Tesla Model S
Every New Tesla Owner’s Dilemma: Dual Chargers vs High Power Wall Connector (HPWC)
An analysis of the HPWC and Dual Charger options for charging the Tesla Model S.
When you purchase a car, you typically buy what’s on the lot and it’s either fully loaded or stripped down with the bare necessities. Custom orders are few and far between. With Tesla you almost always end up configuring the vehicle to your exact specifications. While they do have inventory cars for immediate sale, they’re often used vehicles with a previous life as a service loaner or test drive vehicle.
There are really 3 kinds of buyers for the Model S when it comes to options:
- Those who opt for every available option and price is not a factor.
- Those that go for the bare minimum options and stretch their budgets in order to get into the car. These are the owners with the stripped down Model S 60 kWh’s (or even 40’s!) with no Tech package etc.
- Those that are in between and select only those options that they really need in order to save money.
If you’re in category 3 then read on.
Two points that need to be considered when ordering a Tesla Model S is whether or not the High Power Wall Connector (HPWC) is really for you; a $1,200 option that provides two times the charging rate of the standard option.
The second point to consider is whether you want the on-board dual chargers,
another $1,500 option which allows twice the conversion capacity as the single charger when the power is available.
Originally the HPWC and Dual Chargers were a single option around $3,000 and later on Tesla split the options out. Why they did that is interesting and indicates that there maybe a reason for having dual chargers without the HPWC.
Also see: Should You Leave Your Tesla Universal Mobile Connector (UMC) Plugged In?
I drive a lot: 35K miles per year. Other than a relative who’s a full time truck driver, I drive more than anyone I know. I plan on driving my Tesla just as much. On a daily basis I range from 90 miles to 175 miles in a given day just based on my usual pattern of family shuttling and commuting.
Do you really need the Tesla High Power Wall Connector (HPWC)?
Tesla has a good charging speed calculator on their site. If you take a conservative 200 miles per day and charge on the “standard recommended” home adapter through a NEMA 14-50 outlet, you can replenish the battery capacity in 6 hours 48 minutes. This measure of time is somewhat misleading as Tesla tends to provide “best” numbers and, unlike an ICE car, charging from an empty battery state is faster than charging from 20% left. Assuming you don’t arrive home with 0 miles left, the time to charge could be a bit longer. Most people I know, once home from work, are there for a minimum of 8 hours thereby giving them a significant amount of time to charge up. While Tesla recommends the HPWC for anyone regularly driving over 100 miles a day, I think the guidance is incorrect and the HPWC is not needed for the most part.
That being said, there are possible edge cases where it could be needed:
- On-call type people that can come and go from the charge location with few hours each time and long times away from the charger. Doctors and other professions like that should carefully consider their patterns.
- People that can take advantage of time-of-use metering (discounted off-peak electricity rates) from their electricity provider. Here in Massachusetts you have to consume at least 2,500 kWh per month over a 12 month period to qualify and generally this doesn’t work for homeowners even with high energy consumption. My utilization can run as high as 2,296 kWh/month but this still wouldn’t qualify.
- The HPWC is one way to get a second charging cable. It’s not the most efficient way since a second mobile connector is just over half the price, so you’re better off buying that second mobile connector and leaving it connected in the garage.
- It’s for a business or public use environment. Here people need to come and go as fast as possible. Whether that’s your business or you decided to share your power via PlugShare or the like, then you’ll want to provide the fastest charge possible to get people moving on.
So you don’t need the HPWC. Also don’t forget that the HPWC requires a lot more power and will likely cost more to install than a standard NEMA 14-50. A NEMA 14-50 home installation can run between $1,000-$1,500 but this varies greatly depending on the distance that power lines needs to be pulled and the underlying power supply/infrastructure of your home set up. I was fortunate enough to have mine installed at $675 since, apparently, my infrastructure didn’t require too much of an upgrade.
Tesla Dual Chargers
If you don’t purchase the HPWC option do you really need dual chargers? Personally, unless you never plan on taking an extended road trip or don’t care about future proofing you car, the on board dual chargers could provide some tremdous value. It’s this very same reason why I modified my order at the last minute and added the dual charger option.
