Tesla 110V Battery Charge Time
It can take anywhere around four days to fully charge a Tesla battery using a 110-volt outlet. Find out how to unlock the fastest charging speeds!
Written by Claire Beaney
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
Table of Contents
Charging a Tesla battery with a 110-volt outlet at home is actually the slowest charging method out there. With only around three miles of range per hour, it can take up to four days to get the job done. Using other adapters or visiting a public charging station can bring your charging time to as low as 20 minutes.
Calculating how long it will take to charge is an important (and often annoying) part of owning an electric car. Charge anxiety is likely already a part of your life if you own a Tesla. And if the only way you can charge your Tesla is with a 110-volt outlet, you'll need to set aside a lot of time to get the job done.
We’ll go over all you need to know about charging your Tesla with 110V and compare it to other major charging options available for this brand of car.
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4.7/5 rating on the App Store | Trusted by 5+ million customers and 7 million cars4.7/5 app rating | Trusted by 5M+ driversHow long does a Tesla take to charge on 110V?
The short answer: a very long time.
The Tesla comes with a free adapter that allows you to plug it into a standard 110V (aka 120v) outlet. However, charging it this way is a sluggish process that adds only about 3 miles of range per hour. Charging a Tesla car battery from a standard wall outlet can ultimately take up to four days.
This is sometimes referred to as “trickle charging.” While some Tesla owners say you can get by using a regular 110V household outlet to charge your vehicle, doing so will be inconvenient and feel pretty limiting.
Charging a car's battery takes less time with a smaller battery, of course, but it also depends on the charger you use. There are a variety of charging options available, from public Tesla supercharger stations to adapter outlets for your home, most of which are significantly faster than a standard 110V outlet.
Weighing the pros and cons of various charging options? Let’s take a closer look.
At-home charging speeds for a Tesla with 110V
As mentioned above, the simplest way to charge a Tesla at home is to plug it into any regular three-pronged electrical outlet. Every Tesla comes standard with a NEMA 5-15 charger, which uses a standard household 120-volt outlet, but this will always be the slowest charging option.
A NEMA 14-50 adapter, which lets you plug the Tesla into a 240-volt outlet, can be purchased if you don't want your car to be out of commission for over half your week. Although not as common, it's likely that your washing machine and dryer both require one. With this type of outlet, you can charge your Tesla at a rate of 30 miles per hour, resulting in a full charge in nine to 12 hours. This type of charger is called a Level 2 home charger.
The Tesla
Wall Connector
, which charges at a rate of about 44 miles per hour, is a slightly faster and much more convenient option for charging at home. This Level 2 charger can completely charge your Tesla's battery pack in as little as six hours, depending on its size. That's more than enough for the vast majority of drivers unless you have an unusually long commute to work every day. But installing it will cost $500, and you'll need a skilled Tesla electrician to do it.
If you want to see how the numbers stack up side-by-side, check out the table below:
Home charging method | Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus charge time |
|---|---|
110/120-volt outlet (Level 1) | 3.6 days |
240-volt outlet w/NEMA adapter (Level 2) | 8.8 hours |
Wall Connector (Level 2) | 6.0 hours |
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Public charging speeds for a Tesla
We’re straying further from your basic 110V Tesla charging method, but you won’t know true charging speed until you’ve filled up at a public charging point. There are a few different types, including public Level 2 stations, public DC fast charging stations (Level 3), and Tesla superchargers.
Public Level 2 stations charge similarly to your home Wall Connector or 240-volt outlet. Charge times vary based on battery capacity and range, adding 30 to 44 miles per hour.
DC fast charging, which makes use of direct current to facilitate rapid charging, changes the game dramatically. Rapid charging stations may charge at a rate of 150 kW or greater, far above the 7.4 to 11 kW offered by Level 1 and 2 AC chargers. They can increase the charge of your battery from 20% to 80% in just 20 minutes.
Finally, there's Tesla's Supercharger network. In public sites like gas stations, rest stops, malls, and parking garages across the country, you can find Tesla's superchargers, which are proprietary Level 3 DC fast chargers. These chargers can add up to 175 miles of range in just 15 minutes, and their maximum rate is an astounding 250 kW!
This map of the Tesla charging network
will help you find a station in your area. They are conveniently situated close to major roads and highways.With 80% charge times in as little as 30 minutes, a Tesla supercharger is clearly the fastest option for charging your car. However, outside of the 20% to 80% charge range, charging times slow down significantly with DC fast chargers. In other words, you might be able to charge your Tesla from 20% to 80% in as little as 20 minutes. Then, you'd have to wait another 30 minutes to see the battery reach 100%.
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The bottom line
It's pretty clear what the verdict is: you can sort of get by with trickle charging through a 110V outlet, but you won't be able to fully enjoy your Tesla this way.
If you only have a 110V outlet at home to charge your Tesla with, then there’s no need to immediately panic—as long as you plan ahead. You don’t want to wake up one day, realize your Tesla is completely dead, and then resign yourself to waiting four days for it to recharge fully.
But luckily, 110V outlets aren’t the only option out there! There are a number of Level 2 chargers that can be installed at home, thousands of EV charging stations across the country that can help you charge quickly, and Tesla Superchargers that can provide a speedy charge on the road.
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