Tesla Supercharging Etiquette

These two superchargers may look the same, but they are not. I'm a frugal Tesla guy and I'm going to give you a crash course on the different types of superchargers and basic

supercharging

etiquette

when it comes to Teslas and electric vehicles in general. One of the most frequently asked questions usually has to do with car charging. Where is it loaded? How often is it charged? How long does it take to charge the car properly? I usually start answering most of these questions by explaining the three different types of cargo. level 1 aka trickle charging, level 2 aka target chargers and level three some argue they are not called level three but we will call them that just for the sake of this video they are also known as

supercharging

The last two Also known as references, are terms usually used by Tesla level 1 and 2 chargers, which are most frequently used in the home;

However, you will also find destination chargers in hotels, hence the name destination charger. In this video, we're going to focus our energy, no pun intended, on supercharging what the different types are and the basic

etiquette

when connecting to a supercharging station, as if it wasn't complicated enough with different types of charging, believe it or not , there are also different types of superchargers, so we start from where it all started and That was California in 2012, when the first six superchargers with a maximum power of 90 kilowatts were installed. Less than a year later, in 2013, Tesla began installing superchargers with a maximum power of 120 kilowatts.

This would be the standard that all Tesla superchargers would follow for the next three years, in 2016, Tesla introduced what they call the gen 2 supercharger with a maximum power of 150 kilowatts. A year later in 2017, they developed urban superchargers and installed them in parking lots and shopping centers, just to name a few of the different ones. types of purchasing opportunities, these have a different design and a lower power level of 72 kilowatts. Then comes the latest and greatest in supercharging from Tesla, which is the v3 supercharger. The first was installed at the home base in Fremont, California, with a maximum kilowatt output and, although it was launched in March 2019, it did not really become standard, at least in the United States, until late 2019.

For the entire 2020s, minus a handful of urban and Gen 2 superchargers, all superchargers installed in the US have been v3 now that To understand what types of superchargers exist, we now need to understand how they work, so let's get started with gen 2 superchargers. Now these metal boxes are gen 2 superchargers and have a maximum power of 120 or 150 kilowatts. These are supercharging stations or positions and two. of them share the output of a supercharger, so, for example, if a station is connected to a Tesla, it will get a maximum power of 120 or 150 kilowatts; However, if another station that shares the supercharger output is connected to another Tesla, the first one could see a drop in its charging rate because now the 120 or 150 kilowatts are shared between the two cars, on the other hand, the stations Urban Supercharge and V3 do not share power, meaning they all have the potential to reach the maximum power of 72 or 250 kilowatts.

Depending on the type you are connected to, this is all important information because knowing what type of supercharging station you are connected to can make or break you when it comes to charging etiquette, so how do you know which type you have connected to? Well, it's actually very easy from your car, just press the super charge location and it will tell you the maximum output of that particular station. The gen 2 and v3 stations look identical and are generally not labeled at least the ones I have been to, but there have been reports of 250 kilowatt signals on some of the v3 superchargers.

Now a quick way to see if it's a gen 2 supercharger is to look at the bottom of the post, if it's labeled in an a b pattern then it's a gen 2 supercharger. So for example. 1a 1b 2a 2b and so on now with a v3 supercharger they are labeled a b c and d and then continue that pattern with different numbers but if it goes from b in the pattern then you can be sure it is a now urban v3 supercharger. The superchargers are easy to identify because they are smaller and appear to have been cut out of the center of the gen 2 or v3 supercharger like that of a donut hole.

I guess you could call them supercharger holes now that you've identified what type of Supercharger you entered, let's talk about label and we'll start with generation 2. Now when you enter you will notice a label on the bottom of the supercharger stations 1a, 1b , 2a, 2b, etc., now this indicates which stations share power. So, for example, 1a and 1b share energy, so it's your job to redo everything you can. No pun intended to make sure you don't get close to a charging station that will slow down your fellow Tesla owner's charging speed. If someone is using 1a and you can avoid it, don't use 1b, it's that simple.

Here is an example from a recent trip that I think shows perfect etiquette as I pulled into the Ukiah supercharger which is a gen 2 there is a model 3. at stall b on the far left I decided to go to the opposite end and using stall 1a about 15 minutes later, one model stopped and began using stall 3a, leaving 2a or 2b available for full access to the 120 kilowatt output that this supercharging station is. able to now I ended up leaving before testing one more person, but this is a great example of three

tesla

owners understanding how this particular station ideally works, if one more person showed up they would connect to 2a or 2b now if If it were the fifth Tesla to arrive at this station you would have to choose because no matter which one you use it will share power with another car now the best way would be to ask someone who has been there longer because chances are they will.

Be at a load speed less than half the maximum output; Otherwise, it's a guessing game and someone will have to be disappointed now if it turns out you're the only one on a supercharger and someone plugs in right next to you, slowing you down to the max. They probably don't know any better and it's a good idea to approach them with a smile on your face and educate them on supercharger pairing. They will most likely thank you for the knowledge and move on to a different position, as I mentioned above. and v3 supercharger stations do not share power, however, until all or most gen 2 superchargers are discontinued, if ever, it is always good practice to use the same etiquette rules just in case What if you stop and all the charging stations are being used well?

First of all, take a look to see if there is any kind of line and get in it if there is, if not, look around to see if there are other people waiting in their cars, chances are they all know their place and your place in line. Whether it's that random person who isn't paying attention or doesn't care, you can try to jump ahead in line, how you or anyone else waiting in line handles this type of person is up to you, but for the most part, the most people in the Tesla. The community is quite polite, but there is always someone who slips through.

I've been to many superchargers from Washington, Oregon, to Texas, and fewer than a few where all the cells are removed, most of them required. to back off if there are one or two positions at the fueling station that require you to enter nose first; are reserved for people with bike racks on a trailer hitch or pulling a trailer; Otherwise they will have to take everything offline or occupy multiple stalls Now it may seem easy to just walk into one of these like this guy did in this supercharger v3 in willows but it's best to use one of the regular stalls in case someone shows up pulling a trailer now in your defense, you may not even know it and the chances of someone towing a trailer are slim but it's always good to err on the side of caution now when you plug into a busy supercharging station your car will automatically set its charge limit at 80 and, although you can override it by setting, it is generally more courteous to disconnect with enough reserve to reach your destination, whether it's your home or the next supercharger, this way people waiting in line will have wait times shorter, plus once it hits 80 your charging speed usually drops considerably if you're shopping and your car is charged before you're done, it's always good etiquette to unplug your car and move it, even if it's not a supercharger Busy, they can sometimes fill up quickly, and Tesla charges idle fees if you're plugged in. and your car is loaded and last but not least, let's talk about trash.

I could have come up with a pun, but I didn't have the energy. More and more fueling stations are starting to include trash cans. However, there are still many things that don't work. I can't tell you how many times I almost stepped in someone's trash they so kindly placed outside their door. There also seems to be a rule that I'm not aware of that allows you to just place your trash next to it. to the charging station thinking it will magically disappear when I unplug it and leave. This is something that doesn't need to be said because it's common sense, but I'll say it anyway if there's no trash can.

Throw it away until you see one, it's that simple, so there's your crash course in overeating etiquette. Now is the time for you to help spread this information to new owners and people awaiting delivery. It is basic information that many of us take for granted without realizing it. It is not available unless you search deeply for it. Now I also realize that there are some things I may not have included here, so be sure to share some of your bad etiquette experiences in the comments section below. Thank you all so much for watching. and you already know the procedure, how to subscribe and stay positively charged.