Skip to main content

Charging Options for my Tesla Model Y

Many people that are not familiar with EVs still consider "range anxiety" as something to worry about when owning an electric vehicle. Of course, there is a bit more planning involved in road-tripping with an EV, but that is not necessarily bad since you have to take breaks anyway. But, let's first discuss the various charing options and how I use them:

Home charging: The advantage of an EV is that you can charge it at home (if you have a place to park within 20 feet of electricity) and no need to spend time at gas stations for daily driving. There are three options for charging a Tesla at home using Tesla equipment (there are other home chargers that I don't discuss here)

  1. Wall Connector: This connector has to be installed by an electrician, requires 240V/48Amp and delivers up to 44 miles per hour. It costs $475 plus installation. There is a new variant "Universal Wall Connector" that has a connector for non-Teslas. Great if you have different brand EVs. 
  2. Mobile Connector using 240V: Delivers up to 30 miles per hour with NEMA 14-50 (240 V outlet commonly used for washer / dryer. The charger costs $230 and does not require installation if you already have a 240 V outlet installed. I use this one as my primary home charger. 
  3. Mobile Connector using 120V: Delivers only 3 miles per hour with NEMA 5-15 (regular 120 V outlet). I think this option only works well if you don't drive a lot since you can only add about 36 miles in 12 hours (overnight?) 
Work charging: More and more companies offer charging at work. I don't have that opportunity, but if that is an option for you, definitely try to explore further. It might be free or at a discounted price!

Road trip charging: If you are on a road trip or if you don't have the place/electricity access at home (apartment, no garage, no driveway, etc.) there are several ways to charge your car.
  1. SuperCharger Network: The reason why many (including myself) decided on a Tesla is the extensive super charger network. Since it is "built-in" the navigation, charging is actually fun. You plug in your destination, the navigation system calculates the route including suggested supercharging stations. It provides info about the amenties at each location, displays the # of free chargers, etc. and it just works (uptime is 99.95%). You arrive and just plug in. Usually, I charge only to 80 to 85% because that is the fastest and then continue driving. In theory it charges up to 200 miles in 15 minutes. In practice it is a bit slower, but still pretty fast.
  2. Destination Charger: The Tesla navigation also displays destination chargers. These are chargers similar to the home wall connector (up to 30 to 40 miles per hour). These chargers are "hosted" by  hotels, restaurants, retail outlets, etc. to cater to their customers. Often, they provide free charging if you are a customers of their business. I have used them at hotels and retail stores, and are useful to top-off the batteries a bit. They are not meant to be a replacement for superchargers because it takes too long. More and more hotels (see Hilton announcement) provide destination chargers as a service to attract more customers. I have used them and it is a great way to slowly "supercharge" your car over night. 
  3. Other Public chargers: By now, there are many other companies that offer fast charging, but frankly I have not used them much. I have experience myself that they don't work or I had issues with the app or credit card - so I gave up. I guess Tesla owners are spoiled by the Supercharger network.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Cargo Liner for Tesla Model Y trunk

Because I have to transport stuff for my work, I decided to get a cargo liner for the trunk of my Model Y. It is kind of funny and similar to a phone case - you have this beautiful iPhone (machined and polished metal and glass) and then you cover it with plastic case. But I have to say that the cargo liner is not just protecting the cargo area, but also it makes it so much easier to clean the trunk. You can just remove the cargo liner, fold it up, and then "empty it out". The dirt, sand and other debris just falls out when you shake it a bit. Then you just put it back. You can also vacuum on a flat surface if necessary.  How did I decide on the cargo liner? Well, I looked a the Tesla accessory vendors (Tesmanian, Teslarati, EV Base, etc.) and also at Amazon. When comparing I was looking at size, material, 60/40 split and price. I was aiming for a price of less than $100. Amazon had low price offerings, but they seemed a bit flimsy.  Other vendors were more expensive. By readi...
Post a Comment
Read more

My new Tesla Model Y

Early in August 2023, I finally decided to place an order for a Model Y - from the App. No dealership, no haggling, no waiting, I just configured it and placed an order on the iPhone.  A couple weeks later, I got the text - it's ready. I had decided to pick it up in Fremont - where the car is made. And I have to say this car is amazing. It's not only my first new car (my whole life I saved money by buying used cars, mostly Honda's) it is an amazing car. It's beautiful, it is quiet, it is luxurious, it is fast (really fast), it has amazing audio (love Spotify streaming!) and the interior is so sporty/comfortable/simple you just want to sit in there. But most important was that I can charge it almost everywhere (SuperCharger network) and that it has lots of cargo space for my work. Everyday, when I see it in my driveway I still cannot believe that this is my car now.  I have been waiting for this for almost 10 years (I will explain in a later post why I waited to buy a Te...
Post a Comment
Read more