I love electric vehicles and that’s why I’m a big fan of Tesla. Electric cars are meant to be charged just like your mobile phones so they can work. Tesla introduced a device called a Tesla Supercharger some years back for charging every Tesla model. A Tesla Supercharger is a four hundred and eighty volts direct current fast-charging technology that is produced by Tesla, Inc. for charging all the models of their electric cars. Tesla has over 23,277 Superchargers in more than 2,564 stations worldwide. Most Supercharger stalls have a connector that helps to supply electrical power at a maximum of 72 kilowatts, 150 kilowatts, or 250 kilowatts.
You can reserve a Tesla supercharger. A lot of supercharger stalls are reserved solely for Tesla charging but certain stalls permit general parking. But a non-Tesla car is not supposed to block a Supercharger stall more than the posted time limit.
Tesla installed these Superchargers along very longer journey roads in 2017 so that Tesla owners can embark on long trips without having to worry about the battery of their Tesla dying. I do love this idea Tesla brought up.
Apart from Tesla Superchargers, Tesla also has Tesla destination chargers, that are positioned in places where a driver can easily stop to charge his Tesla and get to shop or spend the night at a hotel while his Tesla is charging. Destination chargers are slower than Tesla Superchargers. Tesla has over 23,963 destination chargers worldwide. Destination chargers are free for Tesla drivers that are customers of the business at the location.
How much does a Tesla Supercharger cost?
Officially, Tesla does not put their Superchargers up for sale. But if you want to purchase one, you would need to convince them to create an exception for you. So, you can’t know the cost of a Tesla Supercharger until you contact them directly.
But instead of going through all that stress, you can charge your Tesla fully with a Level 2 charger. I use a Level 2 charger most times to charge my Tesla because I cannot go through all the trouble involved in getting a supercharger directly from Tesla.
In fact, Tesla recommends that Tesla owners install a Level 2 charger in their garage or homes if they can. You can contact a specialist or an electrician or specialist to help you get it installed. With a Level 2 charger, to get a full charge, you will need to charge your Tesla between eight to twelve hours.
Buying and installing Level 2 chargers are less expensive. The cost of a Level 2 charge plus installation is roughly between 2,000 to 3,000 dollars. The installation can be done in one day.
How fast do Tesla Superchargers charge?
Many Tesla Superchargers can recharge up to two hundred miles of range in fifteen minutes, based on the rate of charge. These DC charging speeds range from ninety kilowatts to two hundred and fifty kilowatts based on the Supercharger station you are charging in.
Can you buy a Tesla supercharger?
Yes, you can but Tesla does not sell their Superchargers officially. So, if you want to purchase one, you would have to convince them to make an exception for you.
Can you lease a Tesla supercharger?
You can lease a Tesla supercharger if you know the person directly. But getting a lease from Tesla directly would be quite difficult.
Is it cheaper to charge Tesla at home or Supercharger?
Yes, it is. It is cheaper for you to charge your Tesla at home than charging it at a Supercharger station. When you use a home charger, the cost depends on the meter rate for your area. On average, the United States’ rate for electricity is about 13.6 cents per kilowatt per hour, so charging your Tesla at home will reduce the cost of charging your Tesla by half.
Tesla destination charger vs supercharger
Tesla is a famous electric vehicle producer around the globe. Model Y, Model X, Model S, and Model 3 are the Tesla four electric vehicle models.
Many people have issues with buying electric vehicles because of their range variety, that is, they are scared that it may not be able to take them to their destination without the battery of the vehicle running out of charge.
Tesla considered that and provided long-range batteries in their vehicles, and their extensive network of Tesla charging stations.
You can find Tesla Superchargers along well-traveled routes for easy charging. So, your vehicle can remain charged anywhere you go.
Tesla has a vast network of electric vehicle chargers.
There are two types of public Tesla charging stations: Destination chargers and Superchargers. Of these two types, there are more than nineteen thousand in North America.
Superchargers
The major network of Tesla charging stations is consists of Tesla Superchargers. They are called Superchargers because of how powerful they are in charging your Teslas. Tesla Superchargers are an ultra-powerful 480-volt charging stations that permit Tesla owners to charge their vehicles within one hour.
Tesla is consistently adding to their charging station network to make charging your car suit your daily life effortlessly.
These superchargers are meant to be used when traveling long distances. Within forty minutes, a Supercharger will charge your Tesla to eighty percent. As soon as the battery gets to eighty percent, the rate of charging reduces so that it can preserve the health of the battery. It will take about seventy-five minutes to attain a full one hundred percent charge with the aid of a Supercharger. Compared to other electric vehicles chargers, Superchargers are faster but it still requires you to wait for a while before your car can be fully charged. 3So, it is very important that you consider this before embarking on a journey.
The charging rate of Tesla Superchargers varies for every Tesla model:
For Model 3, the miles of range per fifteen minutes of Supercharging is 175 miles.
For Model S, the miles of range per fifteen minutes of Supercharging is 163 miles.
For Model X, the miles of range per fifteen minutes of Supercharging is 142 miles.
For Model Y, the miles of range per fifteen minutes of Supercharging is 158 miles.
Due to the fact that Teslas have long battery ranges, many Tesla owners don’t have to charge their vehicle when it is more than eighty percent anyway. On an eighty percent charge, a Tesla Model S can drive about three hundred and twenty one miles. It shows that you could drive from New York City to Philadelphia, and then back to New York City again without having to stop to charge your Tesla. Isn’t that cool? I’m sure it is.
Superchargers can charge Teslas very fast because of how they charge the car’s lithium-ion battery. A regular charger offers AC power to the car’s onboard charger. Then, the onboard charger converts the AC current to DC current, that ends up charging the battery.
