Tesla cars are becoming more and more common nowadays, and it is not unusual to see owners brandishing their Tesla cars on social media.
If you have seen posts or witnessed firsthand Tesla owners tapping their Tesla, you might be wondering why they do this. I looked into it and here is what I found!
Why Do People Tap Their Tesla?
Tesla owners tap their Tesla four to five times before charging because it is a convenient way of opening the car’s charging port door. Generally, the charging port door is hidden behind a panel that resembles a driver’s side tail light. As such, people often think Tesla owners are tapping their side tail light, and it has a special function.
In case you are interested to learn more about why Tesla owners tap certain parts of their cars before charging and how Tesla cars are charged, keep on reading!
Why Do Tesla Owners Tap The Car Before Charging?
Tesla owners tap their cars before charging in order to access the charging port. While there are many ways to open the charging port, tapping is the most convenient method.
However, if you noticed that the tapping does not result in anything opening, it could be because the Tesla’s motor mechanism is working correctly.
Otherwise, Tesla owners will resort to other methods, such as tapping the bolt icon on the dashboard screen, pressing the button on the charging plug, or using the Tesla phone app.
Why Do Tesla Owners Tap The Tail Light?
When you see Tesla owners tapping the tail light of their cars, it is not actually the tail light they are tapping, but the panel that looks like a component of the tail light.
Doing so can open the Tesla’s charging point, which is the preferred method of most Tesla owners whenever they have to charge their electric cars.
How Do You Charge A Tesla Car?
There are many ways to charge a Tesla car, but the preferred method is through a Tesla Wall Connector, which offers users the fastest charging speed.
However, if you do not have a Tesla Wall Connector, you can also use adaptors and mobile connectors to use the 120 volt three-prong outlet in your home or office.
Meanwhile, Tesla Superchargers are charging stations that you can access on the road, and there are also third-party charging and destination charging stations available for Tesla cars.
Can You Charge A Tesla From A Regular Outlet?
You can charge a Tesla car from a regular outlet provided that you are using the correct adapter. Currently, all Tesla cars are sold with a Type G (220-240V) adapter.
Additionally, Tesla sells mobile connectors like the Level 1 NEMA 5-15 charger that will allow you to connect your Tesla car to a 120 volt three-prong outlet.
Can I Charge Tesla At Home?
Tesla cars can be charged at home either through a Tesla Wall Connector installed in the garage or an adapter that can plug into a 10 amp 230V outlet.
Technically, charging through a Tesla Wall Connector is faster with 44 miles of range per hour. Meanwhile, an adapter can power a Tesla car with 10km of range per hour.
Should I Charge My Tesla Overnight?
Charging your Tesla overnight is the recommended method of topping off your Tesla car’s battery or gearing it up for a long trip the next day.
Apart from being convenient, charging Tesla cars overnight is also more affordable. Generally, this is because of the lower utility pricing during off-peak hours.
How Do You Hook Up A Tesla At Home?
To hook up a Tesla at home, you will need to install a Tesla Wall Connector. Technically, only Tesla-accredited electricians are allowed to perform this job.
Nevertheless, Tesla does provide detailed instructions on their website, and a lot of Tesla owners have successfully installed theirs by themselves.
How Do You Charge A Tesla Without A Garage?
While Tesla cars are best charged in the garage, it is still possible to power up your Tesla car while it is parked on the driveway.
You can either have the Tesla Wall Connector installed in your house or you can simply use a standard outlet. Either way, your Tesla car will be charged the same way.
How To Charge Tesla In Apartment?
If you live in an apartment, there are a few options available to you for charging your Tesla car. First, you can simply ask your landlord to install chargers for all the tenants.
Ideally, this shared charger or Tesla Wall Connector will be installed in the building’s garage or parking lot.
Additionally, you can rent an EV-compatible parking spot or use one of Tesla’s many Supercharger stations in the country.
As a last resort, you can simply use an extension cord to charge your Tesla car from your apartment.
How To Charge Tesla At Electrify America?
Tesla cars can be charged at all Electrify America stations. There is nothing to suggest that doing so will harm your Tesla car.
Just like Tesla’s Supercharger stations, Electrify America stations can power up a Tesla car for upwards of thirty miles in just thirty minutes. However, the exact figures vary per model.
Furthermore, you should not expect Tesla cars to charge as quickly or efficiently at Electrify America stations than they do in Supercharger stations.
How To Charge Tesla At ChargePoint?
Tesla cars can be charged at ChargePoint stations, but different stations may require different adapters.
Typically, it is at Level 2 and Level 3 Chargepoint stations that all types of Tesla cars can be charged using standard Tesla chargers.
Meanwhile, Level 3 ChargePoint stations necessitate the use of a CHAdeMo adapter, which Tesla car owners can purchase separately.
How To Charge Tesla At Supercharger?
To charge a Tesla at a Supercharger station, all you have to do is to plug the connector into your Tesla car’s charge port. Upon plugging in, the charge port LED will flash green.
Instead of watching the charge port’s LED or your dashboard screen, you can simply check your Tesla smartphone app to monitor the power levels of your car.
Additionally, monitoring your Tesla’s power levels on the app will also give you an idea of how much you are incurring at the Supercharger station per hour of charging.
Conclusion
When Tesla owners tap their car, it is because they want to access the charge port. While there are many ways to open the charge port, tapping is by far the most convenient.
Additionally, the charge port is covered by a panel that resembles the Tesla’s tail light. Consequently, people often think it is the tail light the Tesla owners are tapping.
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