How Long Does It Take To Charge A Tesla?

charging a tesla model

Are you a new member in electric vehicle ownership, and you wonder how long it takes to charge your tesla model? Or you are just researching your future purchase with the question "how long does it take to charge a tesla?" to get your facts correct.

In whichever case, this article is meant for you since we have taken our time to simplify the information on what you need to know about charging a tesla model. The duration of charging your Tesla may be between one hour to seven days. Getting a full charge will depend on your tesla model, your charger, and how much battery was left in your car before the charge.

But before that, let us describe what a tesla is.

What Is A Tesla?

A tesla model is one of the electric cars manufactured by Tesla company. The most popular electric vehicles are currently from this company. The company has currently manufactured four-tesla models: model 3, S, X and Y.

Factors That Can Affect How Long A Tesla Can Charge

1. Battery Capacity

Charging a tesla battery that is 50% already will take less time than charging an empty tesla battery.

2. Battery Size

If your Tesla has a large kWh battery capacity, know that it will take long to charge fully.

3. Current Temperatures

When fast charging, avoid colder ambiances since it might increase the battery charging duration.

4. Charging Level

There are two charging modes available in tesla cars, level one that supports a maximum of 16.5 kWh with an alternating current and level 2 that supports fast charging with a 120 kW Direct current.

5. Maximum Charging Rate- onboard Chargers

Onboard chargers give your tesla battery the energy of a maximum charging rate of 11 kW to 16 kW.

6. Maximum Charging Rate -Charging Station

If you charge your battery at the charging station, it can only be charged at the maximum rate of that charging station.

Now let us go back to the question,

How Long Does It Take To Charge A Tesla?

As discussed above, the main factors that affect the duration of charging a tesla are the battery capacity, charging method, and available power output.

The charging methods below expound on approximately how long it could take you to charge a tesla from an empty tesla battery.

1. Level 1 AC( 120V outlet at home) 20-40 hours

There are two standard options for charging a tesla at home: using a mobile connector or installing the optional tesla wall connector.

a). Tesla Mobile Wall Connector

Level 1 AC charging is the cheapest and the easiest method of recharging your Tesla at home since it is a standard in all new Tesla vehicles. If you plug in the portable mobile connector to your Tesla, it gives you a 240V AC PowerPoint with a 10-15km range for each hour it is left charging.

b). Tesla Wall Connectors

Energy suppliers and electric car companies suggest home charging installation of your inside garage, which supplies a range of 3-7 kW charging. Tesla recommends using their optional wall connector for high speeds and shorter duration.

A mounted tesla AC power supply takes around 6-10 hours, with a maximum power output of 22kW. With this power output, you can be confident that your tesla wall connector is not a reason for a slower charge.

2. AC Level 2

These are third-party chargers, tesla chargers or tesla home chargers, and they take approximately 8 to 12 hours to charge fully.

According to Tesla, the best way to charge your car is by using a Level 2 charging at home. The level 2 chargers at home could be equivalent to your washing machine or any large appliance you own. Using a level 2 assures you of quicker speeds as compared to level 1. We are talking of hours and not days.

3. Charging On The Road

If you are traveling long distances, then this option will suit you,

a). Tesla Supercharger Network

The Tesla supercharger exists as a combined network of charging your Tesla at charging stations. In this case, the automaker doesn't have to rely on third-party charging networks, but some third-party chargers offer an adapter plug for Tesla EVs.

These are level 3 chargers that abandon the alternating current methods discussed above to use the mainline power directly. Although they require a lot of power from the grid, their output is very high.

These superchargers charge up to 200 miles of range in 15 minutes, depending on which supercharger station you are in. Use your tesla app to navigate the best supercharger stations around you.

b). Tesla Destination Charging Network

Tesla destination charging networks are free to use as long as you patronize their installation place. Unfortunately, since they are free, they are very slow as compared to tesla superchargers. The charging stations are located in hotels, restaurants, resorts or shopping malls where you can leave your car for like 1-15 hours or get a full charge.

c). Third-party, Public Charging Networks

You can pay to use third-party charging networks if you are traveling away from home. Many companies offer alternative charging stations, so you have to install apps like plugshare to gain access online. The app gives you access to find the nearest charging station to you and pay for charging your Tesla. These public charging networks provide the level 2AC for a 30km range, full hour charge.

They also possess dc fast charging capabilities that range from 50kW to 350kW that provide similar charging speeds to Tesla supercharger stations. Due to the popularity of using electric cars such as Tesla, station providers are expected to expand.

From the outlook above, if you are looking for speed, the tesla superchargers are your choice to go. However, it is not recommended to use these chargers for daily charging as they have massive direct current. Instead, drivers or those who go for long road trips are advised to consider them because they provide a quick charge.