Buying a new Tesla is a big financial move. And one way I justified buying a Model Y was with lower travel costs. If you know where to look, you can find free Tesla charging stations in most places. While driving across the country, I’ve tracked them down in many towns, cities and rural areas.
Some free chargers were only for Teslas, but I’ve used many open EV chargers as well. If you plan to do the same, you’re in the right place. I’ll show you how to find free Tesla charging and what to expect at the stations.
Also, the golden age of free Tesla supercharging is over. Those are the Tesla only fast chargers and free lifetime charging was an incentive for early Tesla adopters. The early cars cost an arm and a leg and the charging network was much smaller. But since, you can drive most places in the U.S. with superchargers alone.
On top of that, the upfront cost of a Tesla Model 3 or Y is now competitive with similar categories of gas cars. But don’t fear, free charging is still here…
How to Locate Free Tesla Charging Stations Near You
For a hands-on look at how I find free charging, here’s a short video…
The best way I’ve found free charging is with an app called PlugShare. It’s free to use and I’m not sponsored to share this site. There’s no conflict of interest and it’s simply the best I’ve found. The company has an app for iPhones which works well on the go. There’s a desktop version as well.
With the map, you can zoom in and out to see the charging stations. You can also filter for paid or free stations, as well as other preferences.
Here are some common places I’ve found free Tesla charging stations…
- Libraries
- Town halls
- Hotels
- Gas and utility businesses
- National parks
- Personal businesses
- Homes
With the app, you can click into each station for a description. I’ll also always check for recent user comments to ensure they’re still open and charging. Sometimes I’ll see comments that say they’re blocked or no longer working.
Hotels will also show up as free but with a closer look, they’re often for paying guests only. But on occasion, I’d find hotel charging that didn’t require booking a room. It was sponsored by the community or other groups. This gets more people to visit and spend money in their communities.
If in doubt, you can call before showing up if the chargers are attached to a business. Or if living on the edge, just go for it. I’ve done this a few times with no issues. If staying in your car while charging, it’s easy to move if someone asks.
Essential Equipment for Tesla Charging: Adapters and More
Most of the free charging stations I’ve driven to require a charging adapter. Luckily though, the only one I’ve needed showed up with the new Tesla at no additional charge. It’s the J1772 adaptor, and it snaps into the charging port with ease.
At most free chargers, all I’d have to do is open the Tesla charging port, connect the adaptor, and plug it in. Within moments, I’d see the flashing green T showing that it was charging. And I could check on the dashboard touchscreen or Tesla app to see how fast it was charging.
When charging with the J1772 adapter, you might want a Tesla Charger Lock. Unlike the supercharger plugin, this adapter doesn’t automatically lock. A low cost locking ring can prevent people from stopping your charging early. Imagine plugging in to charge overnight at a hotel. Then waking up in the morning to find someone unplugged it. It didn’t charge to your limit and now you’ll have to spend extra time driving to a supercharger.
I’ve also driven to a few locations that require the ChargePoint app. You can pay for third party charging this way, but it also has free locations. After downloading ChargePoint, I didn’t have to add any payment info. Then at the free ChargePoint stations, I’d open the app and tap it to the charging station to unlock the cables.
Understanding Tesla Charging Times at Free Public Charging Stations
I hope you now have a good grasp on how to find free Tesla charging stations. But it’s also good to keep an eye on charging speeds. The free chargers are often much slower than superchargers (a supercharger might take 30-45 minutes for a fill-up).
For a full charge at free stations, I’d stick around anywhere from three to eight hours. But this was ok because I wasn’t in a rush. It gave me time to explore and stretch my legs. I’d also often post up at coffee shops or libraries. To find charging speeds before rolling up, you can check the station info with PlugShare.
Another great option is charging at home. It can be even slower, but if you’re only driving an hour or two a day, you can still top it off each night. It’s nice not having to go to a gas station anymore.
How to Charge Your Tesla at Home: A Guide to Mobile Connectors
In most cases, it’s not free to charge at home. However, the cost can be lower depending on your electricity rates. I’d guess a full charge at home for my Model Y is around $5 (charging up non-peak hours). On top of that, if you have solar and other renewable sources, this can bring the long-term cost down as well.
To charge at home, you’ll want to pick up the mobile connectors. I bought the kit directly from Tesla and it came with two adapters. You get a 120-volt (standard wall outlet) and 240-volt adapters. These give you more charging options. Here are the top Tesla connectors on Amazon as well (affiliate link).
When traveling across the country, the connectors were my backup plan. If I got stuck between dedicated chargers, I could knock on doors and hopefully find a good samaritan. However, I didn’t have to resort to this and there have only been a few close calls.
The Future of Free Tesla Charging: Will It Remain a Perk for Owners?
All good things come to an end… I don’t buy into this belief, but with free Tesla charging, it might ring true. As Teslas become cheaper, I wouldn’t be surprised to see pushback on free charging. The average behavior for Tesla drivers is changing.
But looking many decades out, the cost of energy should continue to approach zero. Energy generation and our grid is undergoing a seismic shift. And progress tends to disappoint in the short-term, but long-term it compounds. I digress…
If you have any questions on free Tesla charging, feel free to comment on any of my Tesla YouTube videos. I’ve shared my journey driving across the country while living in a Model Y. To say the least, I’ve gotten to know the good, the bad, and the ugly. Here are some top Tesla guides and insight for owners…
Knowing how to find free tesla charging is a nice benefit. But there are many useful features for a Tesla Model Y or Model 3. Feel free to check out those articles to learn more.