What EV Charger Do You Need for a 2019 Tesla Model 3?
A full charge takes 7.0 hours at maximum Level 2 speed, which easily refills the 80.2 kWh battery overnight. You need a 48 amp EVSE to hit that speed. Standard household outlets will not cut it for daily driving because Level 1 takes 56 hours.
The numbers
| Maximum AC charging rate | 11.5 kW (48 A) |
|---|---|
| Charger size to buy | 48 A |
| Circuit breaker required | 60 A |
| Outlet / connection | hardwired (a 48 A EVSE must be hardwired -- no household receptacle is rated for it) |
| Charge port | NACS |
| Full charge on Level 2 | about 7.0 hours |
| Range added per hour (Level 2) | about 44 miles |
| Full charge on a 120 V outlet | about 56 hours |
| Range added per hour (120 V) | about 5.6 miles |
| EPA rated range | 310 miles |
| Energy for a full charge | about 80.2 kWh at the wall |
Why 48 amps and not more
Your car accepts up to 48 amps, drawing 11.5 kW to refill 44 miles of range every hour. Buying a larger charger brings zero benefit because the onboard charger caps power intake at 48 amps anyway. Dropping down to a smaller unit only increases your charging time without saving you money on the installation. The car drinks electricity at the maximum rated speed and fills up cleanly before morning. Stick to the 48 amp limit.
What the install involves
You need a 60 amp breaker installed in your main electrical panel to feed the circuit. The equipment must be hardwired directly because no household receptacle is rated for 48 amps. Bring in a licensed electrician to pull the heavy gauge wire and land it on the new breaker. Ask them to verify your panel has spare capacity before starting the job.
Chargers that match this car
Your car has a NACS port. The NACS units below plug straight in; any J1772 unit works with the adapter supplied with the car.
Native NACS plug, no adapter needed.
Dual plug: works with NACS and J1772 cars.
Tesla's own unit. Native NACS, hardwire only.
Worth having as well
Common questions
- What connector does the car use?
- Your car has a NACS port. Tesla units plug straight in, and a J1772 adapter ships with the car for third party hardware.
- Can I use a standard wall outlet?
- You can plug into a standard household outlet for Level 1 charging, but it takes 56 hours to finish. That speed only yields 5.6 miles of range per hour.
- Why does the EPA charge time differ from the max rate?
- The EPA rated charge time takes 10.0 hours at 31 miles per hour because government test cycles measure standardized efficiency across varied conditions. Your actual garage experience matches the 7.0 hour peak rate if your supply delivers the full 48 amps.
- Do I need a hardwired unit or a plug in unit?
- You must hardwire a 48 amp charger because no standard wall receptacle safely handles that kind of continuous electrical load. Hardwiring removes a major point of thermal failure.
Other vehicles
Charging times derived from EPA data for the 2019 Tesla Model 3 (covering 5 EPA trim listings). Electrical requirements follow NEC 625.41, which sizes a circuit at 125% of a continuous load. Always have a licensed electrician verify your panel.