One of the indisputable advantages of electric vehicles, in comparison with gasoline and diesel counterparts, is the simplicity and “intelligence” of refueling. Nevertheless, most opinions (in particular, about Tesla) agree that today there is nowhere to charge an electric car in Russia, and if there is no specially equipped charging station in your city, then a full-fledged ride is not possible. However, this opinion is fundamentally wrong - charging an electric car today in any city in Russia is easier than refueling at a gas station. To explain why this is so, we filmed a detailed video tutorial, and also decided to conduct a comprehensive educational program on charging Tesla electric vehicles.
Online charging calculator
It's easy to use:
1. Select a car model, initial and desired charge level;
2. Select the outlet you are connecting your electric vehicle to, or manually set the voltage and amperage.
3. To calculate the cost of charging, enter the price per kWh (electricity tariff).
Tesla's Necessary Theory and Characteristics
In order to accurately imagine how and how much to charge a Tesla, as well as to represent its "fuel consumption", it is worth remembering a little information from school course physics. However, if you know the difference between amps, volts and kilowatts, you can safely move on to the next section.
So, the battery capacity of any electric vehicle is measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). For example, at Tesla Model S P85 the corresponding figure is 85 kWh - this means that its battery is capable of delivering power of 85 kW for one hour, or 1 kW for 85 hours. And in order to charge the battery, it is necessary to supply 85 kW to it accordingly for an hour, or vice versa. Of course, in reality, there are losses due to which the charging speed can be uneven, but in general, everything works that way.
The unit of power for electric vehicles is the watt. Power is determined by multiplying voltage (measured in volts) by current (measured in amps). To explain the principle of operation clearly, let's give a hackneyed, but nevertheless effective analogy - let's say we need to pump a certain amount of water through a pipe. The water pressure in this example is analogous to voltage, and the current is the diameter of the pipe. It is easy to understand that having a pipe with a wide diameter and good water pressure, the same volume of water is pumped many times faster than through a thin pipe and with low pressure. Returning to electricity - for high voltage good conductor insulation is required, and for high current strength, a sufficient cable cross-section (pipe thickness) is required.
What does all this mean in practice? Everything is quite simple: an ordinary European socket with a nominal voltage of 220 Volts provides a current of 16A or less. Thus, the maximum consumer power at such an outlet is: 220V x 16A = 3520W = 3.5 kW.
Charging in practice - all about the types of chargers, sockets and charging time
Before proceeding to detailed analysis of all kinds of sockets from which you can recharge, it is worth mentioning the charger hidden in the bowels of Tesla. This device is similar to charging your laptops or smartphones and serves the simple purpose of converting the AC that "flows" in all outlets into DC to charge the device.
Tesla's standard charger has 11 kW of power. The so-called Dual Charger is optionally available, which doubles the power and, accordingly, the number of kilometers received per unit of charging time. We highly recommend installing a Dual Charger if you plan to use your Tesla regularly.
In addition, it is worth remembering the main difference in charging European and American version Model S - US vehicles do not have the ability to charge from a three-phase outlet, which is usually faster than charging from a single phase.
Now we can start discussing specific charging methods and their parameters. All the data below is relevant for the Dual Charger, as it is a priori a must have. Also, in order to avoid confusion, we will only talk about Tesla charging methods that are relevant in Russia.
One of the most efficient and relevant charging methods for Russia and the CIS is through a red IEC 60309 Red socket. This red socket has 5 pins and 16A current. However, such an outlet supports a three-phase current, thereby increasing the charge efficiency by several times - after all, the voltage of each phase is the same 220V, and the interphase voltage is already 380 volts! Such an outlet found everywhere where powerful equipment is used - at any gas station, car washes, parking lots, hotels, etc. - usually it is enough just to ask the staff of the relevant organization to connect to it (which we recently tested on our own experience on a Moscow-Minsk trip). In addition, any electrician can make the appropriate connection in your garage, office or parking space. The charge speed is 55 km per hour (versus 14 km when using a standard household outlet), the time to fully charge the battery is easy to calculate.
By the way, the Mobile Connector is supplied with Tesla for the European market - a standard charging cable with two adapters: for a regular euro socket and for a three-phase standard described above.
