Tesla wall charger amps top out at 48: a Gen 3 Wall Connector on a 60 A breaker delivers 48 A at 240 V, or 11.5 kW. Smaller breakers give smaller outputs, always 80% of the breaker rating, and the car's own onboard charger can cap it lower still.
Three things decide how many amps actually flow into your car: the breaker the circuit is built on, the setting the installer entered when commissioning the Wall Connector, and the maximum the car's onboard charger accepts. Get all three lined up and you get the full rate. Get one wrong and you either pay for capacity you cannot use or charge slower than you should.
The amp chart: breaker, output and miles per hour
This is Tesla's own table for the Gen 3 Wall Connector, which also applies to the Universal Wall Connector. Miles of range per hour assume the car can take the full output.
Model 3 and Model Y:
| Breaker | Max output | kW | Model 3 | Model Y |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 A | 48 A | 11.5 | 44 | 44 |
| 50 A | 40 A | 9.6 | 37 | 37 |
| 40 A | 32 A | 7.7 | 30 | 30 |
| 30 A | 24 A | 5.7 | 22 | 22 |
| 20 A | 16 A | 3.8 | 15 | 15 |
| 15 A | 12 A | 2.8 | 11 | 11 |
Model S, Model X and Cybertruck:
| Breaker | Model S | Model X | Cybertruck* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 A | 41 | 35 | 30 |
| 50 A | 34 | 29 | 25 |
| 40 A | 27 | 23 | 20 |
| 30 A | 21 | 17 | 15 |
| 20 A | 14 | 12 | 10 |
| 15 A | 10 | 9 | 7 |
*Cybertruck figures are for Premium AWD. Base Model 3 and base Model Y trims stop at the 40 A row: 32 A, 7.7 kW, up to 30 miles per hour, whatever the breaker.
The Gen 3 has no setting above 48 A and no 100 A option. Pages that quote "15 A to 100 A" are describing the older Gen 2, covered further down.
Why 48 amps needs a 60 amp breaker
EV charging can run at full current for hours, so the National Electrical Code treats it as a continuous load. NEC 625.41 requires the breaker to be rated at least 125% of the charger's output. Run the numbers:
- 48 A x 1.25 = 60 A breaker
- 40 A x 1.25 = 50 A breaker
- 32 A x 1.25 = 40 A breaker
- 24 A x 1.25 = 30 A breaker
Electricians often call this the 80% rule, because the charger may use 80% of the breaker rating. A Wall Connector set to 48 A on a 50 A breaker breaks that rule even if it never trips, which is why commissioning matters: the unit has no way to sense the breaker. It trusts the number the installer enters.
NEC 625.40 also requires EV equipment rated over 16 A or 120 V to have its own branch circuit, and Tesla's manual says the same for each Wall Connector, up to 60 A per unit.
Wire gauge for each breaker size
At full power, Tesla's Gen 3 installation manual is specific:
- With a breaker rated for 75 C terminations: at least 6 AWG copper, 90 C THWN-2.
- With a breaker rated for 60 C terminations: at least 4 AWG copper, 90 C THWN-2.
- Copper only. The terminal block accepts 12 to 4 AWG.
The temperature rating matters because the wire's allowed current depends on the weakest rated point in the circuit. 6 AWG copper is rated 55 A at 60 C, 65 A at 75 C and 75 A at 90 C under NEC Table 310.16, so on 60 C terminals it falls short of 60 A. The same logic is behind the long-running argument about 6 AWG NM-B cable on a 60 A breaker: NM-B is held to its 60 C rating. Tesla's answer is simply to step up to 4 AWG in that case.
For smaller breakers Tesla gives no gauge table; it says to size conductors to local code. The pairings electricians commonly use with copper and 75 C terminations are shown below. Treat them as typical practice, not a Tesla requirement.
Long runs can call for a larger gauge to limit voltage drop. If a Wall Connector shows three red blinks (high temperature) on a new circuit, wire size and terminal torque are the first things Tesla's troubleshooting tells the electrician to check; the full code list is in our guide to the red light on the Wall Connector.
How many amps your Tesla can take
The Wall Connector only offers current. The car's onboard charger decides how much it takes, and that limit is set by trim, not just model.
| Car | Onboard charger | Smallest breaker for full speed |
|---|---|---|
| Model 3 Long Range, Premium, Performance | 48 A, 11.5 kW | 60 A |
| Model 3 RWD / Standard | 32 A, 7.7 kW | 40 A |
| Model Y Long Range, Premium, Performance | 48 A, 11.5 kW | 60 A |
| Model Y Standard RWD and AWD (base trims) | 32 A, 7.7 kW | 40 A |
| Model S and Model X (2021 on) | 48 A, 11.5 kW | 60 A |
| Cybertruck | 48 A, 11.5 kW | 60 A |
Tesla's own support pages disagree on the base Model Y, so confirm on the car: plug in and the charging screen shows the maximum current available. If you are buying used, the Model Y 2026 buyer's guide and the other year pages list the trims and their home charging rate.
