How Long Does It Take To Charge A Tesla?

Tesla cars set the standards in the electric industry, but the competition is increasing as more brands perfect the art of manufacturing electric vehicles. The success of Tesla cars is based on innovative battery technology, efficient electric engines and comfortable handling. The company has been the most successful EV manufacturer with the Tesla Model 3 hitting 100,000 sales in 2019. Nevertheless, as more people dump gasoline cars for electric models, the question on most people’s mind is how long does it take to charge a Tesla.

Buying an electric car in 2020 is no longer a difficult decision thanks to the latest technology advancements and affordable electric car lease deals. The charging stations are now more common in highways and major stores, enabling you to use an electric vehicle for long-distance travels. To help you make the right choice, we look at how long does a Tesla battery last and the duration it takes to fully charge the battery in this article.

How Long Does It Take To Charge A Tesla Electric Car?

People are always worried about buying a car that spends most time charging than on the road, but that is not the case with the Tesla cars. Tesla cars have the largest range in the market, surpassing the 200 miles range by most top EV vehicles. Tesla’s Model S has the longest electric range with the Long Range Model attaining 370 miles.

Before answering how long does it to fully charge a Tesla car, you will need to note that every car is unique. The duration takes to charge a model S car fully can be different from that of model X. The time also varies depending on the type of charger you are using, the left juice and the size of the battery. Nonetheless, you should expect it to take about an hour to seven days to fully charge a Tesla car, depending on the charging system for your vehicle.

Tesla cars come with the standard 60kWh battery or the more powerful 85kWh unit. Your car’s battery will influence the charging system and determine the type of charger you can use. The standard battery gives you a range of 232 miles while the robust 85kWh battery offers a range of 300 miles. You will spend less time to charge the standard unit as it has a lower capacity.

Tesla Charging At Home

Tesla vehicles come with basic charging options that you can use for your Tesla charging at home. The models X and S come with a mobile charging cord and three adapters, the NEMA 5-15, NEMA 14-50 and the public charging option for flexibility.

NEMA 5-15 Adapter

You use this type of the adapter when you need to charge your car with a standard wall outlet. It is the slowest Tesla EV charger available. You should expect to add 3 miles of range per hour charging with the NEMA 5-15 charger. It is effective when you need to charge your Tesla car overnight. The duration it will take to charge your car with this charger will depend on the size of your battery, but it can take up to four days to fully charge an empty 300 miles range battery. With NEMA 5-15 adapter, you can charger you car at any place, including your office as long as you have access to the standard 120-V wall connectors. Charging your car with this charger is best for topping up the battery.

NEMA 14-50 Adapter

Charging your Tesla car at home with the NEMA 14-50 charger is quicker than using the NEMA 5-15 adapter. The adapter connects into a 240 volt wall outlet that is similar to the one used by electrical appliances like a dryer and cooker. It is more common with luxury cars lease deals, as they tend to have a larger battery that can take days to fully charge with NEMA 5-15 charger. The NEMA 14-50 adapter can charge your Tesla’s EV battery for Model S in 10 hours and 10 and half hours for Model X.

Wall Connectors

Tesla has at-home wall connector charging stations that you can seek the assistance of an electrician to install. Tesla charging at home is fast when using the wall connectors. Wall connectors give you a maximum range of 44 miles per hour charge. The wall connector can charge the Modes S in six to nine hours and Model X in six and half hours to ten hours.

Tesla Superchargers

Superchargers are not available in most homes as they are expensive to install. They are common in highways and stores, giving Tesla car owner options to charge their car as they shop or take a snack. They are the fastest Tesla chargers, charging your car fully in an hour to an hour and half.

How Long Does It To Charge A Tesla Model 3, Model S and Model X

Model 3

The Model 3 comes in three trims of Performance, Long Range and Standard Range Plus. The Standard Range Plus comes with a battery range of 250 miles while the Long Range and Performance trims have a range of 322 miles. The time it takes to fully charge your car when the battery is empty varies depending on the type of charger as indicated in the table.

At Home Charging Options NEMA 5-15NEMA 14-50Wall Connector
Long Range 4.5 days10.7 hours7.3 hours
Performance4.5 days10.7 hours7.3 hours
Standard Range Plus3.5 days8.3 hours7.3 hours

The time it takes to top up your battery after a day’s commute varies depending on the juice in the battery. Nevertheless, after a 30 miles journey, it will take 10 hours to top up with NEMA 5-15 charger, one hour with NEMA 14-50 and about 40 minutes using a wall connector.

Tesla Model S

The Tesla Model S is available in two trims, Performance and Long Range. Every configuration of this car has a range of over 300 miles. The Model S Performance has a range of 348 miles while the Model S Long Range has a range of 390 miles. How long does it take to fully charge a Tesla Model S varies depending on the type of charger as indicated in the table below? The figures are for a completely empty battery.

At Home Charging OptionNEMA 5-15NEMA 14-50Wall Connector 
Model S Performance4.8 days15.1 hours10.2 hours
Model S Long Range 5.4 days16.9 hours10.2 hours

Topping up your battery after 30 miles commute would take 10 hours with NEMA 5-15 charger, 1.5 hours with NEMA 14-50 charger and less than an hour with the wall connector.