The next charging option, common in Russia and the CIS, is the so-called Mennekes Type 2. It is this standard that is used on most public chargers, because. was adopted in 2009 as a single European standard for electric vehicles (used, for example, in the BMW i3). Connector on European version Tesla Model S is suitable for using Type 2 stations - you just need to purchase a charging cable (for example, in our store). Charge rate depends on input parameters electric current at the place of installation of a particular charging station, and varies from 18 km per hour with a single-phase current of 220 V and 16A, up to 110 km per hour with a three-phase current, a voltage of 400 V and a current of 32A. In Moscow, powerful stations of the Type 2 standard are quite common - for example, charging at the Smolensky Passage shopping mall, where the Moscow Tesla Club office is located, charges Tesla from zero to 100% in just 4 hours.
The Type 2 standard charging station can also be installed in your garage, in a common or office parking lot, or in your own parking space. Moscow Tesla Club offers various configurations of such EVlink stations manufactured by Schneider Electric (Germany) for home and public use, as well as a full range of installation services.
So far, not very common in Russia, but an extremely promising way to charge Tesla is the ChaDeMo station. Such stations fully charge the Tesla Model S in 1.5 hours, which is almost as fast as branded Supercharger stations. ChaDeMo are already quite common in Europe, and in Russia, Ukraine and the Republic of Belarus, new projects for the installation of such stations are gradually appearing. By the way, the Evlink ChaDeMo station can also be purchased at the Moscow Tesla Club.
In order to charge Tesla with ChaDeMo you need a special adapter. Such an adapter will allow you to charge the car at any station of this standard, which is indispensable when traveling around Europe. The ChaDeMo adapter for Tesla can also be purchased at the Moscow Tesla Club.
In order not to get confused among all types of sockets, connectors and charging stations, Tesla Motors prepared the following table for Model S owners, showing the dependence of the charge rate on the characteristics of a particular power source (attention: the data is relevant for cars equipped with a Dual Charger):
Undoubtedly, in the case of Tesla electric vehicles, the most convenient charging option is branded Supercharger stations. Not only do they have incredible speed charging (270 km in 30 minutes, 100% battery charge in 75 minutes), but also located in such a way that passengers do not get bored and can take a break from the road - next to cafes, eateries, hotels and other elements of the road infrastructure. There are no such stations in Russia and the CIS yet, however, according to the official website of Tesla Motors, already in 2016 stations will appear on the territory of Russia and Ukraine - linking our countries with Europe. So, a new round Tesla stories in our latitudes is not far off.
However, already today we have the opportunity to fully enjoy the convenience of charging instead of refueling - without smell, dirt and other inconveniences. There are many options to charge Tesla as in in public places, and in your own garage or in the parking lot. provides its clients maximum comfort operation of electric vehicles, because we strive to ensure that the content of our own vehicle was as convenient as owning modern gadgets.
Impressions from Tesla operation winter in Russia
To bookmarks
Alexander Chachava, managing partner of the LETA Capital venture fund, shared his experience of operating a Tesla car in Moscow, and also gave some advice on using a car in winter.
I have been driving a Tesla car for a year and a half and have already covered 14,000 km. Heard that consumer qualities fall in the second year of ownership, the batteries work worse, the car starts to have problems.
I did not notice anything, everything works like clockwork. I don’t know what will happen at 50 thousand km, but so far everything is fine. The lack of maintenance is a little annoying, Tesla told me that no action is needed with the machine, it will report a malfunction if something happens. I am so accustomed to the instantaneous response of the electric motor that on petrol cars At first, I am surprised by the delay after the gas, even on a BMW.
But the sound of the engine is a bit lacking for completeness of sensations, although sometimes you like silence when you want to sit in silence, and not drive. In general, the engine roar option that can be ordered from an electric car tuning studio is not as idiotic as it seems at first glance.
"How to charge?"- this is probably the first question that arises in a person interested in electric vehicles. And in the conditions of Belarus, the question is doubly interesting. We will approach it with the example of the European Tesla Model S as the first decent electric car that is now on the market.
Let's remember physics: volts, amperes and kilowatts
First, some basic information about electric current. If you did well in school and know how volts differ from amps and kilowatts, you can safely skip this information.
The battery capacity of a car is measured in kilowatt-hours, in our case the battery has a capacity of 85 kWh. This means that, theoretically, it can produce 85 kW of power for one hour or, respectively, 85 hours to produce 1 kW. To replenish the battery, you need to do the opposite - apply 85 kW to it for an hour, or apply 1 kW to it for 85 hours. Of course, in reality there are losses, and charging does not always go at the same speed, but the general idea is this.
