If you’re interested to know how long it takes to charge a Tesla Model 3, stay with us. We’re getting into that throughout this article, and also a lot more about the Model 3.
Tesla has proven itself to be a path-breaker in the engineering industry. From electric motor cars to renewable energy solutions, the company has complied well with its mission for a cleaner world.
Electric cars are one of the groundbreaking innovations of Tesla.
With their Roadster model in 2008, Tesla kicked start its electric car production.
Later in 2012, the Model S was launched. Combining safety, performance, and efficiency, Model S proved that electric cars could be no less than petrol and diesel vehicles.
The latest feather in its cap is the Model 3. With a lower price and high volume, it supersedes its predecessors in many unprecedented ways.
Just like any electronic gadget, electric vehicles do require charging to function.
In this article, we are teaching you numerous methods to charge your Tesla Model 3.
Table of Contents
- How long does it take to charge a Tesla Model 3?
- Tesla Model 3 charging
- Tesla Model 3 charging ports
- How to charge a Tesla model 3 at home
- How to charge Tesla model 3 at public points
- Wrap Up
How long does it take to charge a Tesla Model 3?
Before diving into this “how-to”, let us start by looking at the Model 3’s general battery specs:
Tesla Model 3 versions
The Model 3 has three versions:
- Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus (RWD)
- Tesla Model 3 Long Range Dual Motor (AWD)
- Tesla Model 3 Performance (AWD)
RWD stands for rear-wheel drive, which means that the power output goes to the rear wheels. In Teslas, that means that there’s only a motor in the rear axle.
AWD means all-wheel drive and it’s what happens with the dual motor versions, which have one motor at the front and another one at the rear.
By the way, if you hear mentioning Long Range Performance, don’t find it strange.
The Performance is the sporty version of the Long Range and they even share the same motors, although with different power outputs.
Battery specs of Tesla Model 3 and its ranges
Each Tesla 3 version has its specific battery capacity:
| Standard Range Plus | Long Range | Performance | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Capacity | 55.0 kWh | 74.0 kWh | 78.0 kWh |
| Battery Usability | 50.0 kWh | 70.0 kWh | 73.5 kWh |
| On-board Charger | 7.6 kW | 11.5 kW | 11.5 kW |
Tesla Model 3 charging
Before explaining how to charge the Tesla Model 3, let us dig deeper into Tesla’s battery and charging specs.
Tesla Model 3 manufacturers provide a charging kit. The kit comprises three kinds of adapters and a charging cord.
However, the equipment is not supplied with the car purchase. You need to get the kit individually. It is advised to buy it as the kit’s adapters will charge from any public or private, AC or DC charging source.
The charging cord has one relay box on one side that connects and attaches all three adapters. You can attach any of these adapters to the relay box and accordingly use the charger cord.
The first adapter (NEMA 1450) and second adapter allow you to charge from 240 and 120V electricity sources.
The third adapter (J 1772 charging station adapter) enables you to discard the charging cord and connect directly to any public charger at a public charging point. It is ideal to have this adapter with your Tesla all the time.
Tesla Model 3 charging ports
The Tesla Model 3 has two types of charging inlet ports on its left rear side. The charging port is a combination of AC and DC inlet ports.
Regular charging port with Type-2 connector
The top part of the charging port inlet is plugged into a Type-2 connector. Most public and home-based charging units use Type 2 connectors and provide AC. Therefore, having a regular charging port with a Type-2 connector comes in handy to use any frequent EV charging or AC charging unit.
Key features of regular charging
- The Type-2 charging is slow. The mileage given per hour of charge using the Type-2 connectors is on the short side;
- Depends on the charging unit used and the maximum charging capacity of the EV.
Click the image below to buy a Level-2 charging cable on Amazon:
Fast charging port with CCS
The lower section of the charging port inlet has a connector with a Tesla specifically designed tethered CCS. This inlet is used when the car is charged with Tesla Superchargers and destination points.
Key features of fast charging:
- Less time-consuming;
- Slow charging only after reaching 80% state of charge;
- Depends on the charger used and the maximum charging capacity of the EV.
| Slow/Fast Charging Port | Rapid Charging Port | |
|---|---|---|
| Charging Method | Charged through Type-2 | Charged through CCS |
| Port Location | Left-rear side | Left-rear side |
| Charging Power | 11 kW AC Max | 250 kW DC Max |
A key consideration to remember is that the charging of any EV depends and varies according to the type, network, and power capacity of the charging unit.
It also depends on the charging capabilities of the electric vehicle.
The following table estimates the expected timing of charging for power sources. Keep in mind the timing also varies, considering several factors.
These factors include the battery’s present state of charge, ambient temperature, in-vehicle energy loads, and customized charging ranges.
