Upgrading to a Level 2 Tesla Charger: Experience the Speed!

Jan 223 min read

If you've been following my journey with Tesla, you know I've been using the standard travel charger for over a year. Today, I finally made the leap to a Level 2 wall charger. Why? Because I wanted to see just how much faster it could charge my car.

Key Takeaways

Upgrading from a Level 1 to a Level 2 charger can significantly reduce charging time.
The MaxPeedingRods Level 2 charger offers impressive features and a solid warranty.
Installation is straightforward, especially with a professional electrician.

For the past year, I’ve been relying on the Tesla Mobile Connector with a NEMA 5-15 adapter. This setup gives me about 3 miles of range per hour. While that works for my daily routine since I work from home, there have been times when I forgot to charge and needed to make a trip. This often led to a last-minute stop at a supercharger, which is not ideal.

The Mobile Connector does come with a NEMA 14-50 adapter, which can boost charging to 30 miles of range per hour. However, I didn’t have a 14-50 outlet in my garage, which made it clear that an upgrade was necessary.

Why Upgrade?

I was contacted by MaxPeedingRods, who introduced me to their Level 2 charger. After some research, I decided this was the right choice for me. Here’s what I found:

Charging Speed: The MaxPeedingRods charger provides 40 Amps at 240 volts, allowing for up to 37 miles of charge per hour.
Features: It comes with several features that the Tesla charger lacks, making it a more appealing option.

Installation Process

To get started, I needed a NEMA 14-50 outlet installed in my garage. I scheduled an appointment with an electrician, and the installation was completed in no time. Here’s a quick overview of the installation:

Mounting the Charger: The electrician mounted the charger on the wall using a bracket and butterfly screws, which were included in the package.
Connecting the Charger: The charger was plugged into the newly installed outlet.

The whole process took less than 10 minutes. The packaging of the charger was impressive, with thick cardboard protecting the unit. Inside, I found:

The charger with a pre-connected power and charging cable.
A 23-foot cable, which is longer than the Tesla mobile charger.
A Tesla charging adapter for compatibility with other EVs.
Two RFID cards for secure access.
A wall holder for the charger when not in use.

Features of the MaxPeedingRods Charger

Now that the charger was installed, let’s talk about its features:

Warranty: Comes with a 3-year warranty and 24/7 support.
Energy Efficiency: UL Listed and Energy Star certified.
Weather Resistant: IP65 rating, suitable for outdoor use in various weather conditions.
Smart Control: Can connect to WiFi or use a SIM card, allowing control via a smartphone app.
Security: RFID cards prevent unauthorized use, making it great for home or business use.
Safety Features: Includes protections against under voltage, over voltage, overload, and more.

Setting Up the Charger

Setting up the charger was straightforward. Here’s how I did it:

Power On: Turn on the power supply to the 14-50 outlet.
Connect to WiFi: Follow the instructions in the manual to connect the charger to my WiFi network using the Esptouch app.
Download the Main App: After connecting, I downloaded the main app to control the charger.

The app provides a user-friendly interface where I can monitor:

Current meter and state of charge.
Outlet voltage, amps, kilowatts, and kilowatt hours.
Schedule charges and set current limits.

Charging Results

After everything was set up, I plugged in my Tesla, which was at 60% charge. The app indicated it would take about 2 hours and 15 minutes to reach 90%. In contrast, using the old mobile charger would have taken around 10 hours. That’s a significant improvement!

Conclusion

If you’re still using a Level 1 charger and are considering an upgrade, the MaxPeedingRods Level 2 charger is a fantastic option. It’s packed with features, easy to install, and offers great value compared to Tesla’s standard charger. If you’re interested, you can grab one with a 10% discount using my code.

What do you think? Will you be upgrading your charger? Let me know in the comments!