected to the Tesla after the user installed a regular outlet or a wall connector at their home charging station.

Even before, Tesla sold their own wall connectors separately, which vehicle owners would have to get installed in their homes by a qualified professional.

The wall connectors were the most efficient outlet to charge the Tesla.

The reason Tesla removed the charging equipment from all new vehicles is that using the standard level 1 charger provided by Tesla, it took users 3-4 days maximum to fully charge their vehicle.

Read this article to learn more about how fast Teslas charge at home.

The level 2 charger was comparatively better, taking only 17 hours maximum for the vehicle to finish charging.

Tesla introduced a silver wall connector that would reduce the charging time to only 8 hours a day.

The automaker recommends all users install a wall connector at home if they want to charge their vehicles overnight.

What are the breaker panel requirements for a Tesla car?

The break panel requirement of a Tesla depends on what voltage of connector you’re dealing with.

In general, experts say that any Tesla vehicle requires a breaker that is a maximum of 60 amperes in size.

Most Tesla owners install a home charging station when they buy a Tesla because it’s more convenient, so they often wonder about maintaining those charging stations. Tesla vehicles do not require a lot of power to charge, which is why Tesla used to supply NEMA 5-15 connectors for charging the vehicle at home.

The size of the charger and the power depend largely on the vehicle’s charging requirements.

For instance, using a 240 V connector would require a breaker that isn’t below 50 amps unless necessary. The built-in breaker found in Tesla vehicles can handle an average of 60 amps.

So you can safely charge the Tesla model S with a 50 amp breaker to avoid any confusion.

For instance, installing a charger at home would require you to calculate how much power your home appliances use and have the electrician run a 50 to 60-amp line to the charging station in your home if the panel is low.

If your home carries about 100 amps, that panel would be too low for a Tesla charging station installation.

Tesla home charging stations can work 3 efficiently with a 200 amp service panel around the house.

A level 1 charger supplied by Tesla delivers 12 amps, which results in slower charging, but can work in older homes with a low service panel. If you plan to install an outlet for a level 2 connector which is a 240 V adapter, you will need to upgrade your house’s service panel to safely and quickly charge the Tesla vehicle.

If you have no problem with slower charging, you can use a 30 amp plug for the NEMA 14-50 (level 2) adapter and charge the vehicle overnight.

Most users prefer a natural gas dryer over upgrading the service panel because it costs them less. In addition, a Tesla vehicle cannot handle more than 32 amps of power.

Can you plug Teslas into a regular outlet?

The number one user concern about maintaining a Tesla vehicle is its charging requirements.

The best thing about owning a Tesla EV is that even though there’s a recommended charging voltage that lets you charge the vehicle at a quicker pace,

Tesla’s can be charged with regular outlets around the home which deliver around 120 V (the same as a level 1 connector; NEMA 5-15 adapter).

The adapter installed on older Tesla vehicles that came with charging equipment was domestic and can be connected to any outlet around the house that gives around 110 to 120 volts.

Many consumers used the same outlets as their appliances which used more power, such as a dryer outlet to charge their Tesla overnight.

It might be slower to charge a Tesla from a regular outlet than a wall connector sold by the automaker or at supercharging stations in public areas, but it gives you the convenience of charging the vehicle the same way you charge other electronic devices around the house.

Regular outlets do not give more than a 7-mile range of charge per hour, which can be the downside of using this method to charge your Tesla.

Can you charge your Tesla while using other electrical equipment?

Most dryers are on a 240 V circuit, which is why Tesla owners use their home dryer’s outlet to charge their vehicles. 

Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk himself, confirmed that you can charge a Tesla using the dryer outlet at home and the automaker sells a $35 adapter that can make the whole situation more favorable.

Users reported it takes around 3 maximum hours to charge a Tesla from a dryer outlet, but there is a notable increase in the utility bills because of that. A user reported on an online forum that even though they got a wall connector installed with a 60 amp circuit breaker, charging the Tesla at home caused the main house fuse to deteriorate.

Many Tesla owners recommend not charging vehicles at high power rates in older buildings without upgrading the service panel.

How much does it cost to charge a Tesla?

Charging the Tesla vehicle at home with a Level 1 or Level 2 charger would cost you around $18 at most.

However, the cost may differ depending on the electricity prices of the area.

On average, it costs $0.05 per mile to charge a Tesla. All Tesla models have different charging costs. For instance, a Tesla Model 3 costs around $10 to fully charge whereas a Model Y costs around $13.58.

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