A watt as a unit of power is a volt (voltage) multiplied by an ampere (current). To understand the difference between current and voltage, the water analogy is best. Voltage is, figuratively speaking, the pressure of water, and the current strength is the diameter of the pipe. To pump the same volume of water (kilowatt-hours), you can, for example, pump water through a narrow pipe with a high head or a wide pipe with a low head.
If the pipe is wide and with high pressure, then the filling process is fast. Otherwise, slowly. For high voltage, good insulation of the conductor (thick pipe wall) is needed, for great strength current - sufficient cable cross-section (pipe thickness).
Now let's talk about sockets. A typical household euro socket has a nominal voltage of 220 V and a maximum current, usually 16 A or less. If we multiply the voltage by the current or 220 V × 16 A, we get the maximum consumer power of 3520 W, or about 3.5 kW.
Another common type of outlet is three-phase, with an interphase voltage of 380 V (the voltage of each phase is the same 220 V). It is less common in everyday life (electric stoves), but is ubiquitous in production, where powerful equipment is used. Most often, a three-phase socket has the same maximum current of 16 A, which, taking into account three phases, gives us 220 V × 16 A × 3 = 10.5 kW. This European-style socket has a red color and five contacts arranged in a circle. For convenience, we will call it a red rosette.
There are also single-phase sockets for 32 A ( of blue color), but they are extremely rare.
Since the electrical network uses alternating current, and the battery is charged with constant current, it must be "straightened" using charger. The same thing happens when you charge your laptop or mobile phone. Only in the case of Tesla charger the device is installed inside the vehicle. IN basic configuration The Model S comes with one 11kW charger, and you can optionally add a second one for a total charging power of 22kW.
Also included with the machine is the so-called Mobile Connector, which is similar in shape to a charger, although in fact it is just smart connection cable. For the German market, two adapters are included: one for a regular Euro socket, the other for a three-phase red socket. And that's just what we need! In the case of the American Model S, you will receive a set of single-phase American sockets different power and the inability to charge from a three-phase outlet in principle! This is the main and very significant limitation of "American women".
The car itself, destined for Europe, houses the Mennekes Type 2 charging connector. Introduced in 2009, it was adopted as a single European standard for electric vehicles. Today it is used in Renault Zoe and BMW i3. The main advantage of Type 2 is the ability to work with both permanent and alternating current, with a single or three-phase network. In addition, it is much safer than conventional plug-in connections, since the transfer of energy begins only after the plug is fully connected and the car and the cable “agree” among themselves on the type of electric current and charging power. In the case of the American Model S, the car will have a connector of its own unique design, more compact, but not supporting three-phase current.
First charge - at the car wash!
Now that we have dealt with the cables and sockets, you can start charging. For the first time in Belarus, our car was charged at the Peugeot car wash. The employees were sympathetic to the electric car and allowed to use their three-phase red socket. As it turns out, powerful professional sinks high pressure use just this type.
Open the trunk, take out the Mobile Connector, plug it into a power outlet. The indicator lights up green - everything is ready for charging. On the opposite side of the cable there is a handle with a button and a Type 2 connector. We press the button in the handle, and in taillight With driver's side the door opens. We insert the connector, three LEDs in the headlight start blinking green - charging has started!
On the screen in the Tesla cabin, you can see the mains voltage of 230 V (in our case, phase) and the current strength. The car gradually begins to increase the current and at the same time monitors the voltage. If suddenly a voltage drop is detected with an increase in power or its fluctuation, the current strength will be limited. This is how network overload protection works.
In our case, the wiring was quite new, so the car quickly reached the maximum for of this type 16 A sockets and started charging at a power of 11 kW. About a quarter of the battery needed to be charged to a "full tank", and the estimated charge time was 2 hours. Not fast, to say the least. Nevertheless, while the car was put in order, it was possible to charge almost completely. Good for a start. A full charge from the red socket will take about 8 hours.
If the car is closed during charging, the Mobile Connector is blocked in the connector and all illumination is turned off so as not to attract too much attention.
