There’s a few checklist items that can help you prepare for delivery of your new Tesla Model S. For most people, buying a new car is a simple matter of swapping old for new and preparing yourself for some minor feature upgrades or ergonomic changes. However that doesn’t necessarily hold true when you’re buying an all electric battery powered Tesla Model S.
Home Charging
The largest checklist item, and one that requires the most lead time, is preparing for how you’ll be charging the vehicle. While there are a good number of public chargers available outside of the Tesla Supercharger network , odds are that you’ll also need a charger where you live. For people living in cities or in condos this can be a challenge and often involves working with building managers or home owner’s associations.
Research
This process can be very time consuming and for that reason I’d recommend that you do your homework and educate yourself on the various charging options available, even before ordering your Tesla. It’s certainly possible to charge off a standard 110v garage outlet, but the rate of charge is so slow that it’s practically unusable. You’ll want to invest in something along the lines of a 220v NEMA 14-50 outlet which charges at 3x the rate of your standard wall outlet.
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You’ll want to start getting quotes from your local electricians or you can email Tesla’s special charging installation team for a recommendation to an installer. In the US, Tesla Motors will likely steer you towards the NEMA 14-50 solution and provide you with installation guidelines including recommendations on where the outlets should go.
Planning
