Tesla Model S & Model X: Home Charging Time and Cost

A Tesla Model S or Model X charges at home for roughly twelve dollarsfor a typical 10-to-80-percent top-up on its ~100 kWh pack, 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

The Model S and Model X accept up to 11.5 kW (48 amps at 240 volts) of AC at home. That cap lives in the car, not the wall unit - feed it from a bigger commercial charger and it still draws 48. A 48-amp Level 2 charger on a 60-amp circuit is the sweet spot; the units that hit it are in our best 48-amp chargers roundup. A 40-amp charger works fine and simply adds range a touch slower.

How long it takes

At the full 11.5 kW, a Model S or Model X adds roughly 30 to 36 miles of range per hour, depending on wheels, weight and trim. A daily top-up is far quicker than a full charge - you rarely run the battery flat or fill to 100 percent.

Plugged in nightly, the car is 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 rather than wait 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 S/X refilled 10 to 80 percent (~70 kWh into the pack):

• Energy drawn from the wall: 70 / 0.90 = ~77.8 kWh
• At the US average of about $0.16/kWh: 77.8 x $0.16 = about $12.45
• Cost per mile at ~3.1 mi/kWh: about 5.2 cents, or ~$5.20 per 100 miles

Your rate is the whole story - it varies widely by 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 the lowest rate.

The charger: NACS port, so use the right connector

The Model S and Model X have a NACS port. The native answer is the Tesla Wall Connector - see the picks in our best chargers for a Tesla roundup. You are not locked in: any J1772 Level 2 charger works with the J1772-to-NACS adapter Tesla includes, or a third-party J1772-to-NACS adapter - handy if you want a smart charger Tesla does not make, or you own a second, non-Tesla EV and want one unit for both. A mixed Tesla-and-J1772 driveway is exactly what the Emporia vs Tesla Wall Connector comparison settles.