Getting started with your Tesla

You have your Tesla on order, what next?  

Your Tesla is on order and you are excited to become a Tesla owner.  You are checking daily or even by the hour to see if any update for the estimated delivery date has changed.  We have been there too and are excited for you to join the ranks of Tesla owners.  What can you do to fill the time and be ready for the day you bring home your car.  

There are a few specific things to consider for a Tesla so I created this page for future or new Tesla owners

Before the Purchase

Install a home charging station 

You have a few choices here and you should take the time to think through your immediate and long term needs before jumping in and making a purchase.   

As of April, 2022, Tesla is no longer including the Mobile Connector with each Tesla sold.  The Mobile Connector has the capability to charge your new Tesla equally as fast as the Wall Connector plus you can take it with you wherever you go.  Best of all the Mobile Connector sells for $200.   Start here and get this before considering any other options as the Mobile Connector comes with an assortment of plugs for 220v and 110v outlets (North America). 

Does your garage, driveway, home, or apartment have an existing 240v outlet available for a EV charger?  You will NOT want to share the same circuit with an appliance in your home.   This should be a dedicated circuit.  Contact an electrician for assistance to determine if you have the necessary circuit or need one installed.   You may choose to use a 110v outlet initially but you should be aware that fully charging a current Long Range Tesla via a 110v, 12 amp outlet from near empty will take over 2 days of plug in time.  If you only use your car for short trips each day, this may well work fine for you when combined with supercharging for longer trips. 

The natural choice for most new Tesla buyers looking for a dedicated home EVSE is to purchase the Tesla  home "Wall Connector" EVSE  currently selling for $400 on the Tesla site.  This is a great product but this will come with a Tesla connector that is not compatible with other EVs you may have in your household.  Note that you can purchase an aftermarket adapter to enable a Tesla connector to plug into a J1772 connector equipped car.    

My choice is to install one of the many J1772 EVSE's such as this one from Chargepoint at your home.  Your Tesla will arrive with a J1772 EVSE Adapter included with the car so no additional purchase is necessary to utilize this EVSE for home charging.  The purchase of a J1772 EVSE home charger will enable you to charge every available Electric Vehicle being sold in North America today and greatly increases the functionality of this purchase.  There are many different brands for these chargers with different capabilities such as remote management for time of day or least cost charging.  Take the time to review your options and needs.  

Buy some cool gear to make your Tesla your own.  

There are several companies that make accessories for your new Tesla. I will review a few here and share some web sites for the items I believe are the most popular purchases but this will just be a starting place for you on your road to making your Tesla feel unique and personal.  

My favorite online marketplace for Tesla accessories is Abstract Ocean* where you will receive $10 off your first $50 order.  

Center console trays - these expand your storage and organization capabilities in the car

Mats - The mats that come with your Tesla are okay but you will likely want to update to better mats and to add mats to your back seats floor, trunk, frunk,  and/or hatch area

Interior Lights  - there are many options to quickly update the interior look of your car

Mud flaps - protect your car from rock chips around your wheels

Screen Protector - the screen is how you do nearly everything with your Tesla.  A screen protector helps to eliminate fingerprints and glare while protecting your screen. 

Setup accounts on EV charging networks such as Chargepoint, EVgo, and Electrify America