If you’re thinking of buying a Tesla, it may be a good idea to better understand charging stations, including where to charge, how to charge, and what to do if you want a home-based station. Charging your Tesla or other EVs will be a priority, so you need to know everything there is to know. 

As we dive in to explore what EV owners need to know about charging a Tesla, we also discovered an emerging problem. So, before you write the check to buy your favorite Tesla, here’s what you should know about ICEing, charging on the go, and charging up at home.

How to charge your Tesla on the road

Tesla recognized early on that if the car-buying public were going to transition to EVs, there would have to be a network of charging stations to support the movement. Elon Musk and his team have since expanded the charging and supercharging networks across the globe, with more than 25,000 total stations to date and counting. And any EV can charge at these locations, from the high-end Porsche Taycan to the economical Nissan Leaf.

When you first become a Tesla owner, you’ll need to know where these supercharging stations are located. You can use apps like Plug In America or Tesla’s own mapping resources. But Tesla and other EV automakers suggest the best way to keep your vehicle fully charged is by doing so at home, with a home-based charging station. 

What about charging stations at home?

Anyone can purchase and install an EV charging station at home, as CleanTechnica points out in a recent guide. A straightforward installation doesn’t require a technician’s hand and only costs around $750 to $1,500. The Wall Connector taps into a high-voltage charging system that only requires the owner to plug it in to get started. And Tesla’s Wall Connector recharges cars even faster. And if you don’t want to buy directly from Tesla, you can find some of the basic chargers on Amazon.

CleanTechnica goes on to explain a variety of options for home charging. There is a trickle charge capability on a standard outlet and a faster-charging capability with a 240V dryer outlet. There are also tips about charging two Tesla EVs on one 240V outlet and how to install a home charger yourself.

ICEing Issues and Tesla’s app-based solution

The convenience of charging at home sounds appealing, but there’s another reason to avoid public charging stations. A problem began emerging first in China, where gas-powered cars were hogging up the parking spaces, blocking the EV owners from charging. Since the culprits were “internal combustion engine” owners, the issue soon became known as ICEing, as Electrek describes. To combat these anti-electric agitators, China devised floor locking devices that only retract when EV owners scan their apps. 

Tesla took note of the problem in China and quickly adapted to combat similar instances of ICEing here in the U.S. and across other parts of the world. CarBuzz says that Tesla just released a new update within its mobile app to help fully integrate the ICEing blocking systems across the network of supercharging stations.

The app functions with a QR code. Tesla offers instructions for users of the app when approaching a charging station. It’s hard to say if or how well this solution will prevent all incidents of ICEing, but for now, it seems simple and easy enough to use.

If you’re thinking about buying a Tesla, don’t forget to explore your options for charging. You’ll need some help finding stations away from home and probably the app used to combat ICEing. And it’s probably wise to go ahead install a home charging station. Because no one’s going to intentionally block your space there, right?