How Much Is Tesla Supercharger Installation

If you've heard of Tesla, you lot've probably also heard of the company'south high-powered Superchargers. To get technical, Tesla Superchargers are 480-volt direct current (DC) fast chargers. Only more simply, Superchargers are just really fast electric vehicle battery chargers.

Cheers to Superchargers, Tesla owners don't have to worry near running on empty because their EV is programmed to program routes with Superchargers forth the manner. And the fact that Superchargers tin charge at a rate of up to 11 miles per minute doesn't injure either. Past having an extensive fast-charging network, Tesla has effectively cured consumers' biggest fears near electric cars - running out of bombardment.

Despite there being well over 25,000 Superchargers installed globally, in that location's even so a bit of defoliation nigh how they work, how much they cost, and who can use them. We're here to pull back the drapery on Superchargers, and so you can get a better understanding of what these fast chargers are all about.

How do Superchargers accuse Tesla batteries so fast?

Tesla car batteries have something chosen an "onboard charger". Onboard chargers convert alternating current (Air-conditioning) electricity coming from a charging source to DC energy. DC energy is what the battery needs in club to accuse.

Unlike other EV chargers, Tesla'south Superchargers release DC electricity, so the onboard charger is bypassed and the DC free energy directly charges the battery. Because the electricity is going direct to the battery and doesn't have to pass through the onboard charger, the vehicle can be charged faster.

Tesla Supercharger locations

map of tesla superchargers

Image source: Tesla

Tesla currently has over 25,000 Superchargers in their global charging network and you can discover at least one Supercharging station in all l U.S. states.

Charging an EV does have a bit longer than getting a tank of gas, merely Superchargers are conveniently located near shopping centers and downtown urban areas so there's plenty to do while you're plugged in.

Superchargers aren't Tesla'south only charging stations. Tesla also has Destination Chargers, which take longer to accuse. Destination Charging is most useful for overnight or prolonged stays during long-distance traveling, equally it tin can accept a few hours to completely charge your battery.

You tin also employ non-Tesla charging stations, like ChargePoint stations, equally long equally you have your charging adapter (which comes with your Tesla) on mitt.

How can I find Superchargers nigh me?

One of the best functions of a Tesla is its built-in Trip Planner. Trip Planner works just like a regular GPS system, but it maps your road and so you lot laissez passer through Supercharger stations forth the way to your destination.

It also tells you how long you should stop and charge for at each station to get to your destination equally quickly every bit possible, without running out of accuse.

Trip Planner makes it incredibly easy to keep your EV charged upwards on any road trip.

How long does information technology take to charge a Tesla with a Supercharger?

A Supercharger can charge a battery from 0% to 80% in about 40 minutes. Later on 80% charge is reached, the charging charge per unit slows in guild to protect the bombardment'southward wellness until 100% charge is reached. You won't need your Tesla'south bombardment to be at 100% to get to most destinations.

So, all in all, if you're charging from 0% to 100% using a Tesla Supercharger, it volition probably accept near 70 minutes total. This is longer than it takes to fill up upwards a tank of gas, however, you tin programme out charging times to coincide with meals or sightseeing stops y'all want to make on your fashion to your destination.

How long information technology volition actually accept to accuse your vehicle using a Supercharger depends on how depleted your battery is, how much you desire to fill up up your battery, and even how many Superchargers are in employ at a station.

Can I charge with a Tesla Supercharger for free?

In that location is a lot of confusion around whether or non Supercharging is free. For nearly Tesla vehicle owners, Supercharging is non free.

Tesla launched a bunch of campaigns in the past that gave some customers free Supercharging for life. The company hasn't launched a campaign similar this for quite some time. But, for those who did get to enter one of these programs, it was a pretty sweet deal.

Here are some of Tesla's vehicles that may qualify for some form of gratuitous Supercharging:

Model S'southward released between 2012 and 2020, except for the Model S 40
The Model iii Operation versions released between 2018 and 2019 may have gratuitous unlimited Supercharging, but they tin only exist used past the original owner. If bought used, the free Supercharging offer is voided
Some 2020 Model Y purchases may qualify for one twelvemonth of free Supercharging

You can cheque to encounter if your Tesla qualifies for any sort of free Supercharging promotion through your Tesla account. Merely log in, click Manage, then View Details on your Tesla vehicle, and run into if "Gratuitous Unlimited Supercharging" is listed. You tin can besides call Tesla'due south customer service straight.

How much does it cost to charge with a Supercharger?

The true cost of charging a Tesla depends on several variables, which we break down in our video below.

The price of charging your Tesla varies between Supercharging stations, but mostly, y'all can expect it to price about $25 to completely accuse your battery from 0% to 100% using a Supercharger. Not only is this cleaner than a tank of gas, but it's also cheaper, too!

