What EV Charger Do You Need for a 2019 Tesla Model S 75D?
Forty-eight amps. That is the maximum AC current this car's onboard charger can draw. You need a 48 amp Level 2 setup to hit the fastest home charging speed. A slower setup adds hours to the refill time.
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 7.3 hours |
| Range added per hour (Level 2) | about 35 miles |
| Full charge on a 120 V outlet | about 59 hours |
| Range added per hour (120 V) | about 4.4 miles |
| EPA rated range | 259 miles |
| Energy for a full charge | about 84.5 kWh at the wall |
Why 48 amps and not more
The onboard charger maxes out at 48 amps. Buying a larger charging unit will not speed up the car because the vehicle limits the current intake. Feeding it less amperage means slower charging speeds overnight. The car takes 7.3 hours to reach full from empty at the maximum Level 2 rate. Pumping electricity into the 84.5 kWh battery at this speed yields 35 miles of range per hour.
What the install involves
Wiring this setup requires a 60 amp breaker. A 48 amp electric vehicle supply equipment unit must be hardwired directly to the electrical panel because no household receptacle is rated for that continuous load. Hire an electrician for this work. They will run heavy gauge copper wire and mount the Tesla Wall Connector safely.
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
- Can I plug this car into a standard wall outlet?
- Yes, but it is painfully slow. Level 1 charging takes 59 hours to reach full and adds only 4.4 miles of range per hour.
- Why does the EPA charge time show 12 hours?
- The EPA test does not always run at the car's peak AC rate. Real-world charging at the maximum Level 2 speed finishes the job in 7.3 hours.
- Do I need an adapter for public or home chargers?
- Tesla vehicles use the NACS connector natively. A J1772 adapter ships with the car for third-party Level 2 units.
- What charging hardware should I buy?
- The Tesla Wall Connector matches the car's maximum 48 amp capacity. It features a native NACS connector and 24.0 feet of cable.
Other vehicles
Charging times derived from EPA data for the 2019 Tesla Model S 75D. Electrical requirements follow NEC 625.41, which sizes a circuit at 125% of a continuous load. Always have a licensed electrician verify your panel.