The first big question that comes up for a new Tesla Owner is how to charge the car. After all, we have lived with gasoline powered vehicles for a century, and we’ve gotten used to our regular trips to the gas station for a fill up.
Of course, there is no need for gasoline for your Tesla, but the batteries do need charging. While it is possible to charge your car via public chargers, the best option is to charge up the battery in the comfort of your own home. Waking up to a full battery every morning means you never have to worry, or even think about, the cars range.
Also read: How To Take Care Of The Tesla Battery
The Tesla Universal Mobile Connector or UMC allows you to plug your car into any standard 120v outlet. This solution just requires the purchase of the Mobile Connector itself since you probably already have an outlet in your garage. Most people will find however, that plugging into a standard 120v outlet just isn’t good enough. This set up can take several days to fully charge the car, and in cold weather, it’s not even usable.
Calculator: How long will it take me to charge up?
There are two other home options, both involving an electrician to pull a new 240v connection from your electrical panel. In either case, you will need a new breaker in your electrical panel, and some heavy duty cable running from the panel to your garage. Then, you have the choice to attach either the Tesla Wall Connector, or put in a NEMA 14-50 outlet.
The default choice always seems to point to the Tesla Wall Connector. It is the fastest charger available for your home and it is promoted as the main solution on the Tesla website. So, just run out and buy it right?
Not so fast.
Both will require an electrician to install. The Wall Connector will cost you $420, or you can just get the Mobile Connector with a NEMA 14-50 adapter for $250. That is over double the price, so what is the difference?
The main selling point is charging speed, but if you drive, say 200 miles per day (which is a lot), you can charge at night using a NEMA 14-50 connection in 7 hours, or with the Wall Charger in 5 hours. If you are charging overnight while you sleep, 7 hours is probably more than fast enough. Also, if you have a Model 3 RWD, there is no difference at all in charging speed between the two options.
The Wall Connector is an excellent choice for some people, in some circumstances, but for most people it is throwing good money away. Let’s talk about who the Wall Connector is designed for, and where it is overkill.
What is the Wall Connector anyway?
Wait, it’s a battery charger, isn’t it? Well, actually, no it isn’t. The actual battery charger is built into the car. All of the logic and electronics to charge the battery cells are integrated into the vehicle itself.
The Wall Connector or UMC simply allows a safe connection from your electrical supply. Of course it passes the high voltage 240v current but it also configures the capacity to let the car know how much it can safely draw. It will disconnect the power when it is not plugged into a car, so you don’t have to worry about electrocution if the end is sitting on the floor.
Both options are fully weatherproof, and both are designed for daily use.
That’s really it. If you open it up, there’s not much circuitry or anything fancy in there. So, why should you spend the money for the Wall Connector? There are a few scenarios where it comes in handy.
1. You don’t have a Model 3 RWD
The Model 3 RWD model is limited to 32amps for home charging, so you will get the same charging rate through the Wall Connector or the UMC. The Long Range and Performance models are limited to 32 amps on the UMC but can go up to 48 amps with the Wall Connector.
2. You drive a ton and don’t sleep much
On a LR or Performance model, the UMC has slightly slower charging than the Wall Connector. It can only charge at 30mph vs the Wall Connector at 44mph (Model 3/Y numbers. Model S and X are a bit slower). This means that plugged in for 8 hours while you sleep, you can recover 240 miles with the UMC, or 352 miles (or a full battery) with the Wall Charger. If you drive more than 240 miles on an every-day basis, and you can’t plug in for 8 full hours, you should get the Wall Charger.
If you want to see if the extra charging speed is worth it for you, check the online charging calculator.
Occasional long drives should not be a deciding factor. If you use lots of miles from time to time, it won’t matter if it takes 10 or 11 hours to charge back up, and you can always top it up at a SuperCharger on the road.
3. You have 2 or more Teslas
If you have 2 Teslas in your household, you can connect two Gen 2 Wall Connectors to the same circuit, and they will work together to balance the load and not overload the circuit. The cost of two Wall Connectors is likely less than the cost of pulling a second circuit. The newer Gen 3 Wall Connectors can’t do this (yet?).
4. You will never need to charge a non-Tesla EV
If you install a NEMA 14-50 outlet, you can plug in almost any connector for any EV. If your friend visits with their Ford Mach-E, they can plug their own EVSE into your 240v outlet for a charge. If you sell your house, having a generic Nema 14-50 outlet is valuable for a buyer, but a Tesla-specific Wall Connector may not be an obvious advantage, especially as more manufacturers make the move to electric. If you are a Tesla-only household and aren’t concerned about resale benefits, then you are good.
5. You park outdoors in a sketchy neighborhood
Both the UMC and the Wall Connector can be used outdoors in the rain or snow, but if you are concerned about vandalism, the UMC is easier to steal when it isn’t plugged into your car. The Wall Connector is bolted to your wall or a post so it is harder to steal. You can also limit the Wall Connector to only work with your specific car, so someone else can’t plug in for a free top-up.
6. You have a very short off-peak rate
Most utility companies have lower rates for using electricity during off-peak overnight hours, and it absolutely makes sense to charge your car using these off-peak rates. Check with your utility, but most places offer lower rates for 10 or 12 hours overnight. There are some however, that have their off-peak hours lasting only 4 or 6 hours. If this is the case for you, check the online calculator to see how long it will take you to charge, and you may need the faster Wall Connector to be able to fully charge in those off-peak times.
7. You want to keep the UMC with you in the car
Sometimes you want the peace of mind to keep the UMC in the car with you at all times. If you regularly go away and might want to plug in elsewhere, then you can buy the Wall Charger – or just get a second UMC from Tesla for about $250. You can get two Mobile Connectors for the price of one Wall Connector. Keep in mind, if you are on the road, its usually easier to find a Supercharger or other EV charging than to find a NEMA 14-50 plug to connect to.
8. You can get the Wall Connector free or heavily discounted
Some utilities or local governments offer incentives or rebates to install home charging. If you can get one for less than the $420 retail price, you can do your own math to see if it is worthwhile.
9. It just looks cool in the garage
Well, yeah it does! If you want something cool and high-tech to display in your garage as a status symbol, the Wall Connector is pretty sweet. It is great for bragging rights to your friends.
The Wall Connector is good, but expensive. If you fall into one of these exceptions or you can get one with a rebate, then go for it. But generally speaking, most people don’t really need the Wall Connector. When you are charging up daily while you sleep, it doesn’t matter if it charges in 2 hours with the Wall Connector, or 3 hours with the UMC. You are still waking up to a full battery. Whatever you choose is right for you.
And in both cases, you don’t have to waste time at the gas station!
You fail to mention that you get a 30% federal tax credit for the total installation costs of the HPWC. You get nothing to install the outlet.
I can also show you dozens of pictures of melted 14-50 outlets.
Yes. Point #8 talks about government incentives that might make the difference. The 30% doesn’t offset the full cost, but combined with other incentives it might.