Model 3 Charging

Congratulations – if you’re reading this you’ve probably just taken delivery of your new Tesla Model 3, and loving every minute driving it.

Which is all fine provided you don’t wander too far from Tesla Superchargers and CCS Rapid Charger network.
But what about other publicly available charging outlets other than CCS/Tesla SuperChargers? These charging outlets fall into what is known as Level 2 charging, and they range from 15A single phase to 32A 3phase. To find these outlets visit plugshare.com, and set your filters for the outlets you want to see.

To see outlets other than Tesla Superchargers and CCS Rapid Chargers make sure in Filters > Plugs you select J-1772, Type 2, Three phase, and Caravan Mains socket, and in Filters > Networks, select Chargefox, Chargenet, Chargepoint, and Other. Doing this, you’ll quickly see how many locations you have for recharging outside the Tesla and Rapid Charging network. However, the charging equipment that came with your Model 3 you’ll only be able to connect to household 10A and 15A sockets using the tails, missing out on industrial 3 phase power which is surprisingly more common than one would expect.

In summary, without purchasing any adaptors or cables, the only charging you can do on your Model 3 is at Superchargers, CC2 Rapid Chargers, destination chargers, Type 2 stations that have a tethered cable (quite rare) and your Mobile connector using one of the tails. As a minimum we recommend to new Tesla owners, especially city based, that a Type 2 to Type 2 and a Type 2 to Type 1 (J1772) cable should be an essential addition to your on-board kit, as they allow you to charge at many locations particularly Shopping Centres that are beginning to install EV charging stations.