Free Tesla Charging in Cleveland: What Was Actually Free
I visited several Level 2 chargers around Greater Cleveland to find out what was actually free, what required payment and which stops were practical enough to use again.
Finding a charger on a map is easy. Finding one that is actually free, available, compatible with your car and somewhere you feel comfortable waiting is a completely different search.
Over the course of about two months, I visited several Level 2 charging locations around Greater Cleveland with Taiji, my Tesla Model X. Some appeared in searches for free charging. Others were located somewhere I was already going, such as the library, the gym or a park.
Only one location was free in my actual experience: North Coast Mitsubishi in Bedford. Even there, I cannot promise that the chargers are officially available for general public use. I was able to plug in without being charged or asked to leave, but the dealership has not confirmed a public-charging policy to me.
The other locations were paid, restricted or simply not practical enough to replace charging at home. Here is what I found at each stop and what I would do differently next time.
The quick answer
Location | What I found | Did I charge? | My verdict
- North Coast Mitsubishi, Bedford | No fee appeared during my visits, but public access was not officially confirmed | Yes | The only place that was free in my experience
- Lakewood Park | Paid ChargePoint Level 2 charging | No | Not free, despite appearing as free in some searches
- Upper Edgewater Park | FLO Level 2 charging at $0.025 per minute when checked | No | Inexpensive, but still paid
- CWRU Lot 1A, Glennan Building | EverCharge Level 2 charging around $0.23 per kWh, with new permit and CWRU-vehicle signs | No | Not a general public option based on the current signage
- Veale Center Garage, One to One Fitness | Paid garage access and paid Level 2 charging; parking validation is for facility users | No | Practical only if you are already using One to One
- Warrensville Heights Library | Paid ChargePoint Level 2 charging at approximately $0.24 per kWh when checked | No | Convenient for a library visit, but not free
Rates, access rules and charger availability can change. Always confirm the price in the charging app and read the posted parking signs before plugging in.
A quick connector note for Tesla drivers
The non-Tesla Level 2 stations in this article use J1772 connectors. A Tesla driver needs a compatible J1772 adapter to use them.
This matters because seeing an available charger in an app does not automatically mean you can pull up and connect. Check your adapter before making a special trip, especially if you are searching for charging away from the Tesla Supercharger network.
North Coast Mitsubishi in Bedford: the only location that was free for me
North Coast Mitsubishi is located at 500 Broadway Avenue in Bedford. The dealership currently lists sales hours of 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday and is closed on Sunday.
This is the only location in my search where I actually charged without paying. During one visit, Taiji went from approximately 24 percent to 53 percent in a little over two hours.
No one at the dealership told me that the chargers were officially open to the public. I simply pulled in, connected the car and went to get my nails done nearby. One employee jokingly told me I could not use the charger and then immediately said he was playing. I have returned and charged more than once without a problem, but that is still different from having a clearly published public-charging policy.
For that reason, I would ask the dealership before relying on this location or stay with the car while it charges.
I have left Taiji connected while getting a pedicure, but Sentry Mode showed people walking around and looking inside the car. That makes sense at a dealership where other electric vehicles may be parked near the chargers. Employees know their inventory, but customers may initially assume that an unfamiliar vehicle is for sale.
If you are not comfortable leaving your car in that environment, bring something to do and wait inside the vehicle.
What is nearby in Bedford
The useful part of this location is that there are places within walking distance where you can spend the charging time.
- BossLady NailedIt operates inside Lotus Beauty Salon at 450 Broadway Avenue. This is where I have gone for pedicures while Taiji charges.
- Walgreens is nearby at 520 Broadway Avenue.
- Coffee Cup Family Restaurant is a local restaurant at 444 Broadway Avenue.
- Zeppe's Pizzeria is at 320 Broadway Avenue.
At Zeppe's, I tried the Alfredo pasta, salad, garlic knots and a cookie. The pasta portion was large enough to divide into two meals, but it was not something I would specifically return for. I would go back for the garlic knots and the cookie.
The combination of free charging in my experience and nearby businesses made Bedford the most useful stop I tested. The uncertainty around official public access is the reason I would not describe it as a guaranteed free public charger.
Watch my search for free charging in Cleveland
The video follows my west-side charging search, including Lakewood, and shows why a charger appearing in a search result is not enough to know whether it is truly free or useful.
Lakewood Park: listed as free in some searches, but it was paid
Lakewood Park was one of the locations that appeared in some search results as a possible free charger. When I arrived and checked the ChargePoint station, it was not free. The price was approximately $0.24 per kilowatt-hour when I checked.
The Level 2 charger is near the pool area and uses a J1772 connector. Because I was specifically searching for free charging, I chose not to plug in.
This was a good example of why I would not plan a trip around an old listing or map label. Open the current ChargePoint listing and check the station screen when you arrive. Parking rules can also change, so read the signs surrounding the charger rather than relying only on the app.
Upper Edgewater Park: inexpensive by the minute, but not free
The FLO chargers at Upper Edgewater Park are located at 7600 Memorial Shoreway, above the beach rather than down by the sand. The app showed Level 2 J1772 charging with power up to 6.2 kW.
When I checked, the listed price was $0.025 per minute. That equals $1.50 per hour. At the full listed 6.2 kW output, the theoretical cost would be about $0.24 per kilowatt-hour. The effective cost can be higher if the car charges more slowly because the station bills by time rather than by the exact amount of energy delivered.
The app also warned users to review the parking signage because separate restrictions or fees could apply.
I did not charge here because my goal was to find something free. Still, this could be a reasonable option for someone already planning to walk through the upper park and willing to pay for a slower Level 2 session.
If you are visiting Edgewater for an event rather than charging, you may also want to read my experience at the first Cleveland Sirens FanFest at Edgewater Beach.
CWRU Lot 1A outside the Glennan Building: newly posted restrictions
Lot 1A is outside the Glennan Building at Case Western Reserve University and is visible from Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. The lot has two EverCharge Level 2 units with J1772 connectors. The price was approximately $0.23 per kilowatt-hour when I checked.
I have entered the property multiple times without encountering a gate or being stopped. I have not charged there.
During my most recent visit, I noticed substantially more signage than I remembered seeing during earlier visits. The current signs state that a CWRU permit is required and designate the spaces for CWRU vehicles. Because of that signage, I would not consider this an ordinary public charging option or recommend arriving without first confirming that you are authorized to use it.
Even before the new signage, this was not a location where I would have felt comfortable leaving Taiji unattended. Without confirmed permission, I would not use the chargers. Even with authorization, I would stay with the vehicle.
One to One Fitness and the Veale Center garage: useful only if you are already going there
The chargers inside the Veale Center parking garage at Case Western Reserve University are separate from the outdoor Lot 1A chargers.
The garage is Lot 53, beside One to One Fitness on Adelbert Road. A credit card or tap-to-pay method is required to enter. One to One officially provides parking validation only to members and guests who are using the facility. The validation currently covers up to three hours on weekdays and four hours on weekends. If you exceed that time, you can be charged for the full parking period.
The Level 2 charging is still paid. Parking validation does not make the charging session free.
I visited the location but did not charge. For me, this would make sense only if I were already working out at One to One and wanted to add some range while I was inside. It would not be my choice for a special charging trip.
Warrensville Heights Library: convenient, but paid
The Warrensville Heights Branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library is located at 4415 Northfield Road. The ChargePoint station has Level 2 J1772 connectors.
The station showed approximately $0.24 per kilowatt-hour when I checked. I did not charge because I was still looking for a free option.
The library currently lists the following branch hours:
- Monday through Thursday: 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
- Friday and Saturday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- Sunday: 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Charging-station availability can extend beyond building hours, but I would verify the current ChargePoint listing and parking access before planning an after-hours session.
This is a better example of charging while doing something you already intended to do. If I am attending book club, browsing the library or spending time inside, paying for a Level 2 session may be more useful than driving somewhere solely to charge.
It was approximately $0.24 per kilowatt-hour when I checked, so I did not use it during my search for free charging.
Watch the Warrensville charging stop
Watch the Warrensville Heights Library charging segment beginning at 1:28
Was searching for free public charging worth it?
As an experiment, yes. As a regular charging strategy, probably not.
Charging at home costs me approximately $0.10 per kilowatt-hour. When a public Level 2 station costs approximately $0.23 or $0.24 per kilowatt-hour, I am paying more than twice my estimated home rate while also spending time driving to the charger and waiting.
The Bedford dealership worked because I was already going to a nearby nail appointment and the session did not cost me anything. The paid locations make the most sense when the charging happens alongside something I already want to do, such as visiting the library, working out or walking through a park.
That is the real lesson from this search. The best charger is not always the one with the lowest posted price. It is the one that is compatible, available, permitted, safe enough for your comfort level and located somewhere useful.
My practical recommendations
- Do not assume that a charger marked free in an old search result is still free.
- Open the current charging-network app before driving to the location.
- Read the physical parking and permit signs after you arrive.
- Carry the correct J1772 adapter if your Tesla requires one.
- Choose charging stops near something you already plan to do.
- Do not treat the Bedford dealership as guaranteed public charging without asking.
- Do not use the CWRU Lot 1A chargers without confirming that you meet the posted permit and vehicle restrictions.
- Compare the public rate with your home-charging cost before deciding whether the trip is worthwhile.
I will continue updating this guide as I personally test more Cleveland-area charging options. I would rather tell you exactly what happened at a smaller number of locations than create a long list of chargers I have never visited.
