Frequently Asked Questions

Tesla Chargers use a proprietary, computer controlled circuits invented by John Bedini to charge batteries for both models that have IMPULSE and linear current regulators.

The systems are completely automatic. The computer actually tests the battery before each impulse is delivered, thereby ensuring that the electrical energy is delivered in the most efficient way possible. For the linear current regulator circuits, the battery is pushed to it’s full topping event and then shuts off.

This allows batteries that are very weak, or un-chargeable by any other charger, to be charged with a Tesla Charger, and brought back to useful service.

As a side note, our impulse chargers are not the same as other company’s products who sell “pulse chargers” whereby they simply pulse the electricity to the battery.

Yes.

As long as the cells are not physically damaged or electrically shorted to other cells, our chargers can usually restore these batteries to useful service.

This “restoration process” is really nothing more than the charge process being done correctly, which other chargers do not do. When this happens, the internal chemistry of the battery moves closer and closer toward it’s ideal state. Repeated charge and discharge cycles further improves this process. In some cases, discarded batteries that were regularly charged with Tesla Chargers gained in capacity above that of a new, identical battery.

There is, of course, no way to know exactly how much restoration (or capacity increase) can be expected with any given battery because older batteries differ in their quality of manufacture, as well as the conditions they were subjected to during charging and loading previously.

Tesla Chargers makes no claims to be able to restore “dead batteries”. On the other hand, our testimonial pages are filled with stories of many, seemingly hopeless batteries being restored to useful service.

Yes. In both electricity and battery costs over time.

In the long term. With conventional battery chargers, battery capacity degrades slowly with each charge. In order to get the same amount of energy out of the battery, the common practice is to place the battery on the charger more frequently and/or for longer periods of time. Since the battery cannot retain the charge, this energy is being wasted.

Our chargers reduce this energy waste by significantly improving the battery’s ability to store its charge. Consequently, the battery spends less time on the charger, consuming less energy, and giving you more of the power you need.

The other big savings is the money you save by not having to replace your old batteries with new ones very often. These two energy saving methods make your Tesla Charger pay for itself quickly and allows you to keep all the rest of the money in your pocket.

Just as it took time for your batteries to degenerate, restoring the proper chemical structure of the battery plates takes time. After several cycles of charging with our chargers, and then discharging at a slow rate, the plates will gradually be restored to their optimum condition.

The most dramatic increases in capacity are usually seen within the first 10 cycles, typically, a gradual increase in capacity results from the continued use of our chargers.

The best Tesla Charger for this application is the 25A12. In general, large lead-acid batteries should be charged back to a state of full charge immediately after each use. Of course, you have to choose a charging routine that is appropriate for your application.

Depending on its size and composition, a new battery will usually reach its maximum capacity after 2-5 cycles when being charged with the 25A12 series chargers. After any battery (old or new) has reached its maximum capacity, a balance should be maintained that:

1) allows the battery to be charged as gently as possible, and
2) does not allow the build-up of sulfation to occur.

For maximum life, the battery should be used frequently, charged to a full state of charge after each use, and stored in a fully charged condition. When you charge your battery with the 25A12 charger and use it frequently, you should expect the longest possible life from your battery.

For smaller capacity batteries, we recommend the 2A12 or 10A12.

There is a Tesla Charger that is right for every kind of rechargeable battery that you currently own.

1AU

Our Universal 1AU is the most versatile battery charger on the market today. It will recharge and restore any rechargeable battery from as small as a 1.2 Volt AAAs, AAs, Cs, Ds, 9v radio batteries, smaller 12 volt up to 24 volts 7ah batteries.

The 1AU will charge Ni-cad, NiMH or Lead Acids – our chargers are NOT for the typical “Lithium Ion” batteries, which really means Lithium Cobalt batteries. We have some solar charge controllers that are for Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries.

Some people have started entire businesses revolving around the 1AU where they rejuvenate people’s worn out tool batteries from 12v or 18v.

2A12, 10A12 and 25A12

Our first and most popular model is the 2A12. It is designed to charge 12 Volt lead-acid batteries, from the small gel-cell type, to the automobile start type, to the Marine deep-cycle type. It may only be rated at 2 amps, but this little charger is a real work horse.

The 10A12 and industrial model 25A12 are made for 12V lead acid batteries of high capacity. The 8 volte batteries are common in Europe.

Tesla Solar Tracker 5

Our solar charge controllers are for 12 volt lead acid batteries, but we have a few smaller units intended for the newer LiFePO4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate)  batteries…note that is NOT the same as the typical “Lithium Ions”, which are Lithium Cobalt batteries.

No. These chargers are fully automatic and require little understanding to work. You simply must put the right charger on the right battery and that’s it. For your convenience, complete directions for use are printed right on the chargers. However, in order to get the best results and to learn how to operate them safely, users should read and understand the owner’s manuals.

Typically, once a battery is connected and the charger it turned on, leave the charger/rejuvenators running until you see a green light come on and it is done for that cycle.

If you’re rejuvenating batteries, it is good to draw the battery down after charge and recharge it right away. After several charge/discharge cycles, the battery capacity grows and grows.

This is a difficult question to answer because of:

1) the differing methods of measuring efficiency, and
2) the wide variety of chargers that are on the market today.

Most manufacturers calculate the efficiency of their battery charger as the ratio of the power delivered to the battery from the charger vs. the power consumed by the charger. This measurement can be deceiving, especially if the battery is older and is not charging very well. It is also difficult to measure a battery charger’s efficiency when the battery is constantly degrading in capacity and spending more time on the charger and less time being used.

For practicality, we are interested in a more honest, total efficiency measurement. We prefer to measure efficiency as the ratio of power delivered from the battery vs. the power consumed by the charger. This not only accounts for the efficiency of the battery charger, but also the efficiency of the battery during its charge and discharge cycles. In that sense, we measure the efficiency of our chargers, not only by how little energy they draw from the wall, but also by the efficiency of the batteries they charge!

If you consider efficiency as total lifetime of amp-hours delivered by the battery vs. total kWh’s consumed by the charger, like we do, the battery that maintains its full capacity has the highest efficiency.