HUB 04 · Charging Costs
Tesla Model 3 & Model Y: Home Charging Time and Cost
What a Model 3 or Model Y costs to charge overnight, how long it takes at the 48-amp limit the car accepts, and the charger that fits its NACS port.
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A Tesla Model 3 or Model Y charges at home for roughly eight dollarsfor a typical 10-to-80-percent top-up, and it does it overnight. The one number that decides how fast is the car's onboard charger: both accept up to 11.5 kW, or 48 amps, so a charger rated above that adds nothing. Here is the time, the cost, and the charger that fits the car's NACS port - with the arithmetic shown.
The 48-amp ceiling is the car, not the charger
Every recent Model 3 and Model Y has an onboard AC charger capped at 11.5 kW (48 amps at 240 volts). That cap lives in the car. Feed it from an 80-amp commercial unit and it still draws 48; buy a 40-amp charger and you leave a little speed on the table. The sweet spot is a 48-amp Level 2 charger on a 60-amp circuit - see our best 48-amp chargers for the units that hit it.
How long it takes
At the full 11.5 kW, a Model 3 or Model Y adds roughly 30 to 44 miles of range per hour, depending on trim and efficiency. A daily top-up is far quicker than a full charge - you rarely run a battery flat or fill to 100 percent.
Roughly, at 48 amps / 11.5 kW:
- Overnight 10 to 80 percent (~50 kWh): about 4.5 hours
- A 40-mile daily commute back: about 1 to 1.5 hours
- Empty to full: about 7 to 8 hours - which is why you schedule it overnight
Plugged in every night, the car is simply full every morning. The full-charge figure only matters before a road trip, and even then you top up at a Supercharger on the way, not at home.
What it costs
Cost follows the same formula as any EV: energy into the battery, divided by ~0.90 for charging losses, times your electricity rate. For a Model 3/Y refilled 10 to 80 percent (~50 kWh into the pack):
- Energy drawn from the wall: 50 / 0.90 = ~55.6 kWh
- At the US average of about $0.16/kWh: 55.6 x $0.16 = about $8.90
- Cost per mile at ~3.8 mi/kWh: about 4.7 cents, or ~$4.70 per 100 miles
Your rate is the whole story - it varies widely by state and utility, and charging overnight on a time-of-use plan can cut it further. Run your own numbers below, then see off-peak charging for how to pay the lowest rate.
Run it for your car
Cost-to-charge calculator
Put in your electricity rate, your battery size and your car's efficiency. The math is the same one shown above, with a 10% charging loss included so the number is realistic.
- $8.09
- A 10% to 80% charge
- $11.56
- A full (empty to 100%) charge
- $0.05
- Cost per mile
- $5.08
- Cost per 100 miles
Estimate only. Actual cost depends on your exact utility rate (including any time-of-use pricing and fees), your car's real efficiency, temperature, and charging losses. Check your electric bill for your true rate.
The charger: NACS port, so use the right connector
A Tesla has a NACS port, not J1772. The clean answer is the Tesla Wall Connector, which is native NACS and hardwires at the full 48 amps - the picks are in our best chargers for a Tesla roundup. You are not locked in, though: any J1772 Level 2 charger works with the J1772-to-NACS adapter Tesla includes with the car, or a third-party J1772-to-NACS adapter - useful if you want a smart charger Tesla does not make, or you own a second, non-Tesla EV and want one charger for both.
Questions
Frequently asked
What amp charger does a Tesla Model 3 or Model Y need?
Up to 48 amps (11.5 kW) - the onboard limit both cars accept, so a 48-amp charger on a 60-amp circuit is the fastest useful option. A bigger charger cannot push more into the car. A 40-amp plug-in unit works fine too; it is only slightly slower.
How long does a Model Y take to charge at home?
At the full 48 amps, about 4.5 hours for a 10-to-80-percent overnight top-up and roughly 7 to 8 hours from near-empty to full. It adds about 30 to 44 miles of range per hour, so a normal day's driving comes back in an hour or two.
Can I use a regular J1772 charger on a Tesla?
Yes. Teslas ship with a J1772-to-NACS adapter, so any J1772 Level 2 charger works. You can also buy a third-party adapter. That is how you use a smart charger Tesla does not sell, or share one charger with a non-Tesla EV.
What does it cost to charge a Tesla at home?
About $8 to $9 for a typical 10-to-80-percent top-up at the US average electricity rate, or roughly 5 cents per mile. Your electricity rate is the main variable - run the calculator above with your own rate for an exact figure.
Keep reading
Related
Receipts
Sources
- US EIA - average price of electricity (residential rates)
- US DOE / fueleconomy.gov - EV charging basics
- US DOE AFDC - charging at home
We do not run a testing lab, and we do not pretend to. Where a measured number came from someone else's lab, we name them and link them. Where we could not verify something, we say so on the page rather than quietly leaving it out. Read our full method.