Today, there are three ways to charge your Tesla car.
- At home using the standard charger Mobile Connector
- At home with an optional, more powerful High Power Wall Connector charger
- at charging stations
Tesla Model S Charging Time
Consider required time charging for a battery with a maximum power of 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 - Tesla Model S 85 kWh will be fully charged. And by the way, it's completely free. After all Tesla Motors does not charge for the use of Supercharger!
Potential Buyers motor vehicle before purchasing, study its characteristics and weigh the pros and cons of buying specific model a certain brand. Speaking of the Tesla Model S car, which runs only on electricity, it is extremely important to study the issue of refueling it in advance. The variety of fuel stations allows you to forget about the difficulties of refueling, and what it will mean for the owner charger car.
Supercharger stations for recharging Tesla
Supercharger stations are designed for accelerated recharging of the energy reserve necessary for the movement of an electric vehicle. At these stations charging timeteslamodels 100% charge takes 75 minutes, half to 20 minutes and 40 minutes for 80% charge. Recharging is carried out with a power of 120 kW, while the provided power of the basic recharging inverter is 10 kW, and the additional one is 20 kW. A network of Superchargers stations can be found at North America and Europe. They work for solar panels and offer their customers free charging. Working hours 7 days a week and 24 hours a day. Unfortunately, there are no such charging points in Russia, but this does not mean that the owner will have special difficulties with the so-called refueling of an electric car.
Self-charging electric vehicle
Real solution to the problem how to chargeteslamodels in Russia is an independent so-called car refueling. It depends on the type of chargers and sockets, how much is chargingteslamodels. The electric car is equipped with a charger for obtaining direct current from alternating current, which is available at any outlet.
The 5 pin red 16 amp IEC 60309 Red socket allows you to charge the car at 55 kW per hour, when using a power amplifier. The socket supports three-phase current with a voltage of 380 volts. It can be connected in a personal garage or found on filling stations or car washes, since the equipment they use mainly involves connecting to a 380-volt outlet. The main condition is to obtain permission from the staff to use it.
Another possible variant- refueling at Type 2 stations, which can also be found in Russia. To do this, you need to purchase a cable with adapters that allows you to connect an electric car for subsequent recharging. Charging timeteslamodels 100% in this case will only take 4 hours. In addition to the cable, Type 2 chargers themselves are on sale, which the car owner can install in any place convenient for him. Full refueling in 1.5 hours the ChaDeMo station provides. It is rarely found on the roads of Russia, but is available for purchase.
Car charging cable provided in standard equipment Tesla designed for European automotive market, provides the ability to recharge an electric vehicle from a regular 220-volt euro socket. This is the longest way, which takes a whole day for full charge electric vehicle.
"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. We continue the promised cycle of publications.
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 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 conductor insulation is needed (thick pipe wall), 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 power supply uses alternating current, and the battery is charged with constant current, it must be "straightened" using a 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 car. 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".
Mobile Connector
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 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 begun!
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 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 socket 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 biggest problem with 22 kW charging is allocating the appropriate 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 refueling is a 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 next to permanent place parking 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 individual case, the timing, cost, availability of electric power will vary. Therefore, before thinking about buying an electric car, you definitely need to understand for yourself how you will solve the issue of charging.
But what about the electric refueling on the A-100, you ask? After all, the slogan on a huge poster reads “Electric cars refuel here”, and on a special pedestal, like a monument, stands a lonely nissan leaf. As it turned out from a conversation with the gas station staff, they have no idea how it works: “The bosses are playing this electric car, and we don’t know anything.”
On the second attempt, with a request to clarify the situation, the employee went to his superiors, who did not even deign to leave the office and look at the first living customer of an electric refueling station in the country. "It is for official use», - said, as she cut off, the lady at the cash desk after a visit to the authorities.
We approached Nissan and found out that the “subcompact car” is charged by “slow” charging through the old Type 1 connector. In any case, without dancing with adapters that are not there, Model S will not be able to charge there, and it will take too much time. Thus, "electric refueling" on the "A-100" is simply not a completely correct marketing ploy.
If in the city of Tesla - this is almost an ideal option for everyday driving, That long journeys on an electric car in conditions of Eastern Europe currently represent big problem. You can still go to Vilnius by agreeing there with the owner of the red socket for the night, but to Moscow - no longer. This requires a network of fast chargers that would be on the tracks.
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 owners Model S 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 plans to develop the Supercharger network in Western Europe and the US. As for Eastern Europe, no specific information has yet been announced.
