Can Tesla Charge at Electrify America?

‍What Is Electrify America?

Electrify America is one of the largest and fastest-growing electric car charging station companies in the United States. Electrify America owns and operates over 2,600 individual electric car chargers located at more than 600 charging stations across the country.

Part of Electrify America’s mission is to make electric car charging affordable and easy—which may eventually replace gas stations as America’s preferred way to fuel up cars. There’s no gas at Electrify America’s dedicated electric charging stations.

What Kind of Chargers Does Electrify America Use?

Electrify America uses fast chargers, which can add an appreciable amount of range to an electric car in as little as 30 minutes. The amount of range a car can gain in a given time varies between makes and models.

The idea behind fast chargers is to ‘fill-up the tank’ and charge an electric car’s batteries with as much power as possible in as little time as possible. Electrify America uses Level 2 chargers, which are fast—but not the fastest chargers available today.

Can Tesla Cars Charge at Electrify America Stations?

Yes, you can absolutely charge any Tesla vehicle at an Electrify America station or using an Electrify America Level 2 home charger. Tesla vehicles charge fast at Electrify America stations, but not nearly as fast as they do at a Tesla Level 3 Supercharger station.

Do You Need an Adapter to Charge a Tesla at Electrify America?

Yes, you’ll need to purchase a separate adapter to convert third-party chargers to Tesla chargers. This adapter is called a CHAdeMO adapter, and it’s available for $400 on Tesla’s website.

You can also purchase an aftermarket adapter, which may be cheaper but doesn’t have an approved Tesla warranty. It’s usually best to use only Tesla adapters when charging your vehicle at third-party stations.

Electric Car Charge Levels Explained

Electric car charging is currently measured using three level designations. Level 1 chargers are what’s commonly found in garages hooked up to 120-volt home outlets. These chargers work at 15 or 20 amps and put a mile or two of range on the car each hour.

Level 1 chargers are trickle chargers, similar to the kind used to charge a 12-volt lead-acid car battery. Trickle charging is safe but too slow for practical use at charging stations.

Then there’s Level 2 charging, which is orders of magnitude faster than Level 1 charging. Level 2 charging works with 240 volts—twice the voltage of Level 1. Plus, it charges at a much higher amperage, which dramatically increases charging speeds.

Level 2 charging can add many miles of range to an electric car in very little time. Usually, this translates to between 18 and 40 miles of range per hour, with many variations based on amps and the vehicle model in question. Teslas tend to charge the fastest at Level 2 charging stations.

Level 3 charging stations are extremely fast. These are Tesla’s Supercharger stations, and they operate at 400+ volts and very high amperage. Level 3 charging stations can add around 170 miles of range to a Tesla in 30 minutes or so, far exceeding even the best Level 1 or Level 2 stations.

How Much Does it Cost to Charge a Tesla at Electrify America?

Charging rates at Electrify America vary by state, but you can save a significant amount of money with a membership. For example, normal rates in California are $0.43 per kWh, but with a membership, you’ll only spend $0.31 per kWh. That’s more than a 25% savings.

As an example, we’ll calculate the cost to fully charge a standard-range Tesla Model 3 at an Electrify America station. We’ll show you the cost with and without a membership, along with how much it would cost to charge for 30 minutes at a Tesla charging station.

Cost to Charge a Model 3 Without a Membership at Electrify America

A standard Tesla Model 3 has a 50 kWh battery pack. At a price of $0.43 per kWh in California, it would cost you about $21.50 cents to fully charge your battery at Electrify America.

Cost to Charge a Model 3 With a Membership at Electrify America

Electrify America members save 12 cents per kWh in California, with similar rates across the country. For the same 50 kWh battery, you’d pay just $15.50 for a full charge with a membership discount.

Cost to Charge a Model 3 at a Tesla Supercharger Station

Tesla Superchargers can fill a 50 kWh battery to capacity in minutes—not hours. If you use under 60 kWh, you pay $0.13 per minute. If you use over 60 kWh, you pay $0.26 per minute. Charging by kilowatt-hour is a flat rate of $0.28 per kWh.

So at a Tesla supercharger station, you’ll pay $14 to charge completely—which is $1.50 cheaper than the lowest California rates at Electrify America. But keep in mind that prices change, and you may not have a Supercharging station nearby.

All things considered, Electrify America’s Tesla charging rates are extremely reasonable, especially if you opt for a membership. Just don’t forget your adapter.