The Battle for Home Charging: A Tesla Owner's Journey
When I first got my Tesla Model Y Premium All-Wheel-Drive, I knew I had to find a way to charge it at home without relying on Superchargers. As a tenant in a rented townhouse community, the challenge was real. But here's where it gets controversial... I decided to go the extra mile and explore creative solutions, and this is the part most people miss.
Before I even bought my Tesla, I reached out to my leasing office to see if they had any plans to bring EV charging to the neighborhood. I was determined to find a solution, and I knew I had to act fast. After months of trying, I finally bought my Tesla in August and was ready to tackle the problem head-on.
My challenge with home charging was unique. In a rental community, parking spots are a little complicated. I had assigned parking at my house, but unfortunately, my parking spot wasn't right in front of my front door. Instead, it was staggered, so my car was parked in front of my neighbor's front door. I initially spoke to my neighbor and got permission to park in their spot during the day while it was vacant. However, I couldn't upgrade my outlet to the typical 220v-240v alternative, which meant I would need to be in my permanent spot for overnight charging.
The Tesla Mobile Connector was 20 feet long, but I needed about 30 feet to charge my car. I had a few options: use the Mobile Connector and park in my neighbor's spot, buy an 8 or 10-gauge extension cord, or buy an NACS to NACS extension cord. I didn't want to use the first option, as it wasn't a viable long-term solution. The 10-gauge extension cord was the first thing my friends who are electricians recommended, but I didn't want to risk having the Mobile Connector in the grass.
After some research, I found an NACS to NACS connector from A2Z, which was recommended by other owners. It kept the Mobile Connector off the ground and gave me an additional 16 feet of length to work with. This was the solution I went with, and it worked like a charm. I plugged the Mobile Connector into my house, the NACS to NACS extension into the Mobile Connector, and the NACS extension into my car. It all worked immediately, but there are some things you should know if you're planning to do this.
First, be aware that these cables are a target for thieves. If you're in a place where copper wiring is heavily sought after, keep the cables in a secure place. I put mine away when they're not charging and at night, they're visible from my Ring camera, so I'm not overly concerned. But definitely be aware of it.
Additionally, if you're going to run the cable across the sidewalk, get a cable cover from a local hardware store. I picked up a heavy-duty one from Amazon to cover the thicker gauge of the NACS to NACS extension. I've considered getting a second one for the visible cable, but I'm still undecided.
So far, I've been able to add some range to my car three times using this strategy. While it's slow, it's definitely worth it. It's better than having the car sit stagnant. Tesla says the Mobile Connector will provide you with between 3 and 5 miles of range per hour when plugged into a typical wall outlet, and that's about what I've gotten with it. From 30 percent to 80 percent, it will take well over 24 hours to charge your car.
I plan to cover some additional details on this as time goes on, including any troubleshooting I might have to do, how much my electric bill goes up, and whether or not I run into any issues with my neighbors or my leasing office. If you're looking for some help on an at-home charging solution or have any questions about my setup, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. 🚨 I FINALLY figured out a way to charge my Tesla at home as a renter — Using Superchargers exclusively was inconvenient, tough on the battery, and expensive. Here's how I did it: [link to article].
