July 2, 2022

The best home charger for the Tesla Model 3

Connecting a Tesla to an EV charger

With gas prices reaching all-time highs, many people are considering a switch to electric vehicles (EVs). Indeed, Google searches for EVs spiked to an all-time high this year alongside rising fuel costs. More companies are also thinking of forming a corporate electric vehicle alliance to reduce overhead costs for gas fuel and transportation. But making the change from gas reliance to battery reliance can seem like too much hassle when you’re already used to weekly gas station trips

 

However, the vast majority of EV drivers aren’t even considering going back to gas. They’re quite happy with their choice, often because of the substantially lower operating costs that come with going electric: not only do you save on fuel, but also on parts replacement and service requirements. One of the more popular electric car brands is Tesla as we're seeing more consumers and busineesses opting for the Tesla Model S, Tesla Model X, and Tesla Model Y.

 

Because the biggest hurdle for prospective buyers is a lack of awareness about home charging options, we’re here to walk you through that process.

 

Tesla Model 3 charging at home

Let’s consider the Tesla Model 3, which consumer surveys rank as “the most satisfying car in the United States.” In 2018, during its first full year on the market, the Model 3 became the best-selling American car, the best-selling car by revenue, and the best-selling electric car in the US. It’s only gone up from there, becoming the 16th-best selling car in the world and the best-selling electric car in world history.

 

Every Model 3 comes with a 120 volt adapter and a short charging cable. This Level 1 “trickle charger” fuels your battery with between two and four miles of driving range per hour. So plugging in for 12 hours each night probably won’t be enough to break even with just the 41-mile average US daily commute. Still, Tesla provides the largest network of super-fast level 3 charging stations, which can fill up the Model 3’s standard range of 263 miles in just over thirty minutes. Tesla drivers can use their adapters to fill up at off-brand charging stations as well. However, most people will want to charge at home, making a level 2 charger essential.

 

Why Level 2 chargers?

For most people, using a level 2 charger to fill up at home will make the most sense. Indeed, over 80% of EV charging happens in just this way! It’s not only much faster, level 2 chargers are the best way to keep your battery from losing range and needing replacement. Since the largest EV maintenance cost by far is battery replacement, and responsible charging habits should help your battery pack outlast its car, investing in a home charger seems like a no-brainer.

 

Which home charging options should you consider?

The Tesla Wall Connector

The Tesla Gen 3 Wall Connector comes with a 24-foot cable, Wi-Fi connectivity, and customizable charging. You can install it inside or outside, and use its mobile app for remote charging control. The charger itself costs $550, but—among other things—requires a NEMA 14-50 adapter and a 240 volt socket, neither of which are included.

 

The adapter upgrade only costs $35 and will be necessary for any level 2 charger, but other installation costs add up fast! According to HomeGuide, the average cost of installing an already-purchased Tesla home-charger ranges from $500 to $1,200, depending on how much electrical work your home needs to handle this.

 

This wall connector can deliver up to 48 amps, which would theoretically increase the driving range by about 44 miles per hour plugged-in, but since 32 is the maximum amperage that the standard rear-wheel drive model allows for, the typical Model 3 driver can still expect only about 30 miles of additional range per hour of charging. In other words, when you get a Tesla connector, you’re paying for performance that only their higher-end sporty lines can access.

 

The Enel X Way JuiceBox 32 charging station

This Level 2 charger also provides 32 amps of current, which maxes out the standard Model 3’s onboard power (though we offer an alternative option with 40 amps as well). You can expect our 25-foot cable to likewise recharge your Model 3 at 30 range-miles per hour, taking 9 hours overall from start to finish.

 

As with all other options, you’ll still need a NEMA 14-50 adapter and a 240 volt socket, but each Tesla purchase comes with a free adapter for our J1772 plug—worth $160—so no additional costs are incurred. Further, each Enel XWay product comes with a three-year warranty, because we’re confident it’ll work for you.

 

JuiceBox’s special features

The real extra value from our $669 32-amp EV charging station comes from its smart features, enabled by the JuiceBox’s wireless connectivity. Our JuiceNet app allows you to keep track of your charging data, including how much each charging session costs you.

 

Additionally, you can schedule charging times, either in-person or remotely, by voice or text commands. This allows you to save on electricity costs or emissions, by telling the device to only provide power when the grid’s electricity price or its fossil fuel reliance drops below a set threshold, for instance late at night.

 

Further, our smart system allows you to automatically maintain battery charge between 20% and 80% capacity, which substantially improves long-term battery performance. And we’re one of only three SOC 2 compliant software providers in the market, which means that we enact safeguards for protecting customer data and confidentiality in accordance with AICPA standards, so that you can be at ease with secure personal and payment data.

 

The market agrees on JuiceBox

But don’t just take our word for it! Auto Guide just called our product “possibly the best home EV charger you’ll ever own,” emphasizing our “thoughtfully designed” smart-features that have “won accolades from numerous automotive publications and risen through the ranks to become a best-selling home charger.” In particular, they singled out our interoperability with other smart devices as “arguably the coolest parlor trick ever” and “a bit of extra convenience that we honestly don’t know how we ever lived without.”

 

Road & Track just named our smart JuiceBox 40 “the best overall home EV charger for 2022,” primarily because of its affordability and reliability. They specifically foregrounded our long warranty and our “extensive vehicle database that is constantly brought up-to-date with new models,” ensuring owners that they don’t have to worry about which vehicle they drive or whether they’ll be satisfied with our charger.

 

Car & Driver also ranked the JuiceBox 40 as “the best overall EV charger for 2022,” highlighting its flexibility and low price. According to them, this product is “far ahead of the rest” because it’s not only “the most feature-rich” but also “quite a bit cheaper” than competitor offerings. They distinctly appreciated our numerous different output levels, because different amperages make much more sense for different contexts.

 

Charge smart and drive clean!

No matter which charger you use, you’ll rest easy knowing you’re saving money and driving clean with your Tesla Model 3. If you want to charge faster, smarter, and cleaner, shop our line of JuiceBox Level 2 chargers today.

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