14-50 Amp Adapters and/or sockets for Australia

[MMoe]

How to make this work in Australia?!!..... (got me stumped... even the Tesla recommended electrician I called couldn't advise)

Just bought my first Tesla (Model 3) this week. I'm on the Sunshine Coast... Australia. I have seen that in the USA you can just have a Nema 14-50 socket installed by your electrician and buy a 14-50 adapter to work with the home connector. That would be heaps of charging ability for the KMs we do. I don't need to waste $780 on a wall connector.

But does Tesla or someone make an Australian version adapter for Mobile Connector? Our 50 amp and 32 amp sockets look very different to the USA.
Alternatively, can I buy and install a USA version socket in my home garage in Australia?? And then get the Nema 14-50 sent from the USA?

Any help appreciated!
Cheers
Moe

 

[Sophias_dad]

Australia SAA 32A 5-pin 3-phase Adapter for Tesla Model S/X/3/Y Gen 2 – EVSE Adapters should do it, although it seems like overkill.

Even in the US, a 14-50 on a Gen2 will only get you 32 amp charging.

Additionally, you might get slightly more charging speed(and you won't need three phase power!) if you could get an adapter for the 32 amp/230 volt outlet shown here: AS/NZS 3112 - Wikipedia. Evseadapters might even make one especially for you. All that said, and if you don't mind probably going against all sorts of electrical rules in australia, I think a 14-50 outlet/plug would actually work fine there, but good luck getting an electrician to install it.

 

[muddie]

I don’t have an answer for you Moe as I had the fast wall charger installed and hooked up to my solar panels before I even picked up the Tesla so did bother exploring the options for the supplied charger. In fact I have never even unpacked it. But you will probably have better luck asking this question over on the Australia specific section of the forum linked here.

By the way I’m on the Sunshine Coast too. I’ve seen a lot of new Tesla’s around which is always great.

 

[Rocky_H]

Yes, trying to ask about putting in a North American style outlet is the wrong way to go about this. Check in the Australia forums to see what people there are installing and using.

 

[LoudMusic]

Australia SAA 32A 5-pin 3-phase Adapter for Tesla Model S/X/3/Y Gen 2 – EVSE Adapters should do it, although it seems like overkill.

Even in the US, a 14-50 on a Gen2 will only get you 32 amp charging.

Additionally, you might get slightly more charging speed(and you won't need three phase power!) if you could get an adapter for the 32 amp/230 volt outlet shown here: AS/NZS 3112 - Wikipedia. Evseadapters might even make one especially for you. All that said, and if you don't mind probably going against all sorts of electrical rules in australia, I think a 14-50 outlet/plug would actually work fine there, but good luck getting an electrician to install it.

Being unfamiliar with Australian electrical options, this seems fairly equivolent to the NEMA 14-50 as far as EV charging performance is concerned.

NEMA14-50 is 240v50a at 80% load making 9600w to the car
SAA 32A 5pin 3 Phase is 400v at 32a at 80% load making 10240w to the car

These lovely people seem to agree but somehow came to only 7kw charging rather than 10.2kw.

Charging your Tesla

Tesla Owners Club of Australia

www.teslaowners.org.au

 

[Rocky_H]

SAA 32A 5pin 3 Phase is 400v at 32a at 80% load making 10240w to the car

These lovely people seem to agree but somehow came to only 7kw charging rather than 10.2kw.

I think that's because if you're using 3 phase, it has to use the different modules in the onboard charger for the different phases and doesn't get to support 32A on all of them, so you can't get that whole amount.

 

[LoudMusic]

I think that's because if you're using 3 phase, it has to use the different modules in the onboard charger for the different phases and doesn't get to support 32A on all of them, so you can't get that whole amount.

Ah, so you only get two phases of the three phase feed? That'd make it 6.8kw, which is often rounded to 7kw.

I'm only barely into understanding US electrical systems. I don't need to start in on EU and AUS!

 

[jjrandorin]

(moderator note)

This is a model 3 topic, so understandably was posted in the model 3 subforum, however I think that the OP in this thread will likely get better visibility to their specific question in the Australia subforum. I am going to move this thread to the Australia subforum, and leave a 3 day re direct from its original location to the new one.

Hopefully, Op can get some feedback there.

 

[moa999]

Correcting a bit of the above.
Australia doesn't have an 80% rule.

So you can get 7.5kW from a 32A single/three phase supply with the UMC tail linked above.
The current UMC will only take one phase.

If you have a three phase supply (becoming more common in larger properties) then by using a Wall Unit (Gen2/3) you could get up to 11kW (the max determined by the cars on-board charger, an S/X would get 16.5kW)

Also note that a few people have installed European plugs (blue commando 32A) which is allowable under Australian regs, the tails are slightly cheaper.

