The 2023 Tesla Model 3 charges the fastest with a 250 kW Tesla Supercharger, which powers up your ride at a rate of 175 miles in only 15 minutes! But since Superchargers aren’t always available, you’ll likely need to use other options for charging your Model 3 at home and in public.
Charging your battery is a huge part of owning and maintaining an electric car. Fortunately, Tesla
offers a variety of charging options, making it easier to find somewhere to plug in. Want to know more? You’re in luck! Keep reading to learn about battery types and charging rates for the 2023 Model 3. We’ll go over public charging options and how you can charge your Model 3 at home. We’ll also give advice on the charging type that suits your needs.
How long does a 2023 Tesla Model 3 take to charge?
This is a complex answer—charging a 2023 Tesla Model 3 can take anywhere between 15 minutes and five days.
This huge range is determined by which trim level you drive and what kind of charger you use. You’ve also got to consider battery size, which differs between the trim levels. The base Rear-Wheel Drive trim uses a 54 kWh battery, while the Long Range and Performance trims get a bigger 82 kWh battery for more range.
To give you an idea of how long it takes to charge, here are average charging times for the three 2023 Model 3 trims:
Rear-wheel drive (267-mile range): 15 minutes to 3.6 days
Long Range (334-mile range): 15 minutes to 4.9 days
Performance (315-mile range): 15 minutes to 4.4 days
Before we get into the nitty gritty of charging types and rates, we should point out that starting in 2022, Tesla made a big change to the Model 3’s battery. Instead of using the standard nickel-cobalt-aluminum (NCA) battery (which is more energy-dense and expensive), Tesla switched to LFP (lithium-ion batteries), which are cheaper and less energy dense.
Instead of charging to a limited capacity, Tesla now recommends that you set the charge limit to 100% and fully charge your battery to 100% at least once a week.
Now that we’ve reviewed the battery improvements, let’s talk charger types. You’ve got a few options for home charging (which typically takes the most time) and using a public charger (which is usually much faster).
Let’s get into the details and compare your options.
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At-home charging speeds for a 2023 Tesla Model 3
You’re probably the most familiar with the NEMA 5-15 charging option, since it’s the method that your Tesla Model 3 comes equipped with. You simply plug the car into a standard three-pronged 120-volt outlet and let it charge.
Be prepared to wait! This method (known as Level 1 charging) is the slowest way to power your Model 3. Depending on your trim level, it takes three or four days to fully charge your Tesla at a rate of three miles of range per hour of charging time.
Don’t feel like waiting? Tesla offers a NEMA 14-50 adaptor that allows you to plug your car into a 240-volt outlet (these are usually the outlets you use to power your washing machine and clothes dryer). Since it’s a more powerful outlet, it will charge your Model 3 faster. This is known as Level 2 home charging.
The good news is that it cuts charging time down to 10 or 11 hours—a significant improvement! If you’re curious, that works out to a charge rate of 30 miles of range per hour of charging time.
You do have one more option for home charging. Buy a Tesla Wall Connector
and pay around $500 to get it installed by a qualified Tesla electrician. Although the part and installation will set you back around $850 total, you’ll get an improved charge rate of 44 miles of range per hour of charging time. Standard Model 3 owners will see the biggest improvement to charge times—getting a full charge within about five hours!
| 2023 Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive Range charge time | 2023 Model 3 Long Range charge time | 2023 Model 3 Performance charge time |
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120-volt outlet (Level 1) | | | |
240-volt outlet w/NEMA adapter (Level 2) | | | |
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Public charging speeds for a 2023 Tesla Model 3
Since the 2023 Tesla Model 3 has a different type of battery, and Tesla recommends charging it to 100%, you might find it tough to squeeze in the full charging time at home. This is where public charging stations really help! There are public Level 2 stations, public Level 3 stations (DC fast charging), and Tesla superchargers.
As you can probably guess, the Tesla supercharging stations are the fastest for charging your Model 3. Search a map of the Tesla charging network
, or look for them near major highways, rest stops, malls, and parking garages. They’re definitely worth seeking out—you’ll get a 250kW charging rate! Supercharging stations are great for long-distance trips since you can quickly charge your Model 3 and get back on the road. Most of these charging stations automatically stop charging when your Tesla battery reaches 80%, but you can manually increase the charge limit on the vehicle touchscreen or Tesla app.
Don’t worry if you can’t find a Tesla supercharging station nearby. You can probably find a DC fast charging station, which uses direct current to speed up charging. DC chargers usually charge at a rate of 50 kW to over 350 kW. This can help you charge your model 3 from 20% to 80% in just around 20 minutes.
DC fast charging stations are really useful if you know you’ll be parked somewhere for several hours—like when you’re at work or out shopping. Keep in mind that you’ll get the fastest charging rate in the first 20 minutes, but that charging slows after that.
Level 2 charging stations are another option for charging your Model 3 in public. This is the slowest of the public options, but it’s handy in a pinch. Think of a public Level 2 charger as an at-home wall connector. It charges at a rate of 7.4 to 11 kW per hour, so it will take several hours to get a full charge.
Charge time varies between models, even when using a Supercharger. Check out the table below to see the difference.
| Miles of range per 15 minutes of Supercharger use |
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