In that location are ii different ways you tin can be billed at a Supercharger: per kilowatt-hr (kWh) or per minute. When you lot select a Supercharging station with the Trip Planner, yous tin see which billing structure the station uses and what prices they accuse ahead of time.

Per-kWh Supercharging

Well-nigh Superchargers employ per-kWh billing, significant you volition be billed for each kWh of electricity used to accuse your bombardment.

The pricing per-kWh is unlike at each Supercharging location, but it'due south typically around $0.25 per kWh.

Per-minute Supercharging

Per-infinitesimal Superchargers are less common than per-kWh chargers. Typically, you'll merely find per-minute chargers in states where there are regulations in place that prevent any entity besides a utility from selling electricity by the kWh.

Per-infinitesimal charging stations offer 2 different rates:

Tier 1 rates are applied when cars are charging at or beneath 60 kilowatts (kW)
Tier ii rates are practical when cars are charging above threescore kW, and are double the price of Tier 1 rates

Idle fees can drive up your costs

Tesla charges idle fees to drivers who remain parked at a Supercharger after their vehicle is fully charged, if the station is more than 50% full. The idle fee is charged per infinitesimal, so the longer you remain at the station, the college the fee volition be. Idle fees vary between locations.

Luckily, the Tesla app alerts you when your car is done charging and so you tin can move it right when it'due south finished. If you motion your automobile within five minutes of existence notified that your accuse is complete, the idle fee will be waived.

Who can use a Tesla Supercharger?

Tesla Superchargers are available exclusively to Tesla vehicle owners; Superchargers are equipped with a Tesla-specific charging connector.

Still, this is about to alter. In July 2021, Tesla CEO Elon Musk appear that the Supercharging network will be open for employ to non-Tesla electric vehicles by the stop of the year, regardless of whether or non they were manufactured past Tesla.

Elon Musk announces expanding the Supercharger network on his favorite platform, Twitter. Image source: Twitter

We're going to exist honest with you lot, we accept this announcement with a grain of salt. Mr. Musk loves to brand announcements and not follow through with them (has anyone gotten their Cybertruck nonetheless? Or how almost a Tuscan Tile version of the Tesla Solar Roof? Anyone?)

Granted, opening upwardly the Supercharging network is a much easier task than manufacturing brand new products, so it is a little more likely Tesla tin pull through on this promise. But we wouldn't hold our breath.

Is it cheaper to charge with a Supercharger or charge at dwelling?

In nearly all cases, charging your Tesla at home is going to save you the most money, since Superchargers tend to bill at a higher rate per-kWh than your utility does.

Depending on the model you accept, it will toll between $7.65 to $15.29 to completely charge your Tesla at habitation. We have a complete guide on how much information technology costs to charge each Tesla model here if you desire to read more.

Price savings bated, y'all'll probably desire charging at home to be your chief source of charging anyhow. Why? It'southward better for your vehicle. Superchargers send an incredible amount of high voltage electricity right to your battery, which can cause damage if information technology's done on a regular footing.

And so, not only will you save money by charging at home, y'all'll salvage your battery life, likewise.

The cheapest way to charge a Tesla is with solar

No matter how you slice it, charging your Tesla is going to be cheaper than filling up a tank of gas. Just, using solar ability to charge your Tesla makes it even cheaper. You tin install plenty solar panels on your roof to encompass your dwelling house'south electricity needs and to accuse your EV.

Aye, installing solar panels is a pretty substantial upfront investment, but that's actually the only thing you lot have to pay for once they're installed. When you divide the cost of the installation over how much electricity it will produce beyond the lifetime of the arrangement (25 years), each kWh of electricity volition but cost about $0.11.

In 25 years, electricity from the filigree is projected to cost an boilerplate of $0.29 per kWh, so installing solar sooner rather than later is your best bet if you want to lock in your savings. And then, you end up spending way less on electricity to accuse your Tesla over time with solar than if you just used electricity from the grid.

Plus, there are various incentives and rebates on the federal, state, and utility levels - cheque out our solar incentives guide here to see which you may qualify for.

You can as well come across how much solar panels price for your specific roof, and improve yet, how much solar tin can save yous, by using our solar panel calculator.

Key takeaways

Tesla Superchargers are extremely powerful DC fast-charging stations made exclusively for Tesla electrical vehicles.
Supercharger stations can exist found in every U.S. state except for Alaska, where one is planned to be installed past the end of 2021.
Supercharges tin charge a battery from 0% to 80% in just xl minutes, and complete a full charge in about lxx minutes, which is much faster than traditional dwelling house chargers which can accept effectually 7 hours.
Tesla Superchargers are not costless for nearly Tesla owners - it costs about $25 to completely charge a Tesla with a Supercharger.
The cheapest way to charge a Tesla is at home with a solar panel system.