Older cars can be the exception. Pre-2016 Model S cars could have dual chargers rated up to 80 A, and the refreshed Model S from April 2016 offered an optional 72 A charger, as did the Model X. Those cars can only use their extra capacity on a Gen 2 unit. Our Model S model-year changes guide shows which years had which option.
50 amp or 60 amp breaker?
This comes up more than any other amperage question, usually because the panel is close to full or there is already a 50 A circuit for a 14-50 outlet.
Pick 60 A when:
- the car accepts 48 A,
- the load calculation shows room, and
- you drive enough that 44 miles per hour instead of 37 matters, or you share the charger between two cars.
Pick 50 A when:
- the panel is tight and 60 A would trigger an upgrade, or
- an existing 50 A circuit can be reused. Whether its wire is suitable for a hardwired Wall Connector is for the electrician to confirm.
Pick 40 A when the car is a base Model 3 or base Model Y. A bigger breaker buys that car nothing.
The difference in daily life is smaller than it looks on paper. A worked example for a 40-mile round trip:
| Setting | Range per hour (Model 3/Y) | Time to put back 40 miles |
|---|---|---|
| 48 A on 60 A | 44 mi | 40 / 44 = 0.9 h, about 55 min |
| 40 A on 50 A | 37 mi | 40 / 37 = 1.1 h, about 65 min |
| 32 A on 40 A | 30 mi | 40 / 30 = 1.3 h, about 80 min |
| 24 A on 30 A | 22 mi | 40 / 22 = 1.8 h, about 110 min |
| 12 A at 120 V | 2 to 3 mi | 40 / 3 to 40 / 2 = 13 to 20 h |
Every 240 V row finishes in a short slice of an overnight window. Only Level 1 struggles. If you regularly arrive home with a nearly empty pack, the Tesla charging time guide works through full charges by model.
How to change the amps on a Tesla wall charger
Gen 3 and Universal Wall Connector. There is no switch and no dial. The maximum current comes from the breaker size entered during commissioning in Tesla's installer app, Tesla One. To raise it, an electrician must fit the larger breaker and suitable wire, then re-commission the unit. To lower it permanently, re-commission with the smaller setting. When the breaker comes on, the green lights on the faceplate show the configured breaker size for 10 seconds, which is an easy way to check what yours is set to.
From the car. For a temporary change, lower the charge current on the car's charging screen. This is the right fix if you want to go easy on a shared circuit for a night, and it is one of the steps Tesla's troubleshooting suggests for a seven-blink vehicle overcurrent fault.
Gen 2 Wall Connector. Gen 2 is set by a rotary switch inside the unit (not DIP switches, as some older guides say). The positions an electrician will use most:
| Position | Breaker | Max output |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 30 A | 24 A |
| 6 | 40 A | 32 A |
| 8 | 50 A | 40 A |
| 9 | 60 A | 48 A |
| A | 70 A | 56 A |
| B | 80 A | 64 A |
| C | 90 A | 72 A |
| D | 100 A | 80 A |
Position D needs 3 AWG copper rated 75 C (or per local code) and 1 in conduit, and only cars with 72 A or 80 A onboard chargers can use outputs above 48 A. For a current Tesla, a Gen 2 on a 60 A breaker charges exactly as fast as a Gen 3. The Gen 2 vs Gen 3 Wall Connector page compares them in full.
Mobile Connector amps by adapter
The Mobile Connector draws less than a Wall Connector because it tops out at 32 A on 240 V. The adapter tells it which limit to use:
| Adapter | Circuit | Max output | Model 3 range per hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEMA 5-15 (included) | 15 A, 120 V | about 12 A | 2 to 3 mi |
| NEMA 5-20 | 20 A, 120 V | 16 A | Tesla's table: 7 mi |
| NEMA 6-20 | 20 A, 240 V | 16 A | 15 mi |
| NEMA 14-30 or 10-30 | 30 A, 240 V | 24 A | 22 mi |
| NEMA 14-50 (included) or 6-50 | 50 A, 240 V | 32 A | 30 mi |
That 32 A cap is why a NEMA 14-50 outlet for a Tesla gives a base Model 3 or Model Y its full home charging speed, but leaves a long range car short of 44 miles per hour. The portable Tesla charger comparison covers the rest of the trade-off.
Is there a best amperage for the battery?
Tesla does not tell owners to charge at a reduced current to protect the battery. Its battery guidance is about the charge limit: around 80% for daily use on most cars, and 100% at least weekly for LFP packs. Home AC charging at 11.5 kW is gentle compared with Supercharging.
