Level 2 Charger Tesla , Which Should You Buy? Full Guide

You may have settled on purchasing a Tesla as your very first electric vehicle. However, you’re wondering, as you’re not that quite familiar with how electric vehicles charge, how everyone’s charging in the comfort of their home. There are, of course, a multitude of options to consider as even Tesla itself sells its charging equipment. Despite all that, we’ll make it easy for you as we list a breakdown of the rudimentary basics of how EV charging works and how different chargers operate to charge your Tesla as well as our recommendation on level 2 charger Tesla for your home.

Table of Contents

What electrical charging accessory is included with the purchase of your Tesla?

First and foremost, it is important to note that Tesla no longer includes mobile connectors with its vehicles, dating back to April 17, 2022. Word came to be when Tesla’s founder himself chimed on Twitter in a series of tweets, saying that it was triggered by usage statistics that weren’t high enough to warrant the inclusion of the mobile connector. The reaction to this decision was divided, as some users weren’t quite happy as they were now supposed to buy the mobile connector for $200$.

Additional plug adapters are included from purchasing the adapter bundle after the decision of excluding the mobile charger from Tesla purchases — Elon musk series of tweets expressing the change towards the mobile charger exclusion

Level 1 charging with Tesla UMC (Universal Mobile Connector)

Level 1 charging will be the slowest charging speed possible for an electric vehicle. The only way to get Level 1 charging from Tesla is through the universal mobile connector, and if you get it from Tesla themselves, it will come with a Nema 5-15 adapter. Charging with the UMC allows your Tesla to charge around, on average, 3-5 miles per hour. Unfortunately, utilizing a 120-volt outlet incurs a 15-20% energy loss, with a larger portion of the energy being used to heat the Tesla battery.

Utilizes a regular household outlet.
It comes with a carrying bag and a 20-foot cable.

NEMA 5-15 level 1 charging supported by an outlet of 120V.

If driving involves less than 40 miles daily, your circumstances will suffice for using a UMC. Otherwise, it’s best to consider a Level 2 charger.

Level 2 Charging with UMC.

Adopting a level 2 charger will see a significant increase in the speeds of charging. When buying a Tesla, this is what you should be charging the Tesla with. The level 2 chargers are usually 240 volts and provide 25 miles of range per hour. The NEMA 14-50 adapter allows the conversion of the UMC mobile connector to provide charge utilizing the 240V outlet. The UMC’s interchangeability allows for various plugs compatible with faster charging whenever available.

The NEMA adapters will run for about 35-45$, and you’ll need to consider which adapter corresponds to the plug you want to use for your Tesla. The charging speeds vary based on the choice of adapter, ranging from 11 miles per hour up to 30 miles per hour.

NEMA adapters and their range of miles gained when charging per hour over the different models of Tesla vehicles. — Tesla’s table of NEMA adapters over a range of different Tesla models and their miles gained per hour of charge

Tesla adapter: NEMA 14-50

The NEMA 14-50 is capped at 40 amps and operates at 9.6kW per hour at optimal charge levels. It should perform the most efficiently out of all the rest of the NEMA adapters. The downside is that you will need to hire an electrician to provide a quote on how much your electrical system can handle. The installation of the outlet cost is based on numerous factors that could alter the pricing. It could range upwards to changing your entire electrical system, assuming it can’t provide ample amperage to handle it.

The plug must also be installed with higher quality materials due to how fast the plug is supposed to charge. Concurrently, some areas abide by stricter codes, as some receptacles can’t provide 50 amps instantly. There is also the case in which your electrical installer could cheap out on the receptacle, and it would inadvertently melt under load.

Reasons to go with Hardwired Level 2 charger Tesla over UMC plug-in chargers.

There are many reasons to go with a hardwired level 2 charger compared to a NEMA adapter with a UMC. Among the reasons is that fewer connections to the hardwired charger would mean fewer failure points, which reduces the risk of overloading and tripping the electrical system. Another advantage that a hardwired Level 2 charger would have compared to a Level 1 mobile connector would be that the efficiency of a Level 2 charger is about 10% more efficient than a Level 1 when the voltage applied is increased from 120V to 240V. This

With a plug-in as a charger, shifting ownership from a Tesla to another EV manufacturer would eventually mean inquiring about a new Level 2 hardwired charger.
Hardwired Level 2 chargers can automatically reset if there are no issues that could plague the GFCI trip as they are built in.

