Tesla's newest home charger works with non-Tesla EVs, an indicator of CEO Elon Musk's interest in capturing a piece of the expanding EV market outside of Tesla's own vehicles.
The charger, called a Wall Connector, is available now on Tesla's website. It's a typical level two home charger, built in the industry standard J1772 plug type. It costs $550 whereas competitors from Wallbox and Chargepoint sit in the $700 range.
"The J1772 Wall Connector is compatible with most North American electric vehicles," says the description on the Tesla website. Most North American vehicles besides Teslas, that is, which have a proprietary charging port. To use the J1772 charger, "Tesla vehicles will require an additional SAE J1772 Charging Adapter to charge, which is included with all Tesla vehicles upon delivery," the description adds. The company also sells a Tesla-specific Wall Connector for $400.
A similar charger was on the market briefly last year, but was quietly removed from the Tesla website several weeks after launch.
The new J1772 Wall Connector description highlights the same features as the original Tesla Wall Connector. It gives 44 miles of range per hour, which is on-par with other brands or even slightly above (the Chargepoint home charger claims 37 miles per hour charged). The actual rate depends on the vehicle itself, the weather, and your home's circuit breaker/electrical system.
If you have multiple Teslas (because why not?), both Wall Connectors can "power-share" to distribute the available electrical capacity across several vehicles simultaneously.
Power sharing may apply more directly to a commercial setting, such as a rental car company charging a fleet of Teslas. Businesses can buy up to 12 Wall Connectors at one time.
For charging outside the home, Tesla last month revealed a $250 adapter for owners to expand their fast charging options beyond Tesla's own Supercharger network, which the company plans to open up to non-Tesla EVs sometime this year.
Tesla currently has 70% of the US market, Bloomberg reports, though that's expected to decline rapidly by 2025 as 135 new all-electric models from other companies hit dealers.
Installation Process for Level 2 Chargers
Most vehicles come with a level one charger (though Tesla no longer bundles them with vehicle purchase), but level one charging takes 10 or more hours to get the same charge a level two will provide in just a few hours.
Homeowners with high daily driving demands may want to consider upgrading to a level two. To do so, contact a local electrician with an expertise in EV charging installation. The electrician will either purchase the charger for you, or ask you to pick one you like.
Then, they will assess the circuit breaker in your home, and test the electrical demands already placed on it from other household appliances. If the current circuit breaker can handle it, as many can, the electrician will connect the charger to your home electrical system and install the charger in the garage.
Most products come with a 20+ foot cord from the charger to the vehicle, including the Tesla Wall Connectors, to maximize placement possibilities depending on your home.
Tesla provides a recommended installation process for its products here.