Do Teslas use gas? It may surprise you but many people are wondering whether Teslas can run with gas; thus having a fuel tank within its construction. Most of us know that Teslas are built as electric vehicles, but there is a possibility that it’s also a hybrid. If it’s a hybrid, then Teslas have a fuel tank built in it. so, to get into the depth of the issue, let’s dig further into the facts, shall we?
Teslas Facts
You should be aware of the fact that Teslas have electric motors rather than the combustion engine. It also means that they CAN’T run on fuel, whether it’s diesel or gas. Tesla has never made any of their vehicle with engine, but they use motor. They have never made any PHEV (Plug in Hybrid Vehicle) either.
Electric vs Hybrid Cars
A lot of people don’t even know the difference between hybrid cars and electric cars. You see, in hybrid cars, you have both a combustion engine and the electric motor. In electric cars, you only have the motor. Get the difference now?
Hybrid cars mean that you generally run on the electric power (it’s the motor that runs) provided that you have enough power within the battery. But when you are running out of power, the system would automatically switch to the gas, so the car can run on diesel or petrol. There are many auto brands that have produced hybrid vehicles, but Tesla is only specializing in electric cars because that’s the future that they want to achieve. So, if there is any question about do Teslas use gas, now you already know the answer.
How the Car Runs?
Instead of gas, Teslas use big battery packs (naturally having high capacity storage system) for the power. From the beginning, Tesla models have never come with any engine or fuel tank. The cars are running on motors.
Whereas most people think that engines and motors are the same, they are actually not. Engines generally would convert (product of) FUEL to mechanical energy. They can run on kerosene, diesel, oil, gas, and even het. Motors, on the contrary, convert ELECTRICITY to mechanical energy. So, as you can see, both of them are different.
Charging the Batteries
There are 3 different ways to charge the batteries. The first one is the simplest, but also the least effective way. You can charge the car with a home (slow) charger. Simply plug it into the home outlet (usually the 120V power) and just wait until the power is full. This is the slowest and also the longest way to charge the vehicle. Expect spending many hours to do so.
The second one would be using the Tesla Wall Charger. This unit would be directly wired to the home electrical infrastructure. Naturally, it’s more powerful and not as slow as the first method. Simply plug the vehicle to this charger after you come home from work. By the time you wake up the next day, your car would be completely and fully charged.
The third method is the so-called Tesla Superchargers, which can be found in gas stations and parking lots. It has similar looks to a (streamlined) gas pump. This one is super quick. By charging for only 15 minutes, you can add around 200 miles to your vehicle.
Keep in mind that Tesla cars can make use of an adapter, which can be plugged to the charging stations for generic electric ride. But this way is definitely slower than the superchargers. Moreover, depending on the third party (charging) spots may not be the best ideas. That’s why this one is considered as the last resort. Now that you already know the answer (and the basic facts) to the question do Teslas use gas, you know what’s best for your ride.