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Charging Your Tesla

It needn’t be a revolting experience. . . .

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The two main camps in charging routines

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Charging Tutorial

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The two main camps in charging routines

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MOST

EV owners charge at home or work, just like plugging in a smartphone and waking up to a full charge every day. Easy. Done. (Caveat: winter)

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SOME

EV owners have charging constraints (cannot plug in at home/work) and have to rely on public charging stations or Superchargers.

Charging Tutorial

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The two main camps in charging routines

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MOST

EV owners charge at home or work, just like plugging in a smartphone and waking up to a full charge every day. Easy. Done. (Caveat: winter)

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SOME

EV owners have charging constraints (cannot plug in at home/work) and have to rely on public charging stations or Superchargers.

Charging Tutorial

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B O N U S

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Long-distance travel (charging almost always occurs at Superchargers)

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Lingo

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Lingo

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Power (instantaneous juice) is in kilowatts (kW)

Energy (storage/delivery) is in kilowatt-hours (kWh)

Efficiency (consumption) is in Watt-hours/mile (Wh/mi.) [ Avg. <250 is good!]

SoC is the State of Charge of the battery (in % or miles)

Grazing means grabbing extra juice in public (esp. in the winter)

Charging Tutorial

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Lingo

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Power (instantaneous juice) is in kilowatts (kW)

Energy (storage/delivery) is in kilowatt-hours (kWh)

Efficiency (consumption) is in Watt-hours/mile (Wh/mi.) [ Avg. <250 is good!]

SoC is the State of Charge of the battery (in % or miles)

Grazing means grabbing extra juice in public (esp. in the winter)

Charging Tutorial

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Lingo

​

​

Power (instantaneous juice) is in kilowatts (kW)

Energy (storage/delivery) is in kilowatt-hours (kWh)

Efficiency (consumption) is in Watt-hours/mile (Wh/mi.) [ Avg. <250 is good!]

SoC is the State of Charge of the battery (in % or miles)

Grazing means grabbing extra juice in public (esp. in the winter)

Charging Tutorial

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Lingo

​

​

Power (instantaneous juice) is in kilowatts (kW)

Energy (storage/delivery) is in kilowatt-hours (kWh)

Efficiency (consumption) is in Watt-hours/mile (Wh/mi.) [ Avg. <250 is good!]

SoC is the State of Charge of the battery (in % or miles)

Grazing means grabbing extra juice in public (esp. in the winter)

Charging Tutorial

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Lingo

​

​

Power (instantaneous juice) is in kilowatts (kW)

Energy (storage/delivery) is in kilowatt-hours (kWh)

Efficiency (consumption) is in Watt-hours/mile (Wh/mi.) [ Avg. <250 is good!]

SoC is the State of Charge of the battery (in % or miles)

Grazing means grabbing extra juice in public (esp. in the winter)

Charging Tutorial

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General advice

Charging Tutorial

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General advice

  • Just charge, at home or at work, and drive.�
  • Unless you’re in the camp that can’t. Then you need to spend a little more time getting familiar with on-the-go options.�
  • All owners should be aware of the wide range of charging solutions out there.

Charging Tutorial

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General advice

  • Just charge, at home or at work, and drive.�
  • Unless you’re in the camp that can’t. Then you need to spend a little more time getting familiar with on-the-go options.�
  • All owners should be aware of the wide range of charging solutions out there.

Charging Tutorial

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General advice

  • Just charge, at home or at work, and drive.�
  • Unless you’re in the camp that can’t. Then you need to spend a little more time getting familiar with on-the-go options.�
  • All owners should be aware of the wide range of charging solutions out there.

Charging Tutorial

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You have choices

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Charging Tutorial

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You have choices

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There are three flavors of EVSE*

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*Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment, namely charging stations

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Level 1 AC Level 2 AC DC Fast Charging*

*Mainly Supercharging

Charging Tutorial

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You have choices

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There are three flavors of EVSE*

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*Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment, namely charging stations

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Level 1 AC Level 2 AC DC Fast Charging*

*Mainly Supercharging

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Charging Tutorial

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You have choices

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​

​

There are three flavors of EVSE*

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*Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment, namely charging stations

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Level 1 AC Level 2 AC DC Fast Charging*

*Mainly Supercharging

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Charging Tutorial

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Level 1

  • Mainly at home; sometimes in public (all-day “trickle charge”)
  • 120V AC
  • 15 Amp service (typical for households); 20A (elsewhere)
  • Slowest average charge: about 3–5 mph* (10+ hrs. for 50 mi. of range)

*Winter temps may reduce it to zero mph if the battery is “cold soaked”; this can become a concern in climates where Level 1 is your only option.

  • The charger is built into the car
  • TIP: Be prepared to waste more time and $ on Level 1 charging

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Level 1 example (really, your only Level 1 choice)

Tesla Mobile Connector (using “5-15” plug for ordinary 120V, 15A outlet)

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  • purchase price: no longer included with vehicle: $275.
  • cost to use: your household utility rate, unless you have solar; sometimes free in public
  • plug: Tesla
  • how to activate: just plug in

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You have choices

​

​

​

There are three flavors of EVSE*

​

*Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment, namely charging stations

​

Level 1 AC Level 2 AC DC Fast Charging*

*Mainly Supercharging

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Charging Tutorial

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Level 2

  • Best option for home (more efficient than Level 1); often in public
  • 240V AC
  • 25–100 Amp service (either a dedicated dryer outlet or custom install)
  • Not quite as slow of an average charge: usually about 20–30 mph (2+ hrs. for 50 mi. of range)
  • The charger is built into the car
  • TIP: Use the in-car voice command “Navigate ChargePoint” to get a list of ChargePoint stations right on your screen

Charging Tutorial

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Level 2 examples

Tesla Mobile Connector (using “14-50” plug for 240V, 50A outlet)

  • purchase price: $275. (NEMA adapter wall plug: $45)
  • cost to use: your household utility rate, unless you have solar; occasionally free in public (RVs)
  • plug: Tesla
  • how to activate: just plug in

Charging Tutorial

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Level 2 examples

Tesla Wall Connector (popular either for domestic or “destination” charging)

  • purchase price: $495 + install
  • cost to use: either domestic rate or usually free at destinations
  • plug: Tesla (on rare occasions, J1772)
  • how to activate: just plug in
  • advantage: the most preferred, fastest home charging setup (up to 44 mph @ 80A)

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Hold on. . . .