Tesla Model X

The Tesla Model X comes in two configurations of Model X Performance and Model X Long Range. The Model X performance trim offers a range of 305 miles while the Model X Long Range trim provides a range of 351 miles with a fully-charged battery. Model X Tesla charging at home takes varying duration depending on the type of the charger as stipulated in the table below. The figures apply when charging a fully empty battery.

At-Home charging optionNEMA 5-15NEMA 14-50Wall Connector
Model X Performance 6.35 days15.25 hours10.16 hours
Model X Long Range7.31 days17.53 hours11.7 hours

Topping up your Tesla Model X after commuting 30 miles will take 15 hours with NEMA 5-15 charger, 1.5 hours with NEMA 14-50 charger and an hour with a Wall Connector.

How To Tell The Charge Left In A Tesla EV Battery

The thought of your Tesla car stalling on the road because it is out of charge is scary. Thankfully, every Tesla vehicle has a diagnostic system that shares charging details with you, ensuring that you are updated at all times. The diagnostic system is a helpful feature that lets you know the battery charge you need to get home, the amount of charge currently in your battery, and the estimated time the charging process will take. You should always look at the information in the diagnostic system before driving your Tesla car to ensure that the vehicle will reach the destination without stalling on the road.

You do not need to take your Tesla for a drive and have the battery die on the road. It is also inconvenient for you to leave your cup of coffee on the table to check the progress when charging your vehicle at a public station. Tesla has an app, the JuiceNet that makes charging your car less painful by enabling you to monitor the charge, set different charging schedules and get notifications on your phone. You do not have to be next to your car to know how much more time your vehicle needs to fully charge thanks to the JuiceNet app.

How Much Does It Cost To Charge A Tesla?

The cost of charging your Tesla will vary depending on the cost of electricity in your location, but it is cheaper than using gasoline. A car with a large battery will also be expensive to charge than a Tesla vehicle with a smaller battery. The cost of fully charging a Tesla Model S battery at home is cheapest in Washington at $6.60 with the Hawaii being one of the most expensive states at $21.23. It will cost you $9.86 in California, $8.37 in Colorado, $14.49 in Massachusetts, $8.62 in Nevada, $7.52 in Utah and $12.40 in Vermont.

It will also cost you $6.79 in Washington to fully charge Tesla Model X and up to $21.84 in Hawaii. The cost of charging Tesla Model X in other states include $10.14 in California, $8.60 in Colorado, $14.90 in Massachusetts, $8.87 in Nevada, $12.46 in New York, $7.70 in Oregon and $7.73 in Utah.

You can reduce the cost of charging your Tesla car at home further by installing home solar panels. The use of solar panels not only helps you save more on the cost of charging your car, it also helps you take care of the environment with clean energy.

Conclusion

Buying a Tesla car is not only a noble idea to take care of the environment, it also helps you save on the maintenance and fuel costs of gasoline-powered cars. Furthermore, understanding how long does it take to charge a Tesla car allows you to plan your trips effectively, ensuring that you do not run out of juice on the highway.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is It Free To Charge A Tesla At A Charging Station?

Tesla has supercharging stations conveniently placed in popular amenities like shops, amenities and WiFi hot spots to provide quick access. Charging your Tesla car at a charging station is not free. You will be billed per kWh or for the service per minute, depending on the individual station. Billing per minute happens in two tiers indicating the charging speeds. Tier 1 applies when charging at or below 60 kW while Tier 2 is when the charging is above 60kWh. The cost of Tier 1 is half the cost of Tier 2.
Nevertheless, Tesla has a promotional offer for all new Model S and Model X cars. The vehicles come with free unlimited access to Tesla superchargers.

How Long Can You Drive A Tesla Before Charging?

That depends on your car model as well as the juice left in your battery. Nevertheless, you can drive for 250 miles with Model 3 Standard Range Plus and 322 miles with Model 3 Performance and Model 3 Long Range without recharging. The ranges for Tesla Model S configurations include 348 miles for Model S Performance and 390 miles for Model S Long Range. The ranges for Tesla Model X are 305 miles for Model X Performance and 351 miles for Model X Long Range.

How Long Does It Take To Charge A Tesla From Empty?

The duration it takes to charge a Tesla car from empty varies depending on your car model, configuration and type of charger. Tesla cars support NEMA 5-15, NEMA 14-50, Wall Connector and Supercharger changers with varying changing speeds. It can take up to 7 days to charge Model X Long Range with NEMA 5-15 charger, 17.53 hours to charge with NEMA 14-50 and 11.7 hours to charge with Wall Connector.

Is It Cheaper To Charge Tesla At Home Or At Supercharger?

The cost depends on your location as some areas have lower electricity tariffs than others. Nevertheless, it is cheaper to charge your car at home, especially if you have installed solar panels.

Should I Charge My Tesla Every Night?

It is not always necessary to charge your Tesla car every night as it depends on the battery usage. Nevertheless, it is always nice to top up the battery immediately the battery usage is at 75 percent.

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