How Long Does It Take To Charge A Tesla?
Teslas are among the most popular electric vehicles (EV) on the market and offer a number of models to choose from (via Car and Driver). The company has also worked to deploy an expansive network of chargers for its customers, recently even opening its Supercharger network to non-Tesla vehicles. Despite the growing popularity of EVs, including Teslas, one of the biggest impediments to greater adoption is range anxiety, the anxiety caused from worrying about whether a charging station will be available and within range.
In fact, according to a study by Nature Energy, up to 20% of California plug-in electric vehicle owners switch back to traditional vehicles because of range anxiety. As a result, one of the biggest questions potential owners want to know is how long it takes to charge a Tesla. The answer depends on which Tesla model you drive and the type of EV charger you plug into.
The Type Of Charging Station Makes All The Difference
Tesla provides a number of different options to charge its vehicles, each doing so at different speeds, it notes. The company provides a Wall Connector that owners can purchase for home use, and the unit provides the fastest at-home charging. With a Wall Connector, a Tesla can charge at a rate of 44 miles per hour of charging. In contrast, charging from a standard three-prong, 120-volt outlet only yields two to three miles of range per hour of charge.
On the road, the company's network of 30,000 Supercharger stations provides the fastest charging, adding up to 200 miles per 15 minutes of charging, the company says. Teslas can also use third-party charging networks. For best results, the company recommends using its Mobile Connector and 240 Volt Outlet Adapter. Using the 240-volt adapter will add up to 30 miles of range per hour of charging.
Given that the Model S comes with a range of 396 miles, it's easy to see how much the charging system can impact the amount of time it takes. Using the Supercharger network will take less than half an hour to fully charge a Model S. The at-home Wall Connector can fully charge the same model in nine hours. In contrast, using a standard 120-volt outlet at home would take nearly 200 hours to fully charge, while the 240-volt adapter could do it in roughly 13.