NEMA plugs are prone to wear and tear as they are religiously unplugged from the unit outlet after usage.
A plug-in charger is more susceptible to theft as they are not appropriately installed like a hardwired Level 2 charger.

Recommended Level 2 Charger Tesla

Tesla Wall Connector -240V

The Tesla gen 3 wall connector is advised by Tesla to be installed by its certified installers in which Tesla themselves have listed on the purchase page. — GEN 3-Tesla Wall Connector

This might not come as a surprise, but the Tesla wall connector is a good contender to the slew of other third-party chargers. Tesla offers two versions of the charger, one with an NACS – to – J1772 adapter and the other with just a NACS head connector. This variety allows for easier charging to vehicles that come with a J1772 connector. The Tesla wall connector supplies up to 44 miles per hour at 11.5kW and is compatible with the Tesla application to manage and schedule charging. Other features include:

Model compatibility spans the Tesla Model S, Model 3, Model X, and Model Y.
The Tesla wall connector amperage can be altered accordingly to fit the power level your home circuit breaker can support, ranging from 15 to 60 amps.
The cable is 24 feet long and has a handle that automatically opens the charging port when pressed.

Wi-Fi connectivity that enables remote and access controls.
Warranty of 4 years

ChargePoint Home Flex -240V

The Chargepoint Home Flex is the number one Level 2 EV Charger sold on Amazon and is backed by a company that has an extensive history of installations across the country. — ChargePoint Home Flex

ChargePoint is an organization that has done a multitude of EVSE installation works across North America which at the moment spans a total of 274k+ stations. Their proprietary Level 2 EV charger is set as the number 1 best seller on Amazon for EVSE. The charging point is available to be installed compatible with Tesla or for all other EVs. ChargePoint requires a 40A/50A circuit to operate and charges through a 240V outlet, delivering 30 miles per hour of charge at a maximum power of 12kW. Other features include:

Able to be configured to install with NEMA 6-50, NEMA 14-50, hardwired NACS for Tesla compatibility, and a hardwired J1772 connector for all other EVs.
It is rated for indoor and outdoor installation as it is UL-certified.

It has Wi-Fi connectivity and remote access capability utilizing its ChargePoint Mobile App, which enables you to manage your charging on the fly and receive related data.
Voice control is also available by combining with an Alexa device.
Warranty of 3 years.

Wallbox Pulsar Plus -240V

Wallbox Pulsar Plus that is offered in both matte black and white includes a bracket to hold the tethered cable. — Wallbox Pulsar Plus

The Wallbox Pulsar Plus is an excellent compact and sleek EV charger that can be conveniently installed in tight spaces due to its small footprint design. The Wallbox Pulsar Plus has a tethered cable attached permanently and offers a cable length of 25 feet that can be configured to supply anywhere from 6A to 40A at a maximum power of 9.6kW.

Additionally, Wallbox has the option to add a Wallbox Power Meter that allows for its feature “POWER BOOST” to optimize power delivery whenever possible, which could conveniently avoid costly electrical upgrades. The Wallbox Pulsar Plus can be configured to be hardwired or available in conjunction with a NEMA 14-50 plug. Other features include:

Application support with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity allows remote access to charging and supports features such as scheduling charging, remote locking of the charger, and managing power output.
IP54 ratingthat protects the charger from dust and other particles. The charger can also withstand up to 1.7kg of force dropped from 300mm of height from the charger.
Ring of LED around the EV charger itself that shows charging statuses and issues for users to tell at a glance easily

Compatible with electric vehicles with type 1 or type 2 charging, but Tesla’s will require Tesla’s provided adapter.
Warranty of 3 years.

Our EV Level 2 charger Tesla recommendations come from experience

Some installation works of EVSE done by our brand and partner, Energielite.

Our selection of chargers comes from our experienced partner and brand, Energielite, which has been dabbling in the installation of EVSE ever since 2022. Energielite has done hundreds of EVSE installations that cater to every customer’s needs based on their specific EVSE preference and has found that these offer the most to best suit your home charging needs for a Tesla.