Tesla charging adapters, left: NEMA 14-30 (4 prongs for 240V-20A connection to electric dryer outlets; (shown completion only — this 4-prong outlet is NOT available at Alta Vista); center: NEMA 10-30 (3 prongs for 240V-20A connection to 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.
We offer limited charging at Alta Vista under the following safety 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 Amperes MAXIMUM CURRENT (1.4kW). This will permit charging at a rate of about 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 image in photo), you may follow the instruction for charging at 240V-20A as described below for Tesla vehicles.
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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 (3 prongs).
— 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. (Note that 20A is less than what your Tesla might indicate you can safely draw from this outlet).
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Your charging of up to about 50 kWh (180 miles) during your rental period is free of charge. If you draw more energy, we ask that you please reimburse us for the excess (at $0.50/kWh or 15cents per mile charged) with a personal check to us, or via Zelle. If the amount payable computes to less than, say, $30, simply refund us by adding that amount in cash to your tip for our housekeepers when you depart.
This is a convenience to our renting guests provided at the “honor system.” Call Klaus if you have any questions in this regard.
Note regarding the extra energy you need to make up for the elevation difference: Considering the climb over Donner Summit and then again from Truckee to Alta Vista (at 7300 ft elevation), we measured (and calculate) that we need about 180 - 200 Tesla “battery miles” for the actual distance of approximate 80 miles from the Roseville Tesla superchargers to Alta Vista. On the return trip, you re-coup the lost miles, and 250 Tesla “battery miles” will take you all the way back to the South Bay. (This pertains to the relatively light-weight Tesla Mod. Y, which gets about 3.7 mies per kWh as long-term average).
We recommend to charge to no more than 90% for the return trip, so you have enough “reserve” in your battery for regenerative charging on the long downhill stretches.
We found that the Tesla route computer calculates the charging requirements including elevation differences with stunning accuracy.