Existing network Supercharger stations in North America
Network development plans in North America by 2015
Existing network of Supercharger stations in Europe
Network development plans by 2015 in Europe
The second, universal, fast charging option is the Chademo network. The idea is the same, but not 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.
First of all, ask following questions: What is the Tesla charging time? How to charge a Tesla? Where can I charge my Tesla? And what does the charger look like? Tesla device?
Here's what it looks like tesla charging station Houses. Well, we see - there is a thick corrugation, inside there is the same thick cable, there is an automatic machine, we turn on the automatic machine, then through again, nifiga, not small connectors, such a not small wall-mounted beautiful thing with a cable is connected, which, in fact, gives current to the car . Now about 80 Amperes are suitable for it, which is about 17 kW. It means that tesla charging time with it will be 5 hours.
We approach the car, press the button on the plug and the charging port opens.
When the charging is over, we take this same plug, take it out, hang it up and leave.
Such Tesla car charger costs $1,200 plus tax, i.e. Roughly speaking, about $1,300. Theoretically, you can hang an ordinary American power outlet, costing $ 30 in America, through it you can give up to 40 amperes, inclusive, i.e. about 10 kW, which will provide a Tesla charging time of 8 to 10 hours.
In principle, at home or even with a temporary connection, you can use a regular American power outlet.
This socket is plugged into a regular mobile connector that comes with the car, this is what it looks like.
And the difference between the $1,300 wall-mounted, stationary version and the connector that comes with the kit is quite simple - you need to get it out of the trunk and plug it into the network, and you just need to insert the wall connector into the car.
Now what happens inside the car when we charge it? What does she show us? on-board computer ?
This very charging screen - you can see that the car is already charged by almost 80%, and you can see how it is gaining those very Amperes, and the Amperes are gradually growing a little bit so as not to spoil the cold battery, i.e. at first she takes 30A, after a minute already 40A and so on up to 80A. And here on this screen you can see how many kW it is now suitable for and how much kW / h it has already downloaded for this charge. Also, in parallel, the car shows how much time remains until it is fully charged. In our case, about an hour and a half. This is basically all you need about how to charge a Tesla. As you can see, everything is very simple.
But there is one thing here. First and most importantly, it is good for those people who have such a micro infrastructure of their own, which allows them to have 80A of single-phase current. For most, the maximum power is 40A, and in the household in a private house (at the dacha, at work), much lower currents of 12A are available. And here it is worth saying that charging a Tesla car through a regular household outlet, maximum current which is 12A, Tesla full charge time is about 16 hours, and is about 200 km in hard operation mode.
The main problem of any electric car in any country is to get enough electrical power, i.e. in the office, at home, in the country. And this is really a problem, at least in Russia, because. Right now we don’t have any regulations or any other procedures for allocating power specifically for cars, for summer cottages, but not for cars. This is exactly what is the main headache for owners of electric cars. It is clear that each user can independently agree with the energy supply organization, but in order for there to be as many electric machines in our country as possible, a procedure is needed that will be clear to each user: where to go, what application to leave, what a reasonable amount of money to pay, and then there will be that the power you need the most power. This is exactly what it is main problem operation.
As for the city infrastructure, just yesterday there was news that Moscow parking lots will be equipped with chargers - this is certainly good, some kind of step into the future. But according to Tesla Motors statistics, about 90% of Tesla cars in America are charged at home, i.e. this is either charging at home in the parking lot, or charging in the country, if people live in their homes. And only 10% is obtained at supercharges and at public gas stations. Of course, city gas stations are good, but they are not charging stations- these are charging stations, i.e. I just came to the store and recharged the car a little, or you just go somewhere - got some life-giving energy and drove on to be guaranteed to get there, i.e. because of the weather or because of the traffic jam, do not accidentally suck out all the energy. But the most important thing is charging at home or in the country, where a person lives, where a person leaves the car to charge at night, and this problem, which is solved in Europe and the USA, can be contacted in networks or private (both public and near public) companies that can solve this problem and the only place in America where there are problems with charging is Manhattan, and that’s only because it is already very small and there are really problems with electricity, there is an energy shortage, and in the same Moscow and all of Russia there is energy surplus, t .e. shaft, at least in high-voltage networks, and there is no problem to allocate additional energy through these high-voltage networks. It turns out that there is energy, but then this most necessary link and procedure is missing so that each user simply by submitting an application, paying reasonable money, gets himself electric power to charge his car.
Impressions from the operation Tesla in 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.
