How long does it take to charge a Tesla?

What does a Tesla cost in Australia? What is the going rate for recharging a Tesla in Oz? How long does it take to charge a Tesla? What the heck is a “Gigafactory,” anyway? Find out everything you need to know about the electric vehicle manufacturer from us.

American electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla may not be the most well-known automaker in the world 20 years ago, but it surely has a strong following in the last decade.

Elon Musk, Tesla’s eccentric billionaire co-founder and CEO, and the company’s unconventional approach to business are big reasons for this.

They’ve gotten rid of their US-based PR team, make all-important product announcements on Musk’s Twitter, and are astonishingly open about their supply chain and quality control problems. 

Customers with complaints about their Tesla vehicles will likely see improvements in the form of a universal software update.

Because of this strategy, they have gained both devoted followers (dubbed Teslarati) and detractors as well.

We’ve compiled some of the most frequently asked questions about Tesla here.

What does a Tesla cost in Australia?

The Model 3 ranges in price from $61,300 for the base rear-wheel-drive model to $87,300 for the top-tier Performance all-wheel-drive model (all prices excluding destination and delivery charges). *price is only indicative at the point of article writing. Check the accurate price on the Tesla website.

The full self-driving capacity adds $10,100 before on-road fees to the final price (it includes autopark, auto lane change, navigate on autopilot, and the potential for full self-driving once the software is put out).

The $400 order fee is non-refundable, although official price and delivery times for the Model X, Model S, and Model Y in Australia have not yet been announced.

A new Tesla Wall Connector for in-home charging will set you back $780, not including the cost of installation by a licensed electrician.  

How long does it take to fully charge a Tesla?

The time it takes to fully charge a battery depends on a number of factors, including the car’s model, the charger used, the battery’s capacity, the ambient temperature, and the car’s built-in charging infrastructure.

The typical home charging time for a Tesla Model 3 is around 38 hours, but charging at one of the company’s public Superchargers can take as little as 20-30 minutes.

According to Tesla, the Model 3 can add 15 kilometres of range each hour when plugged into a standard 2.3kW wall outlet, thus it would take the base model (with a stated range of 491 km) 32 hours to charge completely. 

The Model 3 Performance, with a 567-kilometre (WLTP) stated range, may take up to 38 hours to fully charge from the same outlet.

However, most Tesla owners will charge their vehicles using a Tesla Wall Connector, public DC charger, or Tesla-branded Supercharger, so this time to full charge varies.

Depending on the installation of the Wall Connector and the circuit breaker utilised, the power output of your Connector can range from 2.3kW to 11kW, which Tesla claims can provide anywhere from 15 km to 75 km of range per hour to a Model 3.

The ideal time for charging a Model 3 on an 11kW Wall Connector is around 6.5 hours.

In contrast, Tesla’s Superchargers are able to charge at a higher rate (up to 250kW), allowing them to supposedly add 120 kilometres of range in just five minutes. In theory, the Model 3’s base model could reach full charge in as little as 20 minutes using the superchargers.

What is the price of charging a Tesla？

According to Tesla Australia’s website, some Supercharging stations have peak and off-peak pricing, with prices varying based on the time of day you plug in.

The Tesla app displays the total cost of a charging session after it is complete, and the touchscreen in your vehicle displays pricing for each charging location as you drive.

While most charging locations bill customers by the kWh, some even bill by the minute. 

The current cost of using a Tesla Supercharger in Australia is $0.51 per kilowatt hour. 

Based on Tesla’s stated average consumption rate of 13.1kWh/100km for the Model 3, it appears that 400 km of driving would require a charge of approximately $27 via the Supercharger network.

Meanwhile, pricing per minute is determined by the charge rate, with the lowest cost available for charges of 60kW or less and the highest rate available for charges of 180kW or more. 

Your selected payment method in your Tesla account will be charged automatically.

The ‘idle fee’ that Tesla implements is meant to discourage drivers from occupying charging stations without actively charging their vehicles. When a Supercharger station is at 50% capacity or more, idle fees are assessed; at 100% capacity, the fee is doubled.

Outside of the Supercharger network, owners of Teslas will be charged different amounts to charge their vehicles. 

Chargefox’s ultra-rapid charger network will cost $0.60 per kilowatt-hour as of May 9, 2022, whereas the NRMA’s network is currently free for both members and non-members (the latter will have to pay a fee in the future). The rate for fast charging (up to 50kW) will continue at $0.40 per kWh.

For ultra-speed charging (up to 350kW), Evie charges $0.60, while rapid charging (up to 50kW) costs $0.40.

Prior to the beginning of 2017, Tesla offered free Supercharging for the lifetime of every Model S or Model X purchased.

Where exactly do Teslas come from?

Tesla uses its own plants, principally in the United States and China, to manufacture its automobiles and energy products. 

The majority of Tesla automobiles, including the Model S, Model X, Model Y, and Model 3, are still assembled at the company’s original factory in Fremont, California.

Besides the Model S and Model X, Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y are built at the Shanghai Gigafactory.

Three Gigafactories (from the prefix “giga,” meaning “billions,”) are currently in operation at Tesla to meet the company’s burgeoning demand for electric vehicle components and renewable energy solutions. 

The first Gigafactory was established in Nevada, United States, and it is responsible for manufacturing battery packs, drive units, and energy storage solutions. The second Gigafactory is situated in New York, and it is accountable for manufacturing solar and energy storage products. 

The cities of Berlin, Germany, and Austin, Texas, USA, are home to two other Gigafactories now under construction.

Read the latest Tesla news on the Tesla Market website.