 

[atj777]

I plan on getting one of these: Tesla Gen 2 Mobile Connector Adaptor | 32 Amp | 7 kW | 5-Pin Tail

While my 2020 Model 3 LR came with the wall charger, which I have installed on phase 3, I find it less useful for charging from excess solar because the lowest rate I can charge at is 3.7kW.

At the moment I charge with the 10A tail from 5A (1.2kW) slowly adjusting the rate up to 10A (2.4kW) and then have to wait until my excess solar gets to over 3.7kW. At that point I switch to the wall charger.

With the 32A tail, I can use the one charger for a wide range of excess solar (1.2kW to 7kW) and all I have to do is adjust the charge rate - which will be even easier once I get 2021.36 on my car.

I am waiting for a quote from the electrician to install the socket and to decide if I go with the single phase version or the three phase one. The three phase one only uses a single phase for charging so the rate doesn't change but there are probably more 5 pin 3 phase sockets around than the 3 pin single phase. Basically, unless the single phase socket is significantly cheaper to install, I'll go with the 3 phase.

 

[cafz]

But does Tesla or someone make an Australian version adapter for Mobile Connector? Our 50 amp and 32 amp sockets look very different to the USA.

Yes, they do. A single-phase 32A one (that will max out what the mobile connector is capable of) for example: Tesla Gen 2 UMC Adapter | 32 Amp | 7 kW | 3-Pin plug . This will match an Australian standard socket like this: CLIPSAL EY56C332 | 3 Pin 32Amp Switched Socket Outlet IP66 | Easy56 - Clipsal by Schneider Electric

You'll get a 7kW charge rate with this setup.

 

[moa999]

Also see this Australian charging guide

Dropbox - File Deleted - Simplify your life

www.dropbox.com

Only slight update is the most recent tails that come with new cars are marked 10 10A and 15 15A and can actually do those speeds.

This guide was written when the included tails were 10 8A and 15 12A (so 20% slower).

 

[Nickdp]

The EVSE.com.au 32A 3-Pin Gen2 adaptor is on backorder but you can get them here, same price and free shipping.
Another alternative and also handy for country travel where 20A & 32A 3phase sockets are common is get the Gen2 Mobile Connector Home Charging Kit
The kit includes 20A and 32A 3phase tails that have the 32A CEE socket fitted and will connect the Gen2 UMC 32A CEE adaptor to 3phase, and when used without tails the UMC connects to a 32A CEE wall-socket.

A nice safety feature is the mechanical interlock, the plug needs to be fully inserted before you can turn the switch on or off

 

[MMoe]

Thanks everyone... you have answered my question. Really great support for a newbie like me!

I don’t have an answer for you Moe as I had the fast wall charger installed and hooked up to my solar panels before I even picked up the Tesla so did bother exploring the options for the supplied charger. In fact I have never even unpacked it. But you will probably have better luck asking this question over on the Australia specific section of the forum linked here.

By the way I’m on the Sunshine Coast too. I’ve seen a lot of new Tesla’s around which is always great.

Thanks Muddie! I spend a fair bit of time around Mudjimba surfing and kitesurfing if that is where you are from!

 

[MMoe]

The EVSE.com.au 32A 3-Pin Gen2 adaptor is on backorder but you can get them here, same price and free shipping.
Another alternative and also handy for country travel where 20A & 32A 3phase sockets are common is get the Gen2 Mobile Connector Home Charging Kit
The kit includes 20A and 32A 3phase tails that have the 32A CEE socket fitted and will connect the Gen2 UMC 32A CEE adaptor to 3phase, and when used without tails the UMC connects to a 32A CEE wall-socket.

View attachment 724259
A nice safety feature is the mechanical interlock, the plug needs to be fully inserted before you can turn the switch on or off

This was very helpful. Thanks Nick!

 

[muddie]

Thanks Muddie! I spend a fair bit of time around Mudjimba surfing and kitesurfing if that is where you are from!

I'm in Kuluin. Might see you around.

 

[atj777]

The EVSE.com.au 32A 3-Pin Gen2 adaptor is on backorder but you can get them here, same price and free shipping.

It is sad that their website says they are in stock. I find this a really deceitful practice.

 

[Nickdp]

It is sad that their website says they are in stock. I find this a really deceitful practice.

Are you meaning the evse website?
At time of my posting (#13) EVchargers.com.au had stock but as of 26-Oct-21 their website shows all 4 variations are on backorder.
Seems those pesky Gen2 UMC adaptors are very popular.

 

[atj777]

Are you meaning the evse website?
At time of my posting (#13) EVchargers.com.au had stock but as of 26-Oct-21 their website shows all 4 variations are on backorder.
Seems those pesky Gen2 UMC adaptors are very popular.

Yes, the EVSE website.

Screen capture right now:

 

[atj777]

Also: