The Tesla Model S is an electrically powered vehicle. Energy is stored in the battery, which is a sealed unit containing Lithium-ion cells. Depending on variant, the battery can produce over 1500 A of energy at up to 400V.

As the vehicle is driven, the battery is discharged. The touch screen, instrument cluster, and smartphone app inform the driver of the state of charge and the expected remaining range.

The vehicle can be charged using:

• Mobile Connector: Included with the vehicle. Allows the vehicle to be plugged into a 240 volt outlet or a 120 volt outlet. Charges at up to 31 miles of range per hour of charge.
• Wall Connector (WC): An optional Wall Connector is permanently installed on a 240 volt circuit and can be supplied with up to twice the amperage as the Mobile Connector if the vehicle is equipped with dual chargers. Charges at up to 62 miles of range per hour of charge.
• Supercharger: Tesla Superchargers are used to quickly recharge the battery on long trips. A Supercharger can charge approximately half the battery capacity in 20 minutes. Supercharging is an optional feature for some models.

Charging times vary based on the voltage and current available from the power outlet. Charging times also depend on ambient temperature and the vehicle’s Battery temperature. If the Battery is not within the optimal temperature range for charging, the vehicle will heat or cool the Battery before charging begins.

The vehicle is designed to be plugged in when not in use. There is no advantage to waiting until Battery level is low before charging; the Battery performs best when charged regularly. When plugged in, the vehicle wakes up as needed to automatically maintain a charge level that optimizes the lifetime of the Battery.

Discharging the Battery to 0% can permanently damage the Battery. To protect against a complete discharge, the vehicle enters a low power consumption mode when the charge level drops to 5%. In this mode, the Battery stops supporting the onboard electronics to slow the discharge rate.