At home using a NEMA 14-50 or on the road using only the Tesla Superchargers network (ie, epic 12,000 mile Tesla road trip) you wouldn’t need dual chargers. The dual chargers provides no benefit in each of those scenarios.
However, by having the dual chargers, you’d be able to take advantage of several fast charge options out there while future-proofing your vehicle as public charging technology advances.
- Publicly available HPWC’s out there like those at a Tesla Store or Tesla Service Center or those shared by homeowners and businesses which will grow over time. To take advantage of max charge rates on these you need dual chargers. Not all HPWCs provide more than 40A though.
- Public EV Plugs (J1772) can go up to 70A. The number of these that are over 40A is very limited today but that is rapidly changing. To take advantage of max charge rates on these you need dual chargers.
- CHAdeMO outlets offer higher speed charging for those that can take advantage of them. Tesla has been promising an adapter for a while but has yet to deliver.
While dual chargers are an extra cost on top of an already expensive car, at roughly 1% of the cost of the car and potentially saving hours of frustrating wait time, I think the decision to get dual chargers is a no-brainer and provides some future proofing for the car. HPWC likely always an unnecessary expense.
Thoughts/comments? Would love to hear from you.
News
Tesla makes latest move to remove Model S and Model X from its lineup
Tesla’s latest decisive step toward phasing out its flagship sedan and SUV was quietly removing the Model S and Model X from its U.S. referral program earlier this week.
Tesla has made its latest move that indicates the Model S and Model X are being removed from the company’s lineup, an action that was confirmed by the company earlier this quarter, that the two flagship vehicles would no longer be produced.
Tesla has ultimately started phasing out the Model S and Model X in several ways, as it recently indicated it had sold out of a paint color for the two vehicles.
Now, the company is making even more moves that show its plans for the two vehicles are being eliminated slowly but surely.
Tesla’s latest decisive step toward phasing out its flagship sedan and SUV was quietly removing the Model S and Model X from its U.S. referral program earlier this week.
The change eliminates the $1,000 referral discount previously available to new buyers of these vehicles. Existing Tesla owners purchasing a new Model S or Model X will now only receive a halved loyalty discount of $500, down from $1,000.
The updates extend beyond the two flagship vehicles. New Cybertruck buyers using a referral code on Premium AWD or Cyberbeast configurations will no longer get $1,000 off. Instead, both referrer and buyer receive three months of Full Self-Driving (Supervised).
The loyalty discount for Cybertruck purchases, excluding the new Dual Motor AWD trim level, has also been cut to $500.
NEWS: Tesla has removed the Model S and Model X from the referral program.
New owners also no longer get a $1,000 referral discount on a new Cybertruck Premium AWD or Cyberbeast. Instead, you now get 3 months of FSD (Supervised).
Additionally, Tesla has reduced the loyalty… pic.twitter.com/IgIY8Hi2WJ
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) March 6, 2026
These adjustments apply only in the United States, and reflect Tesla’s broader strategy to optimize margins while boosting adoption of its autonomous driving software.
The timing is no coincidence. Tesla confirmed earlier this year that Model S and Model X production will end in the second quarter of 2026, roughly June, as the company reallocates factory capacity toward its Optimus humanoid robot and next-generation vehicles.
With annual sales of the low-volume flagships already declining (just 53,900 units in 2025), incentives are no longer needed to drive demand. Production is winding down, and Tesla expects strong remaining interest without subsidies.
Industry observers see this as the clearest sign yet of an “end-of-life” phase for the vehicles that once defined Tesla’s luxury segment. Community reactions on X range from nostalgia, “Rest in power S and X”, to frustration among long-time owners who feel perks are eroding just as the models approach discontinuation.
Some buyers are rushing orders to lock in final discounts before they vanish entirely.
Doug DeMuro names Tesla Model S the Most Important Car of the last 30 years
For Tesla, the move prioritizes efficiency: fewer discounts on outgoing models, a stronger push for FSD subscriptions, and a focus on high-margin Cybertruck trims amid surging orders.
Loyalists still have a narrow window to purchase a refreshed Plaid or Long Range model with remaining incentives, but the message is clear: Tesla’s lineup is evolving, and the era of the original flagships is drawing to a close.
