When it comes to accessing electricity in its basic form, the most important component is the home’s electrical panel which houses all the circuit breakers and ensures your home appliances do not get destroyed from an electric current overload. Most conventional homes come equipped with a 100-amp electric service panel which typically is enough to handle your home’s standard electricity requirements but when the need arises to include a power-draining electrical installation such as a mini home theater to your home’s décor, an upgrade is usually in order.
However, would installing a Tesla wall connector require you to call your electrician for an electrical panel upgrade service quote? Let’s find out together!
Electrical Vehicles (EVs), which store up electric power in rechargeable batteries to power their engines, need to be charged constantly to ensure smooth operation. There are basically two charging options for any one of your Tesla models and they include the Tesla Mobile Connector and the Tesla Wall Connector.
The Tesla Wall Connector
The Tesla Wall Connector also referred to as a High Power Wall Connector (HPWC) is an efficient charging solution that comes highly recommended for use at homes for your Tesla vehicle. Depending on which Tesla model you have, the Tesla wall connector can adequately function on a 40 or 60 amp circuit breaker and uses a 240V power supply.
So at a glance, installing a Tesla wall connector might not overload your home’s 100amp electrical panel right. However, chances are your Tesla wall connector, though versatile, might not operate at its full amperage capacity, and having it compete with other heavy-duty appliances such as electric ovens, central air conditioning systems and so on might be the last straw that breaks your home panel’s back – and circuit breakers!
What Then Should You Do?
There’s no doubt that getting a Tesla wall connector for your EV is a great move but the cost implications for installing one has to be taken into consideration as getting it is not as simple as buying it from your neighborhood gadget store. It costs a decent buck or two! You’d also need the expertise of an experienced licensed electrician to properly install it in your home. He’d most likely ask you to upgrade your service panel to avoid belaboring the existing one or – if he’s a considerate professional like us – proffer you suitable alternatives that would cut costs and still cater to your EV’s electrical needs one of which would be to install a NEMA 14 – 50 outlet which would allow you conveniently charge your EV overnight using only the charging cable that accompanied your Tesla.
Reach out to us for your Tesla charging needs and questions.