Home charging (0% to 100%)
| Charging Method (Home) | Max. Power | Standard Range Plus | Longe Range | Performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Plug (2.3kW) | 230V / 1x10A | 25h45m | 36 hours | 39 hours |
| 1-phase 16A (3.7 kW) | 230V / 1x16A | 16 hours | 22h15m | 24h15m |
| 1-phase 32A (7.4 kW) | 230V / 1x32A | 8 hours | 11h15m | 12h15m |
| 3-phase 16A (11 kW) | 400V / 3x16A | 5h30m | 7h30m | 8h15m |
| 3-phase 32A (22 kW) | 400V / 3x16A | 5h30m | 7h30m | 8h15m |
Fast charging (10% to 80%)
| Charging Method (Fast charging) | Max. Power | Standard Range Plus | Longe Range | Performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CCS (50 kW DC) | 50 kW | 55 min | 69 min | 67 min |
| Supercharger v2 Shared (75 kW DC) | 75 kW | 44 min | 52 min | 48 min |
| Supercharger v2 (150 kW DC) | 120 kW | 34 min | 36 min | 29 min |
| CCS (175 kW DC) | 175 kW | 34 min | 34 min | 26 min |
| Supercharger v3 (250 kW DC) | 190 kW | 34 min | 34 min | 21 min |
| CCS (350 kW DC) | 190 kW | 34 min | 34 min | 21 min |
How to charge a Tesla model 3 at home
The best and most affordable source to charge your Tesla is your home.
You can charge your vehicle overnight without any extra charges, just the cost per kilowatt of home electricity.
Basic electricity outlets
With the Tesla tool kit, you can charge your Tesla Model 3 with a 220V or 120V AC source.
Just connect your charging cord to the power source and attach the cable to the car via the required adapter.
To get a detailed vlog tutorial, you can have a look at this YouTube video:
Moreover, there are two Tesla connectors to charge the Tesla Model 3. These two options include:
- Wall Connectors:
Wall connectors are considered the fastest and most reliable home-based charging source. The connector provides a 44 mph range and is ideal for an overnight charging option.
To know more about their specs and price, you can click on the images below to check the following two products on Amazon:
- Mobile Connectors:
Mobile connectors are standard charging equipment provided with Tesla vehicles. These are ideal to be used for both home and public charging points.
However, the best option is to use mobile connectors for remote and wall connectors for home charging.
To know more about their specs and price, you can check the following link: https://www.Tesla.com/support/home-charging-installation/mobile-connector
The Tesla Model 3 has a built-in onboard charger. When plugged into charging ports, these connectors supply AC to your car.
The AC is then converted into DC energy with onboard chargers’ help.
Electric vehicle home charge scheme
Another reliable and sought a method to charge Tesla Model 3 cars at home is EVHCS. Through EVHCS, you can install a charging point at your residential place.
The charging point usually comes with 3kW or 7kW power options. The units are wall-mounted with tethered Type 1 or Type 2 cables. These can be attached straight to the car or plugged via a suitable adapter and charging cord.
How to charge Tesla model 3 at public points
SuperCharger stations
The fastest and primary charging method to rapidly charge Tesla Model 3 vehicles is by using superchargers. Like any gasoline station, these superchargers are installed in Tesla destination units.
The superchargers use the tethered CCS inlet/port for fast charging. To know more about the timing and mileage range superchargers offer, you can check the table above.
Built-in dashboard systems present in the car, navigate you to all supercharger destinations. It displays all supercharger stations with the electricity and amenities available there.
There are more than 2000 Tesla destination points with 20,000 plus supercharger units across Europe, Middle East, Asia and, North America.
To learn more about superchargers near you, you can check Tesla official webpage by clicking this link: https://www.Tesla.com/supercharger
Public charging points
In most countries, there is a network of public charging points for electric vehicles. However, these charging points vary depending on their slow, fast, and rapid charging options.
With a Tesla Model 3, you can use any EV or Tesla-specific public charging point. While using any EV charging point, the following considerations must be undertaken:
- Public charge points require account or payment services. The access methods vary according to the network;
- Most public charging points with rapid charging require payment.
All public charging points are not Tesla-specific. A general charging point is designed to charge any electric vehicle. There are two pre-requisites to use a public charging point for Tesla Model 3:
- To have a charging point account and activate the public charging point via the app;
- To have an adapter connecting the charging point and Tesla charging inlet/port.
The Tesla navigation system does not show any Type-2 charging points. We recommend our readers use an app named “Plug Share”.
The app shows and navigates you to all Type-2 and public charging stations available near you.
Wrap Up
If you own or you’re pretending to buy a Tesla Model 3, now you know that there are numerous methods to charge it.
Tesla Superchargers prove to be a pocket rocket, saving you a lot of time when traveling longer journeys.
If you’re using your Tesla just for your daily commute, you can leave it charging overnight.
It will take a lot of time but for sure it’s the most inexpensive way for topping up the battery.
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