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How to charge your Tesla for free on road trips

I just did my first road trip with my Tesla Model Y - not a very long one - but one where I had to charge. Of course, there are Superchargers everywhere. But there are also Tesla chargers called "Destination Charger". Those are provided by businesses, retail stores, restaurants and hotels. Often, they are "free" when you frequent those businesses. Those businesses offer charging to attract more customers who buy their services or products. So, it is kind of free if you would go there anyway. The chargers are typically Level 2, running about 240V and 40 Ah, resulting in about 20 to 30 miles per hour. So, it really depends on the type of business how much electricity you can get. In a hotel you can easily "fill up" your battery over night. In other places you might get 1 to 3 hours of charging, resulting in 30 to 90 miles. In addition, to being "free" it also is convenient because it charges while you do other things (sleeping!).

Those chargers are located in the parking lots, often hidden a bit and sometimes they are hard to find. So, how to you find them. If you frequent a business more often, you can ask them or check out their website. If you are in the area you don't know, you can display "destination chargers" on your navigation. Usually, it also has a short description of number of chargers, kWh and how to use it (self-park, ask front desk, etc.) See screenshot of a winery in Napa Valley, California.


Of course, there are also other apps and websites that list charging stations (Tesla and non-Tesla) that offer free and paid charging. One I have used to find "free"charging is www.plugshare,com. They have an iPhone app that let's you easily find chargers nearby or to place your road trip. Using Superchargers is easy, convenient and fast, but sometimes you find a new and interesting places by looking for chargers away from the main roads. 

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