How Long Does It Take To Charge a Tesla?

There are many reasons that affect how long it takes to charge a Tesla, so it’s not possible to minutely pinpoint a given model’s charging time. However, it is possible to approximate charging times with a reasonable degree of accuracy, so EV owners know what to expect.

The biggest factor affecting charging times is that there are different levels (or speeds) of EV charging. EV charging levels are just one factor that determines how quickly an EV can charge, and there’s a wide discrepancy between Tesla’s charging times at the various levels. In order to make the details in this article abundantly clear, we provide an explanation of the different charging levels.

Other variables that impact charging times for EVs, including Teslas, are the car itself and the charging station. Various EVs have different onboard chargers, which determine the charging speed the car can accept. An electric car’s range and efficiency also help dictate its charging speed. Regardless of the charging level, different charging stations can yield varied results.

The size of a Tesla’s battery, its temperature, and its state of charge at the time of charging can affect charging times significantly. Depending on the charging level, factors like climate can make a marked difference in the time it takes to charge a Tesla.

Charging Levels

Tesla and EV charging levels contain Level 1, Level 2, and DC Fast Charging. At times, you’ll see DC Fast Charging and Tesla Supercharging, which are essentially the same and referred to as Level 3 charging. There’s nothing in the official SAE standard that states Level 3. Sort of like slang, it doesn’t exist, but Level 3 is becoming more demanding, used, and noticed in the automotive community.

Level 1 (AC) charging is just plugging your electric car into a standard 120-volt wall outlet. This is the slowest method of charging, and most EV owners will expect something faster. However, it certainly works in a small way and doesn’t need any special charging connectors. Most EVs have a portable charging cable that plugs into a typical power outlet.

Level 2 (AC) charging requires a 240-volt outlet and a higher amperage than Level 1 charging. Level 2 charging is what most EV owners believe in at home, until it can recharge their car while they’re sleeping. There are also Level 2 public charging stations at different businesses, like malls, hotels, and restaurants. They’re often free to use due to the business paying the electric bill.

DC Fast Charging is found to be the fastest way to charge an EV. The Tesla Supercharger network is the most comprehensive DC fast charging network, with locations on key travel paths across the world.

While Level 1 and Level 2 charging believe in an EV’s built-in onboard charger to transform alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC), DC Fast Charging tackles this point prior to delivering the juice to your EV. For this reason, an electric car’s DC Fast Charging or Tesla Supercharging speed isn’t affected by its onboard charger. However, an EV with a more powerful onboard charger will charge faster on Level 2, given that the charging station can deliver enough power to make an observable difference.

Tesla charging speeds

Now that we’ve covered charging levels, we can dive into Tesla charging speeds. Remember that each of Tesla’s 4 EVs—the Model 3, Model Y, Model S, and Model X—has various charging times. However, the time it takes to add miles to a Supercharger is the same across the lineup.

In general, the Tesla models that take the maximum time to charge are larger and heavier, such as the high-performance trims. It’s also worth noting that the base Model 3 comes standard with a 7.7-kW/32-amp onboard charger that’s not as powerful as all other Tesla vehicles’ 11.5-kW/48-amp units, which means it doesn’t charge as quickly on Level 2. The 11.5-kW/48-amp charger is optional in maximum trims of the Model 3.

According to the automaker’s point of view, its $200 Mobile Connector will add about 3 miles of range per hour to Tesla. For Level 1 charging, the Mobile Connector plugs into a normal 120-volt wall outlet.

If you upgrade to a 240-volt outlet for Level 2 charging using Tesla’s $45 NEMA 14-50 adapter, you can add up to 30 miles of range per hour. Upgrading to Tesla’s $400 Wall Connector bumps it up to 44 miles of range per hour.

Tesla Supercharging can add up to 200 miles of range in a few minutes. Many Super Chargers can charge at up to 250 kW and are only capable of delivering 90 to 150 kW. Ideal charging times are based on the average time, so believing in the Supercharger station, real-world times will vary.

Charging a Tesla from zero to 100%

It’s not common to charge an EV from 0 to full. Driving your electric car until the battery is zero is not only bad for the battery; it also leads to range anxiety and can leave you stranded.

Your Tesla may charge to 100% while you’re sleeping, but you wouldn’t likely choose to charge it to full if you’re waiting to get back on the road. It usually makes the most sense to charge your battery to about 80%, and as soon as the charging speed begins to ramp down, end the session and get back on the road.

The average time it takes to charge every Tesla model from 0 to full with Level 2 and Tesla Supercharging. This gives you a bad scenario since your car won’t likely be dead when you initiate the charging session, and there’s not often a practical reason to charge all the way to 100%. We also include the time it may take to charge each model to 80% at a Tesla Supercharger.

It’s not popping each Tesla model’s Level 1 charging time since it would take 4 to 8 days to charge to full.

Tesla Model 3 | Range: 272 miles | $46,990

NEMA 14-50 (Level 2): Up to 9 hours

Wall Connector (Level 2): Up to 9 hours

Tesla Supercharger (DC Fast Charging): Less than 1 hour

Tesla Supercharger (DC Fast Charging) to 80%: 25 minutes

Maximum Range Tesla Model 3 | Range: 358 miles | $58,000

NEMA 14-50: Up to 12 hours

Tesla Wall Connector: 8 hours

Tesla Supercharger: About 1 hour