News
Tesla Model S and X customization options begin to thin as their closure nears
Tesla’s Online Design Studio for both vehicles now shows the first color option to be listed as “Sold Out,” as Lunar Silver is officially no longer available for the Model S or Model X. This color is exclusive to these cars and not available on the Model S or Model X.
Tesla Model S and Model X customization options are beginning to thin for the first time as the closure of the two “sentimental” vehicles nears.
We are officially seeing the first options disappear as Tesla begins to work toward ending production of the two cars and the options that are available to those vehicles specifically.
Tesla’s Online Design Studio for both vehicles now shows the first color option to be listed as “Sold Out,” as Lunar Silver is officially no longer available for the Model S or Model X. This color is exclusive to these cars and not available on the Model S or Model X.
🚨 Tesla Model S and Model X availability is thinning, as Tesla has officially shown that the Lunar Silver color option on both vehicles is officially sold out
To be fair, Frost Blue is still available so no need to freak out pic.twitter.com/YnwsDbsFOv
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) February 25, 2026
Tesla is making way for the Optimus humanoid robot project at the Fremont Factory, where the Model S and Model X are produced. The two cars are low-volume models and do not contribute more than a few percent to Tesla’s yearly delivery figures.
With CEO Elon Musk confirming that the Model S and Model X would officially be phased out at the end of the quarter, some of the options are being thinned out.
This is an expected move considering Tesla’s plans for the two vehicles, as it will make for an easier process of transitioning that portion of the Fremont plant to cater to Optimus manufacturing. Additionally, this is likely one of the least popular colors, and Tesla is choosing to only keep around what it is seeing routine demand for.
During the Q4 Earnings Call in January, Musk confirmed the end of the Model S and Model X:
“It is time to bring the Model S and Model X programs to an end with an honorable discharge. It is time to bring the S/X programs to an end. It’s part of our overall shift to an autonomous future.”
Fremont will now build one million Optimus units per year as production is ramped.
Tesla is bringing closure to its flagship Model S and Model X vehicles, which CEO Elon Musk said several years ago were only produced for “sentimental reasons.”
The Model S and Model X have been light contributors to Tesla’s delivery growth over the past few years, commonly contributing only a few percentage points toward the over 1.7 million cars the company has handed over to customers annually since 2022.
However, the Model S and Model X have remained in production because of their high-end performance and flagship status; they are truly two vehicles that are premium offerings and do not hold major weight toward Tesla’s future goals.
On Wednesday, during the Q4 2025 Earnings Call, Musk confirmed that Tesla would bring closure to the two models, ending their production and making way for the manufacturing efforts of the Optimus robot:
“It is time to bring the Model S and Model X programs to an end with an honorable discharge. It is time to bring the S/X programs to an end. It’s part of our overall shift to an autonomous future.”
Musk said the production lines that Tesla has for the Model S and Model X at the Fremont Factory in Northern California will be transitioned to Optimus production lines that will produce one million units per year.
Tesla Fremont Factory celebrates 15 years of electric vehicle production
Tesla will continue to service Model S and Model X vehicles, but it will officially stop deliveries of the cars in Q2, as inventory will be liquidated. When they’re gone, they’re gone.
BREAKING: Tesla will wind down Model S and Model X production next quarter, Elon Musk confirms.
“It is time to bring the Model S and Model X programs to an end with an honorable discharge.” pic.twitter.com/Czn7aQjJE1
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) January 28, 2026
Tesla has been making moves to sunset the two vehicles for the better part of one year. Last July, it stopped taking any custom orders for vehicles in Europe, essentially pushing the idea that the program was coming to a close soon.
Musk said back in 2019:
“I mean, they’re very expensive, made in low volume. To be totally frank, we’re continuing to make them more for sentimental reasons than anything else. They’re really of minor importance to the future.”
That point is more relevant than ever as Tesla is ending the production of the cars to make way for Optimus, which will likely be Tesla’s biggest product in the coming years.
Musk added during the Earnings Call on Wednesday that he believes Optimus will be a major needle-mover of the United States’ GDP, as it will increase productivity and enable universal high income for humans.
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