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With your decision to purchase a Tesla, you join a movement that supports sustainability through electric vehicle use and other renewable energy measures.

While that macro view of Tesla ownership is certainly something to celebrate, it’s the more practical, day-to-day ownership questions that are probably most on your mind—beginning with how to charge your new vehicle.

As the Tesla company itself would advise, the best way to charge your new Tesla is at home, overnight. With the country still in the early stages of building a network of public electric vehicle charging station, most Tesla owners can expect to charge their vehicles at home.

While the Tesla website offers tips on installation of a home charging station, one of the most important early considerations is finding a qualified individual to install the necessary equipment. For a comprehensive list of qualified home charging station installers, check the directory on our website to find a professional electrician near you who is familiar with home charging station installation.

Optimizing charging efficiency.

All electric vehicles, including the Tesla, come with a way to tap into the power grid. In other words, the means for converting AC house current into DC electricity is built into the vehicle, with a basic 110-volt charging unit that allows the owner to plug the vehicle into a standard electric outlet with a conventional three-prong plug. Your Tesla will come with a Mobile Connector that can be used as a connector cable to plug into any standard electrical outlet. Tesla considers this a backup charging option, recommending that its vehicle owners instead install the Tesla

Wall Connector.

Different Tesla vehicle models come equipped with different onboard charging capabilities. Models S, 3, X and Y all come with an 11.5 kilowatt/48 amp onboard charger. A 60-amp circuit breaker is recommended for Wall Connector installation. To experience the fastest home charging, your Wall Connector should be installed with a circuit breaker compatible with your Tesla’s onboard charger capabilities. You can find your Tesla’s max amperage by tapping the lightning bolt on your vehicle’s touchscreen.

Making the connection.

The Wall Connector is available for Model S, Model 3, Model X and Model Y. The benefit of the Wall Connector is that it can adapt to nearly any power supply and provides faster charging speeds than alternative charging. The Wall Connector offers up to 44 miles of range for every hour of charge. It features up to 11.5 kilowatts per 48 amp output.

If you go with a Tesla installer, you’ll find that the Wall Connector is included in the quote you receive. The Wall Connector can also be ordered separately from the Tesla website.

Even if you’re faced with less than optimal power, you can still have your charging station installed. The Wall Connector comes with customizable power levels to fit a range of circuit breakers, essentially making it compatible with nearly any home electrical system.

Once you’ve ordered your Wall Connector, you can go ahead and schedule your installation with the electrician of your choice. Just use our directory to find a qualified installer.

Tesla charging at home isn’t complicated, but if you want to optimize the efficiency of the charging process, it does require a qualified professional. While your vehicle’s Mobile Connector offers plug-and-play capability for your vehicle, you will want to opt for Tesla’s Wall Connector to get the most efficient home charging experience.

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