Tesla charging adapters:
— left: NEMA 14-30 (4 prongs for 240V-20A connection to [newer type] electric dryer outlets
— center: NEMA 10-30 (3 prongs for 240V-20A connection to [older type] electric dryer outlets
— right: regular plug for regular 120V -12A outlets (came with the vehicle).
These adapters can be purchased from Tesla for about $40 each.
One can also purchase from Tesla a NEMA 6-20 adapter, which is intended for smaller 240V outlets that limit current to 16 Amps. We have no such outlets at Alta Vista.
Note that a public TESLA supercharger is very conveniently located behind the Safeway strore in Truckee.
We offer limited charging at Alta Vista under the following provisions:
IF YOU COME WITH AN EV OTHER THAN A TESLA, YOU MAY ONLY CHARGE YOUR VEHICLE FROM A STANDARD THREE-PRONG 120V-12A OUTLET in the garage. Bring your approved (factory supplied) charging cable.
SET YOUR CHARGING CURRENT TO 12 A MAXIMUM CURRENT (1.4kW). This will permit charging at a rate of about 4-5 miles per hour. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CHARGE AT HIGHER AMPERAGE.
Exception: If, AND ONLY IF, you bring your own commercially purchased charging cable ending with a NEMA 10-30 plug (3 prongs, center in photo), you may follow the instruction for charging at 240V-20A as described below for Tesla vehicles.
============================================
IF YOU COME WITH A TESLA VEHICLE, FOLLOW THE ABOVE INSTRUCTIONS for slow charging, OR KEEP ON READING FOR FASTER CHARGING.
SUMMARY (for faster charging, Tesla vehicles only):
— BRING YOUR OWN CABLE WITH A TESLA-ORIGINAL NEMA 10-30 ADAPTER.
— SET 20A MAX. CURRENT DRAW (4.8 kW, provides approx. 18 miles/hr).
DETAILS (for faster charging, Tesla vehicles only):
Our guests may “destination”-charge their Tesla vehicle at Alta Vista from our 240V electric dryer outlet, provided they bring their own cable and manually limit the charging current to 20A (i.e., approx. 4800 Watts at 240 Volts) to avoid circuit over-loading. It is very important that you familiarize yourself with this technicality before you attempt to connect to our 240V dryer outlet at Alta Vista.
The cable you need to bring is the original home-charging cable that came with your Tesla vehicle, fitted with a NEMA 10-30 adapter (center in photo). You can buy that adapter from Tesla for about $40. Simply pull off the end that features the regular 120-V plug — yes, it does come off!!! — and attach the adapter to the cable; then remove the dryer power cable from the outlet and plug in your Tesla adapter. DO NOT USE A REGULAR 12-GA OR 14-GA EXTENSION CORD “CUSTOM FITTED” WITH A NEMA 10-30 PLUG, as those cables are not designed for high current and can overheat and create a fire hazard. YOU WILL BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES WHEN YOU DRAW MORE THAN 20 AMPERES OR USE AN UNSAFE CABLE. (Note that 20A is less than what your Tesla might indicate you can safely draw from this outlet).
=============================================
We ask that you please reimburse us for the cost for this service (at $0.40/kWh or 10 cents per mile charged) with a personal check to us, or via Zelle. Call Klaus if you have any questions in this regard.
—————————————————————
Note: Considering the climb over Donner Summit and then again from Truckee to Alta Vista (at 7300 ft elevation), we need about 180 - 200 Tesla “battery miles” for the actual approximate 80 miles from the Roseville Tesla superchargers to Alta Vista. On the return trip, 250 Tesla “battery miles” will take you all the way back to the South Bay.
Another way of looking at is that you can do a simple, high-school physics back-on-the-envelope calculation that lifting an object like a Tesla car by 7000 feet will require the energy equivalent of about 10-12 kilowatt-hours, or about 15-20% of your battery storage capacity. Add this to the energy requirement at the front end of your trip, while you can consider it as a “bonus” on your return travel.
We recommend to charge to no more than 90% for the return trip, so you have enough “reserve” for regenerative charging on the long downhill stretches.
We found that the Tesla route computer calculates the charging requirements, considering the elevation differences, with stunning accuracy.
—————————————————————
RETURN TO ALTA VISTA HOME PAGE
070723