After driving around the city, it's time to check the charging speed in the garage from ordinary socket. And here came the bummer: the Mobile Connector blinked red four times, which is an indication of the lack of grounding. No "ground" - no charge. Very often, electricians are not serious about grounding, so you can find ungrounded or “zeroed” sockets everywhere. So the presence of a euro socket in the wall does not guarantee you the opportunity to recharge from it. Even if you are lucky and there is a ground, the charging speed will be four times slower than the red socket, since the maximum power in this case only 3 kW. A full charge will take over 33 hours!
If you want to charge at home faster than the red outlet allows, you must optional equipment. One charger installed in the car, by default, allows you to charge at a power of 11 kW. The optional second one can be installed directly at the factory or added later, in which case the maximum charging power will be 22 kW. In addition, you will need to install the High Power Wall Connector (HPWC), which is almost a complete analogue of the Mobile Connector, only installed permanently and has a thicker cable.
If HPWC is the only alternative in America, in Europe you can buy a similar device with a Type 2 connector and the corresponding cable. But in the case of a cable from third party manufacturers you will not be able to open the charging hatch by pressing the button in the cable. You will have to open it from the central screen or from a mobile phone through the application, which is not very convenient. Power of 22 kW will allow you to fully charge in 4 hours.
But perhaps the most a big problem in the case of charging at 22 kW, this is the allocation of the corresponding power. If you can't get 22 kW at the car parking lot, it doesn't make sense to order a second charger in the car and HPWC. For convenience in the garage, it is best to purchase a second Mobile Connector and use it as a stationary one, permanently connected to a power outlet. And carry the original with you in the trunk, just in case you need to recharge on the road. Most likely, on the way you will be charged from a regular (if you are lucky with grounding) or a red socket. Even if you suddenly find a Type 2 connector with a power of 22 kW at the Belarusian electric filling station of the future, then 4 hours is still too long for recharging during the day. In the case of charging at night, the difference of 4 or 8 hours does not matter.
Why cities don't need electric refueling
Now let's talk about electric stations. This is the most asked question to the owner of an electric car. Oddly enough, in the city, Tesla owners do not need electric stations in principle. Real stock travel is 300-350 km, in the worst case (when minus 20 Celsius and traffic jams) it drops to 200 km. In the evening you put the car on charge (just like a mobile phone), and in the morning you always " full tank» (if red outlet or HPWC). In the case of a conventional outlet, a “full tank” may not work, especially in winter. Therefore, the best electric charging station is the red outlet in your home.
Is it possible to operate a Tesla normally if you do not have a garage or parking space? Since the installation of the home red socket was delayed, and the euro socket in the garage did not have grounding, we drove the first thousand kilometers in the "parking near the house" mode. Thanks to the kind people at the Peugeot car wash, at Atlant-M Britannia and DAF Trucks, we used their red sockets every few days. In all cases, there were no problems, with the exception of two points - you have to wait a long time for charging to complete and wipe the cable from dust and dirt before putting it back in the trunk. Night charging is much more pleasant: you sleep - the car is charging. During the day it is very inconvenient.
The Model S can be charged at any time without having to wait until it is completely empty. The battery has no memory effect, will not recharge if you leave it plugged in for for a long time. The manufacturer generally recommends leaving it connected all the time until you drive. This is especially important in winter severe frost. You can remotely turn on the climate control and warm up both the interior and the car battery from the mains. Another handy feature is the automatic marking on the map of all the places where you have ever charged. Thus, after some time, own card"electric stations".
Is it possible to "reset the extension cord" from the apartment? Theoretically yes, practically no. Firstly, it will be unsafe in rain or snow, and secondly, charging from a regular outlet takes a catastrophically long time. Therefore, in order to use an electric car normally, installing a three-phase red socket near a permanent parking place at work or at home is priority which should be taken care of in advance.
To install a three-phase socket at home, you, in a good way, will need to make a project, go through the stages of approvals, mount sockets, lay cables and, it is possible, install an additional electricity meter. All this can be undertaken by a specialized organization that deals with electrics. In each case, the timing, cost, availability will vary electrical power. Therefore, before thinking about buying an electric car, you definitely need to understand for yourself how you will solve the issue of charging.
Main difference fast charging from slow in that it immediately supplies direct current high power directly to the battery, bypassing the charger built into the car. in the USA and Europe Tesla develops its own network of electric charging stations, which are called Supercharger. Depending on the version they charge direct current with a voltage of 400 V and power from 90 to 135 kW. Moreover, stations with a capacity of 150 kW will be launched in the summer. For Tesla Model S owners, the use of these chargers is unlimited and free of charge. This charge allows you to replenish half the battery in 20 minutes.
