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.
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, touch
Controls
and touch the
Charge Port icon (lightning bolt).
• On the touchscreen, navigate to
Controls
>
Charging
>
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.
• Use voice commands to open the charge port door
(see
). You can also use
voice commands to close the charge port door, and
begin or stop charging.
NOTE:
The following image is provided for
demonstration purposes only. Depending on market
region and date of manufacture, your charge port may
be slightly different.
NOTE:
The Tesla "T" lights up 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 charge port 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. To prevent this from occurring, use the
Schedule
settings, available on both the charging and
climate control screens, to set a departure time and
enable preconditioning (see
Scheduled Departure on page 165
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
).
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 into the
power outlet before plugging in 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;
Charging Instructions
162
MODEL 3 Owner's Manual
