Starting with Texas, Tesla (TSLA) is now expanding its wings as a retail electricity provider.
The electric auto manufacturing and energy company is currently providing cost-effective electricity to its Tesla vehicle owners and Tesla Powerwall (home battery storage) customers.
The most attractive offer Tesla is putting out on the table is the $25/month unlimited overnight vehicle or Powerwall charging.
Tesla customers in Texas can now use the Tesla phone app to check their eligibility for the low flat rate of $25/month for unlimited overnight charging. Tesla calls it the “Tesla Electric Rollout Plan.”
According to Tesla’s official FAQs, “The Tesla Electric Home Charging Plan is an energy plan exclusively for Tesla vehicle owners to charge their vehicles overnight at home for $25 per month ($0.83/day billed monthly).”
Tesla is providing electricity through sustainable energy sources to its customers who intend to charge their home Powerwalls or Tesla vehicles using Tesla Electric. “Tesla offsets all your energy usage with sustainable Texas sources,” the Tesla Electric signup screen asserts.
Tesla’s official website states the following:
“Tesla Electric is a retail electricity provider for your home by Tesla. When you sign up with Tesla Electric, Tesla will supply your home with sustainable electricity.
“Tesla Electric is now available for Tesla vehicle owners in Texas who can choose their own electricity provider. You will receive an email invitation to join the Home Charging Plan and will be able to enroll using the Tesla app. You must enroll within three months of this invitation and billing will begin from the day you enroll. Once you’re able to enroll, select Tesla Electric in the Tesla app and agree to the terms of service.
“Note: Existing Tesla Electric customers and Powerwall owners do not qualify for this offer at this time.“
Cost, Timings, & Vehicle Charging Feasibility
Screenshot of the Tesla email invitation to sign up for the $25/mo overnight vehicle charging plan for Texas customers. Credit: Whole Mars Blog / Tesla / Twitter.
The electricity cost in Tesla Electric overnight package is $25/mo or $0.83/night billed monthly. Tesla’s unlimited overnight charging time starts at 10 PM and ends at 6 AM (a total of 8 hours daily).
Tesla guarantees a 12-month price lock for the overnight charging package. “Your energy rate stays the same for a year, no early termination fees,” Tesla states.
Since there is only an 8-hour slot available daily, Tesla car owners need to smartly utilize this time to charge their vehicles.
The fastest option to charge your Tesla vehicle at home is the Tesla Wall Connector. It’s available in the automaker’s online shop for $475. Its installation costs between $750–$1,500.
The table of Tesla Wall Connector charging speeds at different amps for Tesla Model S, X, 3, and Y. Source: Tesla, Inc. (more info on Tesla’s official support website).
As we can see in the Tesla Wall Connector charging specs and speed chart, it can charge a Tesla vehicle at a minimum of 9 miles added per hour. The maximum charging speed we can get from a Tesla Wall Connector is 44 miles an hour.
Charging Model S & X on Tesla Electric Unlimited Overnight at Home
On the lower side, in the 8-hour time slot, a Model X with a 12-ampere output and a 15A circuit breaker gains a minimum of 72 miles (9 mph x 8 hours). While on the same system, a Model S adds a minimum of 80 miles to its battery overnight (10 mph x 8 hours).
While on the higher side, with a 60A circuit breaker and 48A output, a Tesla Wall Connector would add 280 miles to the range during these 8 hours (35 x 8). A Model S with the same setup would charge 328 miles per night during the overnight flat rate timeframe. The EPA estimated range of a Tesla Model S is 405 miles. So, a Tesla Model S can be charged up to a max of about 80% during these 8 hours.
Charging Model 3 & Y on Tesla Electric Unlimited Overnight at Home
On the lowest charging speed setup (i.e., a 15A circuit breaker and 12A output), a Tesla Model 3 or Model Y gains 11 miles in an hour. This equates to 88 miles of charge in 8 hours of the unlimited overnight flat rate charging time slot.
On the higher side, on a 60A circuit breaker and 48A output, Tesla Model Y and Model 3 gain 44 miles of battery charge in an hour (mph). So, a max of 352 miles can be charged during the 8-hour fixed-rate time slot.
The base Tesla Model Y comes with a range of 279 miles and Long Range AWD has a range of 330 miles. On the other hand, Tesla Model 3 RWD base variant comes with a range of 272 miles and the Long Range AWD comes with an estimated EPA range of 333 miles.
This means that both Tesla Model Y and Model 3 can be fully charged daily during the allotted 8 hours (10 PM to 6 AM) if there is a 60-amp breaker is installed with a 48-amp output.
Tesla’s monthly overnight flat rate offer combined with the Tesla Referral Program perks that offer free Supercharging as well, charging a Tesla vehicle becomes far cheaper compared to refilling a gasoline car. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Article originally published on Tesla Oracle.
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