It will take more time to fully charge the battery, because when charging after 80% of full capacity, the battery starts to heat up more and the power must be reduced. The company has very ambitious development plans Supercharger networks in Europe and the USA.
The second, universal, fast charging option is the Chademo network. The idea is the same, but not always free and with a maximum power of 50 kW. For Model S, there is a special adapter that allows you to charge from these stations. Chademo connector has enough big size and nowhere near as comfortable as the Type 2.
There are Chademo stations in Belarus (free charging), Russia and other neighboring countries.
The best option for Europe, it would be the development of universal stations that could charge electric vehicles with direct current through a standard Type 2 connector, similar to the Supercharger. But, as far as I know, there are no such solutions for Model S from third-party companies on the market yet. Because for DC charging, Tesla uses its own protocol, according to which the car and the Supercharger “negotiate”. However, support for such charging can be implemented by updating software cars, if Tesla Motors and the Europeans have a common vision of this issue.
What is the expense? 25 kWh per hundred!
Tesla's energy consumption is measured in watt-hours per kilometer. The first thousand kilometers showed an average real consumption about 250 Wh per 1 km. We multiply this figure by 100 and we get about 25 kWh of energy expended per 100 km. But here you need to remember that the charger does not have 100% efficiency, and Tesla charges the battery in normal mode up to 90% (to extend the service life and be able to use regenerative braking). When fully charged, the car severely limits the power that is returned to the battery when you slow down.
Thus, full charge Tesla with an 85 kWh battery will require about 100 kWh, with a 90% charge - about 90 kWh. If we take a real, pessimistic range of 300 km, then for every 100 km of the Model S, about 30 kWh are consumed.
If we take as a basis the usual tariff for individuals(but at the same time, the monthly consumption will exceed 150 kWh), namely 917 rubles, then every 100 km will cost 27,510 rubles. And this despite the fact that the car has 412 liters. s., 600 Nm of torque and accelerates to hundreds in 4.4 s.
One of the nice things about charging is the presence mobile application for iOS and Android. It allows you to remotely track the status of the car, its location, control the central lock, climate control system and, most importantly, monitor the progress of charging. You can see anywhere at what power in this moment the machine is charging and how much time is left before the process is completed.
In summary, here are some things to keep in mind:
- charging from a conventional euro socket requires real grounding and lasts more than a day;
- For normal operation need a red three-phase socket in the garage or in the parking lot, which allows you to fully charge overnight (8 hours);
- the second charger in the car and HPWC do not make much sense, it is more reasonable to buy a second Mobile Connector and use it as a stationary one;
- the car is designed for regular charging at night, just like your mobile phone;
- without permanent place using a Tesla with an electrical outlet is very inconvenient;
- without fast electric charging stations with a capacity of 50 kW or more on the highways long trips extremely difficult;
- you will not be able to charge the American Model S from a three-phase outlet;
- the cost of electricity per 100 kilometers is less than $3.
Is it worth all this dancing with charging? Oh yeah! Even if you do not take into account the multiple savings on fuel, Model S gives a completely new driving experience. The reaction of a person to the acceleration of this car even received a special name tesla grin, which can be translated as "Tesla's wide smile." But we will talk about this in the next article;)
Today, there are three ways to charge your Tesla car.
- At home with a standard Mobile Connector charger
- At home with an optional, more powerful High Power Wall Connector charger
- at charging stations
Tesla Model S Charging Time
Consider required time battery charger with maximum power 85 kWh.
Charger - 29 hours
using a special adapter, standard socket NEMA 14-50 And electrical network modifications- 9 hours
Charger (requires power grid modification) - 9 hours
+ Twin Chargers* (requires power grid modification) - 4.5 hours
*Twin Chargers - dual charger. Located directly in the car, allows you to speed up the charging time by half. The option is available when ordering a car.
At the charging station Supercharger everything is like at home. We drove up to the post, inserted the charger into the compartment, and that's it. It remains only to wait.
It takes approximately 20 minutes to charge your 85 kWh battery in your electric car by half! In 40 minutes, 80% will be replenished, and in an hour and a half, the Tesla Model S 85 kWh will be fully charged. And by the way, it's completely free. After all, Tesla Motors does not charge money for using the Supercharger!
