Tesla Model 3 - Charging Instructions; Plugging In the Charge Cable

Opening the Charge Port
The charge port is located on the left side of Model 3,
behind a door that is part of the rear tail light assembly.
Before charging, park
Model 3 to ensure that the charge
cable easily reaches the charge port.
With Model 3 unlocked (or an authenticated phone is
within range) and in Park, press and release the button
on the Tesla charge cable to open the charge port door.
You can also open the charge port door using any of
these methods:
•
On the touchscreen, use the app launcher to open
the Charging app, then touch
Open Charge Port.
•
On the car status on the touchscreen, touch the
charging icon.
•
On the "Cards" area on the touchscreen, touch the
charging icon, then press OPEN CHARGE PORT.
•
Press the bottom of the charge port door when
Model 3 is unlocked or an authenticated phone is
nearby.
•
On the key fob accessory (sold separately), hold
down the rear trunk button for 1-2 seconds.
NOTE: The following image is provided for
demonstration purposes only. Depending on market
region, your charge port may be slightly dierent.
NOTE:
The Tesla "T" lights up white when you open the
charge port door. If you do not insert a charge cable into
the charge port within a few minutes after opening the
charge port door, the charge port door closes. If this
happens, use the touchscreen to open the charge port
door again.
NOTE: In extremely cold weather or icy conditions, it is
possible that your charge port latch may freeze in place.
Some vehicles are equipped with a chargeport inlet
heater that turns on when you turn on the rear defrost in
cold weather conditions. You can also thaw ice on the
charge port latch by enabling preconditioning using the
mobile app, or using scheduled departure to
precondition Model 3 (see Scheduled Charging and
Scheduled Departure on page 159).
CAUTION:
Do not try to force the charge port
door open.
Plugging In
If desired, use the touchscreen to change the charge
limit and the charging current (see Charging Status and
Settings on page 158).
To charge at a public charging station, plug the
appropriate adapter into the vehicle's charging port, and
then connect the station's charging connector to the
adapter. The most commonly used adapter(s) for each
market region are provided. Depending on the charging
equipment you are using, you may need to start and
stop charging using a control on the charging
equipment.
If you are using the Mobile Connector, plug it into the
power outlet before plugging it into Model 3.
Align the connector to the charge port and insert fully.
When the connector is properly inserted, charging
begins automatically after
Model 3:
•
Engages a latch that holds the connector in place;
•
Shifts into Park (if it was in any other gear);
•
Heats or cools the Battery, if needed. If the Battery
requires heating or cooling, you may notice a delay
before charging begins.
NOTE: Whenever Model 3 is plugged in but not actively
charging, it draws energy from the wall outlet instead of
using energy stored in the Battery. For example, if you
are sitting in Model 3 and using the touchscreen while
parked and plugged in,
Model 3 draws energy from the
wall outlet instead of the Battery.
CAUTION:
The connector end of the charge cable
can damage the paint if dropped onto the vehicle.
Charging Instructions
156 MODEL 3 OWNER'S MANUAL