What is this device?�������It’s a J1772 adapter to connect to non-Tesla Level 2 charging stations.

One is included in your new vehicle, or it’s a $50 accessory from Tesla.

Charging Tutorial

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Level 2 examples

Clipper Creek (among other brands)

  • purchase price: ~$600 + install
  • cost to use: either domestic rate or generally free in public
  • plug: J1772 + adapter
  • how to activate: just plug in

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Level 2 examples

ChargePoint (very common network for home and public charging)

  • purchase price: ranges from ~$600 (domestic) to ~$12k (commercial) + install
  • cost to use: varies from free to nominally $1/hour
  • plug: J1772 + adapter
  • how to activate: mobile app or RFID card

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Level 2 examples

GE WattStation

  • purchase price: discontinued
  • cost to use: generally free
  • plug: J1772 + adapter
  • how to activate: just plug in

Charging Tutorial

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Level 2 examples

EV Connect (network)

  • purchase price: varies among brand of EVSE
  • cost to use: varies from free to nominally $1/hour
  • plug: J1772 + adapter
  • how to activate: mobile app or RFID card

Charging Tutorial

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You have choices

​

​

​

There are three flavors of EVSE*

​

*Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment, namely charging stations

​

Level 1 AC Level 2 AC DC Fast Charging*

*Mainly Supercharging

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Charging Tutorial

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DC Fast Charging

  • Virtually never at home; mainly commercial / municipal
  • Up to 500V DC
  • Fastest average charge: up to 1,000 mph (in the battery's “sweet spot”—up to ~50%—then it tapers down. The last 20% can take as long as the first 80%. It’s almost like filling a wine glass or a beer glass.)
  • The charger is outboard (larger than a fridge, often behind a fence)
  • TIP: Use the energy bolt icon on the in-car map to locate Tesla-branded charging, or by voice: “Navigate Supercharger”

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DC Fast Charging examples

Tesla Superchargers (V2 is up to 150kW or 500+ mph; V3 is up to 250kW, or 1,000 mph)

  • purchase price: n/a
  • cost to use: free if grandfathered in, otherwise ~$0.35/kWh
  • plug: Tesla (same as their L1/L2)
  • how to activate: “Plug & Charge”
  • advantage: the most preferred, fastest on-the-road charging

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DC Fast Charging examples

Tesla Urban Superchargers (Only up to 72kW; not in all regions)

  • purchase price: n/a
  • cost to use: free if grandfathered in, otherwise varies (per minute, over two power tiers)
  • plug: Tesla (same as their L1/L2)
  • how to activate: “Plug & Charge”

Image courtesy of #KmanAuto

Charging Tutorial

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DC Fast Charging examples

EVgo (CCS/CHAdeMO via Electrify America, at some WNY Wal-Mart locations)

  • purchase price: n/a
  • cost to use: varies based on membership, typically $0.31 to $0.43/kWh in our region

NOTE: Tesla Model 3/Y, Model S and Model X can now use Electrify America and other CHAdeMO Fast DC Charging Stations, but only with a discontinued $450 adapter. They may get a CCS one, like the European S & X now have.

CCS

CHAdeMO

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Why “Range Anxiety” is all but extinct

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1. Your battery is giant compared to many other brands of EV

2. Using in-car navigation will warn you if you need to charge

3. You start to learn your limits and develop a charging routine

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Possible exceptions:

  • You have a brutally long commute, away from any charging
  • There is a “perfect storm” of rain, steep climbs or heavy cargo
  • Climate control left on (though it should cut out at 20% SoC)

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DOs & DON’Ts

Charging Tutorial

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DOs & DON’Ts

DO aim for “ABC” (Always Be Charging! . . . and turn off HVAC for best results)

DO charge to ~80% (for fastest charging, best battery life and peak regen)

DO use apps like PlugShare, ChargeHub and ChargePoint (to locate and find extra info on public charging stations) plus ABetterRoutePlanner

DO make sure your battery is warm enough to charge in winter (ideally the snowflake icon on your vehicle’s display will disappear)

[ I lost 7% in efficiency last winter, keeping cabin temps ~63°F and using seat heaters on low, but YMMV! ]

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DOs & DON’Ts

DON’T charge to 100%* unless taking a trip right away (*most Teslas)

DON’T run down to 0% (the car tries to warn you before you need a flatbed)

DON’T park at a charging station or Supercharger without charging

DON’T worry about the jet engine sound or thumps when Supercharging

DON’T be overly concerned about battery lifespan (it’s ~500,000 mi.)

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Recap

  • Most owners charge at home or work, or at Superchargers for long-distance travel.
  • Level 2 domestic charging is the norm.
  • Range anxiety should not occur if you use in-car navigation and keep a 20%–80% SoC.
  • Winter climates will impact efficiency, but usually not drastically.
  • “Always Be Charging” if you can!

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THANK YOU!

Presentation is online at http://bit.do/TOCNYS-ChargingTutorial or

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Charging Tutorial