Superchargers provide DC power directly to the battery of the Tesla, skipping the onboard charger which enhances the charging process.
Destination Chargers
Destination chargers are another type of public Tesla charging stations. They are quite different from Tesla Superchargers.
Tesla’s “Charging Partners” are in charge of installing Destination Chargers.
Charging Partners are either land owners or businesses that decide to install a Tesla Wall Connector on their property so that the public can use it. Usually, Destination Chargers are installed in places where you can comfortably spend some hours, such as restaurants and hotels.
Unlike Tesla Superchargers that are very fast in charging your Tesla, Destination Chargers have slower charging speed. Based on how much charge you had remaining on your Tesla’s battery, if you use a Destination Charger, it will take you between one to twelve hours for you to completely charge your Tesla.
The ideal time to use a Destination Charger to charge your Tesla is when you are sure of remaining in one spot for a very long period, like spending the night at a hotel. You won’t get much charge if you just intend to make a quick stop at a place, say thirty minutes to eat lunch. It will only give you an extra fifteen miles of charge.
The charge rates for Destination Chargers are based on the type of Tesla model you have.
For Tesla Model 3, the miles of range per hour is forty four miles.
For Model 3 Standard, the miles of range per hour is thirty miles.
For Model S, the miles of range per hour is thirty four miles.
For Model X, the miles of range per hour is thirty miles.
For Model Y, the miles of range per hour is forty-two miles.
Tesla charging station locations
You can find Tesla charging station locations everywhere in the US. Tesla intentionally installed Superchargers on famous travel routes to make sure that people driving long distances will easily access to chargers.
If you go through a Tesla charging station map, you will be able to see many other Tesla charging stations along the whole distance of main interstate highways in the parking lots of shopping malls, rest shops, and hotels.
Tesla also have also Superchargers installed in urban areas. The Superchargers in urban areas are installed in downtown areas and grocery stores. With these, while you are purchasing see groceries, your Tesla can be charging.
About forth nine states in the US have Superchargers. The only state that does not have Superchargers, is Alaska and they will get their first Supercharger installed in 2021.
Can Teslas charge at non-Tesla charging stations?
Yes, they can. The owners of Teslas can use othee electric vehicle stations that are not part of Tesla’s charging network to charge their Teslas. But for you to do this, you need a J1772 charging adapter. J1772 adapters usually come with all Teslas. Just fix the adapter to the charger and plug it in.
But you should know that these chargers are not as fast as Tesla Superchargers, but they are still quite effective in charging your Tesla.
With Tesla’s vast network of charging stations – and very fast ones at that – Tesla owners can drive long distances with the assurance that their car’s battery will get them to their destination.
Tesla owners can also embark on long road trips without the need to worry because Tesla’s charging stations are almost everywhere.
Due to the fact that Tesla Superchargers are strategically positioned along well frequented routes, it ensures comfortable and fast charging. Also, the cost of charging your car at a Tesla charging station is less than charging it at other charging stations.
With Tesla’s Destination Chargers, Tesla owners can easily charge their vehicles when they are not in the area of a Supercharger.
Tesla’s charging station network is continuously expanding and that means, Tesla owners can be more assured that their battery will always get them to their destination.
Which Tesla has free supercharging for life?
Model 3 is the brand of Tesla that has free supercharging for life. The performance of the Model 3 came with and unlimited and free supercharging throughout the lifetime of the car for a short period during 2018 to 2019, but it only works for the first owner. This incentive belonged to Tesla’s referral program and it is was restricted to new purchases via a referral code. All other Model 3 trim levels did not enjoy this promotion.
Does Wawa charge for Tesla?
Since 2017, Wawa has been hosting Electric Vehicle (EV) charging. So, Wawa charge for Tesla. Wawa hosts Tesla Superchargers, Electrify America CCS, CHAdeMO EV chargers, and EVgo.
Wawa provides Electric Vehicle (EV) charging at forty-seven locations hosting Tesla Superchargers and three places hosting CHAdeMO EV chargers and CCS. They have a plan of exceeding one million EV charging sessions in the nearest future.
You can find Wawa stores in Washington, D.C., Florida, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
How much does it cost to install a Tesla Supercharger?
The cost of installing a Tesla Supercharger varies based on your electrical system and home charging hardware.
But the cost of installing a Tesla Supercharger is between the range of five hundred dollars and one thousand, five hundred dollars. But, if there are other things that are required for completing your installation, the price will be altered accordingly.
For the installation of your Tesla supercharger to take place, you need installation warranty, inspection, permit, with professional installation service and materials.
Some of the additional things that might be needed includes: Installation resources, hiding cables behind walls, pedestal installation, main panel upgrade, trench (underground wires), additional sub panel, and long wire run (distance from electrical panel to installation site).
You can find details about installation manuals and troubleshooting for Tesla charging products on the charging and adapter product guides page.
Conclusion
Tesla Superchargers are a four hundred and eighty-volt chargers that can charge a Tesla within one hour. They are very powerful and they are best for charging up on far-distance road trips. A Tesla Supercharger can add between 142 and 175 miles of range to your battery within fifteen minutes, based on the model you have. Destination Chargers are installed by land owners and businesses for the public to use, but they have a slower charging speed when they are compared to Tesla Superchargers. A Destination Charger will add between thirty to forty-four miles of range per hour of charging, based on the Tesla model. It is only the Tesla Model 3 that had free unlimited supercharging ability within 2018 to 2019, the newer models don’t have that feature.
With the aid of Tesla’s Trip Planner you can plan trips depending on the locations of Destination Chargers and Superchargers.
It will cost you between five hundred dollars and one thousand, five hundred dollars to install a Tesla Supercharger.