Where amperage does affect cost is the jump from 120 V to 240 V. Studies summarized by Recurrent found that a 120 V outlet delivers only about 75 to 84% of the energy you pay for into the battery, against roughly 89 to 95% on a 240 V circuit. Moving from 32 A to 48 A on 240 V has no documented efficiency benefit large enough to plan around.
Superchargers are rated in kilowatts, not amps
Search data shows people ask how many amps a Supercharger uses. Superchargers are DC chargers, and Tesla rates them by power: up to 250 kW for Model S, 3, X and Y at V3 and V4 sites, and up to 325 kW for Cybertruck at V4 sites. The current changes through each session as the battery voltage rises, so an amp figure tells you very little. At home, the ceiling is the onboard charger's 48 A.
Quick reference: which setting for which Tesla
| Your situation | Breaker | Output | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Model 3 or Model Y | 40 A | 32 A | Matches the onboard charger exactly |
| 48 A car, panel has room | 60 A | 48 A | Full 44 mi/hr (Model 3/Y) |
| 48 A car, panel tight | 50 A | 40 A | 37 mi/hr, often avoids an upgrade |
| Two Teslas, one service | 60 A each, power sharing | Shared | Units split an allocated supply |
| Older S/X with 72 or 80 A charger | Gen 2, up to 100 A | Up to 80 A | Only Gen 2 exceeds 48 A |
For the rest of the job (routing, mounting, permits and commissioning) see the guide to installing a Tesla wall charger, and for what each option costs, the breakdown of the cost to install a Tesla home charger.
Amp and breaker questions, answered
How many amps does a Tesla Wall Connector pull?
Up to 48 amps, and only when it is on a 60 A breaker and the car can accept 48 A. On smaller breakers it is limited in software to 80% of the breaker: 40 A on 50 A, 32 A on 40 A, 24 A on 30 A, 16 A on 20 A and 12 A on 15 A. A car with a 32 A onboard charger never draws more than 32 A.
Should I use a 50 amp or 60 amp breaker for a Tesla charger?
Use 60 A if your car accepts 48 A and the panel load calculation allows it; it adds 44 instead of 37 miles of range per hour on a Model 3 or Model Y. Choose 50 A when the panel is tight, or reuse an existing 50 A circuit if its wiring suits the Wall Connector. For a base Model 3 or Model Y, a 40 A breaker already gives full speed.
What gauge wire do I need for a 60 amp Tesla charger?
Tesla's Gen 3 manual specifies at least 6 AWG copper rated 90 C (THWN-2) when the breaker has 75 C terminations, and at least 4 AWG when the breaker is rated 60 C. Copper only. Whether 6 AWG NM-B cable is acceptable on a 60 A breaker is disputed among electricians, so leave that call to a licensed electrician and your inspector.
How do I change the amps on my Tesla Wall Connector?
On a Gen 3 or Universal unit, the maximum is the breaker size entered during commissioning in the Tesla One app, so changing it means re-commissioning, and the breaker must match. To charge slower temporarily, lower the charge current on the car's charging screen instead. A Gen 2 uses an internal rotary switch, which an electrician sets to match the breaker.
What is the best amperage to charge a Tesla at home?
The highest your circuit and car allow is fine. Tesla's battery advice is about the charge limit (around 80% daily for most cars, 100% for LFP packs), not about slowing the current down. The bigger difference is Level 1 versus Level 2: studies put Level 1 losses at about 16 to 25%, against roughly 5 to 11% on 240 V.
How many amps does the Tesla Mobile Connector use?
It depends on the adapter. On a NEMA 14-50 or 6-50 outlet it draws 32 A, on 10-30 or 14-30 it draws 24 A, on 6-20 it draws 16 A, and on a standard 5-15 household outlet about 12 A at 120 V. The Mobile Connector reads the adapter and limits its current automatically, so the adapter must match the outlet's circuit.
How many amps is a Tesla Supercharger?
Superchargers are DC fast chargers, so Tesla rates them in kilowatts, not amps. V3 and V4 sites deliver up to 250 kW to a Model S, 3, X or Y, and V4 sites up to 325 kW to a Cybertruck. The current in amps varies with battery voltage through the session, so it is not a useful number to compare with a home circuit.
Sources
- Tesla: Wall Connector breaker sizes and range per hour by model, tesla.com
- Tesla Gen 3 Wall Connector installation manual: wiring and breaker requirements, energylibrary.tesla.com
- Tesla: Onboard charger by model, tesla.com
- Tesla: Mobile Connector adapters and charging rates, tesla.com
- Tesla Gen 2 Wall Connector installation manual (rotary switch table), digitalassets.tesla.com
- NEC Article 625 summary (Mike Holt), mikeholt.com
- Recurrent: Why your battery doesn't get all the energy you pay for, recurrentauto.com
- Tesla: Supercharging, tesla.com
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