Tesla destination charger vs. supercharger: Head to head comparison

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While Tesla destination charging is slow and effective, supercharging is super-fast to juice up a vehicle. 

Both destination charger and supercharger have their own benefits and drawbacks.

While destination charging will give you the convenience to stay and monitor the charging process, supercharging will allow you to go anywhere within the least possible time.

In all of the upcoming sections of this article, we will be comparing all the aspects of both Tesla destination charger and supercharger.

Availability of EV charging stations

The availability of EV charging stations may be questioned, but the present number will be outnumbered by a huge difference within a few more years.

Currently, Tesla is satisfying users through destination and Superchargers.

Both are available in public spots so that users can easily juice up a Tesla to reach their destination.

Tesla destination charger vs. supercharger

Tesla has dedicated supercharging stations in public places, whereas destination chargers are available at hotels and restaurants mostly

Tesla provides supercharging through dedicated charging stations in many public places.

You may use the Tesla app or any other third-party public charging station location applications to detect the nearby charging stations to juice up your EV.

On the contrary, Tesla destination chargers are mostly available in popular hotels and restaurants. You can plug in your car to a destination charger and keep it overnight until full charge.

Being slow, a destination charger consumes more time to charge up a vehicle.

Superchargers are fast, whereas destination chargers are slow

The most noticeable difference between a Tesla supercharger and a destination charger is the speed.

Destination charger takes a long time to fully charge a vehicle. Therefore, keeping the vehicle at the charging port overnight becomes mostly necessary.

On the contrary, superchargers won't take a long time to juice up a vehicle.

In most cases, charging a Tesla on a supercharger for 15 minutes will add up to 40 miles of range to the vehicle.

A destination charger can do the same for about one hour.

Destination chargers are mostly free of cost, whereas superchargers are not cost-free

In most cases, charging a Tesla electric vehicle from a destination charging station is free. Besides, there are no hassles of giving the place to the next candidate who is waiting to charge up his vehicle.

But charging your Tesla from a supercharging station will demand you to spend a certain amount. Although the amount that you need to pay is not that high, it is not altogether free.

Besides, you may sometime need to wait in the queue before you get your chance.

For an average American driver, the cost to charge a Tesla would be nearly $40/per month.

Destination chargers are mostly Level 1 and Level 2, whereas superchargers are DC or Level 3

One may get confused while finding out the characteristics of Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, destination charger, and supercharger.

In the most simplistic manner, level 1 and level 2 charging stations comprise destination chargers.

Destination chargers usually use 208-240V, 40 amp circuits.

On the other hand, DC or Level 3 charging stations are mostly known as superchargers.  

A supercharger will have a 480V super-fast charging outlet.

The presence of higher voltage allows them to rapidly charge a vehicle.

Supercharger charges slowly once the battery percentage reaches 80%

Anyway, Tesla maintains a suitable method to protect the battery from damage while charging on a supercharging station.

Around 1 hour of charging on a supercharger will take the battery percentage to around 80%. At that particular moment, a supercharger starts to charge the vehicle slowly.

As a result, a huge burst of power cannot impair the cell.

The charging speed of a destination charger remains the same for always. From the beginning to the end, it charges a vehicle at the same rate.

Currently, supercharger and destination chargers are available for the Tesla users only.

Yes, you are hearing it all right. Tesla charging stations are not for all.

Only a Tesla owner can juice up a Tesla from a dedicated super or destination charging station.

If you have an electric vehicle from some other manufacturer, you will not get the chance to supercharge your vehicle from a Tesla charging point. 

But there are some indications that tell that this may change in near future.

Probably within the next five years, any EV owner will be able to juice up his vehicle from a Tesla charging station.

A supercharger may reduce battery efficiency, whereas a destination charger does not.

Supercharging may badly impact the efficiency of the battery. When you rapidly charge a battery, the cell of the battery may get stressed because of the burst of the current transmitted inside.

As a result, the battery efficiency tends to go down whenever supercharging frequently.

On the contrary, destination charging does not harm that much to the battery efficiency. As it slowly fills the battery cell, the battery tends to remain in a sublime position.

Destination chargers are a great way to show off Tesla products

You will find most of the Tesla destination charging stations in popular restaurants, hotels, and resorts where business people tend to stay.

The strategy of Tesla here is to advertise its products to the real world and to the target consumers.

Probably that is why EVs are getting more hype than ever before.

Nonetheless, EVs are surely uplifting the automobile industry to a great extent.

Charging vs. fueling: which one is better?

In terms of mileage efficiency, charging is always a better option.

But in terms of time efficiency, fueling a vehicle still remains ahead of charging.

Yes, you are hearing it all right. Even charging an electric vehicle from a supercharger would consume more than one hour.

When it is about charging an electric vehicle from a destination charger, it would consume at least 10 hours until full charge.

But you can refuel a hydraulic vehicle within 20 minutes from a gas station.

But electric vehicles will surely do better when it is about getting maximum mileage and running the longer distance.

Final opinion

Home charger, level 2 charger, or whatever you call it, destination chargers are still a better option to charge up an electric vehicle efficiently.

Set up a 240V charging outlet at your home to keep your vehicle ready for the next ride anytime.

Superchargers may look like the fastest option. But dependency on the supercharger may reduce the power capacity of your vehicle's battery pack.