14-50 (NOT adapter-end) Mobile Connector discontinued?

[igotzzoom]

Hi All. Was just curious if the 14-50 mobile connector was discontinued. On the TM site, it's listed as "out of stock." The ones included on newer vehicles seem to have a modular end with adapters for 5-15 (household) plugs and 14-50 plugs. Does anyone know if the older-style 14-50 chargers are available on eBay or Craigslist? I was hoping to use a 14-50 mobile charger as my home charger. Thanks in advance.

 

[thecloud]

Hi All. Was just curious if the 14-50 mobile connector was discontinued. On the TM site, it's listed as "out of stock." The ones included on newer vehicles seem to have a modular end with adapters for 5-15 (household) plugs and 14-50 plugs. Does anyone know if the older-style 14-50 chargers are available on eBay or Craigslist? I was hoping to use a 14-50 mobile charger as my home charger. Thanks in advance.

Honestly, the difference between the Corded Mobile Connector and the regular Mobile Connector is $30, and for that price, you get the additional flexibility to use Tesla's other adapters, e.g. in case you ever need to plug into a dryer outlet. For what it's worth, I've used the regular Mobile Connector (with its standard 14-50 adapter) as my home charger for 3 years. It works just fine.

If you are determined to save that $30, I'm pretty sure that "out of stock" means exactly that; keep checking the site, and it'll be available for sale again when they get more inventory. In the past when they've discontinued a particular item, it just gets removed from the store altogether.

 

[igotzzoom]

Yeah, ultimately not a huge deal either way. Just curious. Thanks for the info.

 

[TexasEV]

You've got it backwards. What you call the modular end one that's included on newer vehicles is actually the UMC (Universal Mobile Connector) that's been provided with every Tesla sold since the first Model S in 2012. It comes with 5-15 and 14-50 adapters, and there are optional 5-20, 10-30, and 14-30 adapters you can buy.

The corded mobile connector which you wanted (which is derisively referred to as the non-universal mobile connector), is a recent addition to the store with a slightly lower price than the UMC. It was never supplied with the cars. It's probably out of stock because it's such a poor seller they're not making any more now. I don't know why anyone would want one.

 

[igotzzoom]

@TexasEV, I was planning on getting a 14-50 plug installed in the garage of my townhouse, so I can market it as "EV-ready" when I'm ready to sell. I was hoping to avoid having to install then remove a hard-wired wall connector by using the regular 14-50 mobile connector as my home charger, but leaving the 14-50 plug for the next buyers if they have an EV or PHEV.

 

[thecloud]

@igotzzoom, you can do exactly what you want with the regular Mobile Connector that's supplied with the car. It avoids having to hard-wire anything; you just plug it into the 14-50 receptacle that's installed in your garage.

Edit: picture of my garage with 14-50 outlet:

 

[igotzzoom]

@thecloud I guess that works well enough. I don't necessarily need the adapter end if it's just going to live at home and permanently plugged into a 14-50 outlet, but if that's what's available, that's fine.

 

[TexasEV]

I'm still confused. You get a UMC when you buy the car. You don't need to buy either the corded cable or the UMC in the Tesla online store. What everyone without a HPWC does is keep the UMC plugged in the garage except when going on an out of town trip, then take it with you. Otherwise it lives hanging on a hook in the garage.

 

[gambit48]

Like range anxiety, I imagine people will feel more comfortable having an extra one in the car in case they run into some situation where they use up more battery than normal and need to charge on the road. Just peace of mind or maybe they have a very spontaneous lifestyle.

 

[EfficientWatts]

one reason the fixed 14-50 was offered was its ability to work with outdoor weather covers (so it can actually close with the device plugged in). now i can't speak as to how often that was used or was taken advantage of, but there is a use case for such a UMC. it even says it in the description for the product.

The Corded Mobile Connector has an integrated 240 volt 50 amp rated plug for high power output. A seamless design provides a low profile connection, allowing for use with covered outdoor outlets.

 

[gregincal]

If it was discontinued they would remove it from the site. If it's listed as out of stock, it's probably just out of stock. Nothing to do with how many people use it or not, just waiting for a new shipment. (Actually the UMC is out of stock too.)

 

[timk225]

A 6-50 adapter is on Tesla's site now, and wasn't there a 6-15 or 6-20 at some time in the past? I have never seen a 10-50 adapter, only a 10-30.

Teslas' Shop page is broken right now.

 

[ccutrer]

A 6-50 adapter is on Tesla's site now, and wasn't there a 6-15 or 6-20 at some time in the past? I have never seen a 10-50 adapter, only a 10-30.

Teslas' Shop page is broken right now.

I've never seen a 6-20, but there may have been one at one point. I'm almost certain there has never been a 10-50 adapter.

I highly doubt the corded mobile adapter has been discontinued. It's what comes with the Model 3 (or a newer revision of it):

 

[TexasEV]

Like range anxiety, I imagine people will feel more comfortable having an extra one in the car in case they run into some situation where they use up more battery than normal and need to charge on the road. Just peace of mind or maybe they have a very spontaneous lifestyle.

Around town-- no, and if you did you would charge at a J1772. Where are you going to find a place to plug into a 14-50? Only RV parks.
Going out of town-- yes, that's when you take the UMC with you.

People who haven't driven Teslas before have a hard time understanding this, especially if they're coming from a short range EV. You just don't unexpectedly run into situations where you need the UMC and didn't think to take it with you. Unless perhaps your spontaneous lifestyle causes you to drive out of town without stopping home first, and it's on a route without superchargers.

 

[igotzzoom]

I would probably keep a UMC in the car at all times, as well as a few adapters, just in case. Naturally, I'd keep a J1772 adapter in the car at all times.

 

[brucet999]

@thecloud I guess that works well enough. I don't necessarily need the adapter end if it's just going to live at home and permanently plugged into a 14-50 outlet, but if that's what's available, that's fine.

The UMC comes with the car, so why would you need an additional connecter with only NEMA 14-50? When I go on a road trip, I spend the 2 minutes it takes to unplug my UMC and put it back into the carrying satchel in the trunk.

 

[Foxhound199]

If it was discontinued they would remove it from the site. If it's listed as out of stock, it's probably just out of stock.

I'm not sure if that's true. I was waiting for one of those UMC holder things for hanging up the cord. For the longest time, it said it was out of stock. Now it's just gone completely.

EDIT: Never mind. It's back up on the site, still out of stock.

 

[gambit48]

The UMC comes with the car, so why would you need an additional connecter with only NEMA 14-50? When I go on a road trip, I spend the 2 minutes it takes to unplug my UMC and put it back into the carrying satchel in the trunk.

That's out of routine. And especially for people in a rush, those extra minutes will feel like a LONG time.

It may sound like a no brainer, but people forget their freaking kids in the car. If they knowingly leave it at home cuz they're in a rush, then they worry about it (like range anxiety) even if they never use it and end up complaining. We're talking about an issue, like range anxiety, where you can't just use basic logic to solve.

 

[boaterva]

The 'corded 14-50 UMC' or CMC or whatever you want to call it, is for people that want to get the extra one and leave it in their garage and not have to worry about packing up the UMC or using it all the time. It's also for people that don't want to go to the extra expense (of wiring) to install an HPWC (the hardware is about the same, but the cabling, electrician, breaker, etc. is more). And as was said, since the CMC/corded version is only the 14-50 end, it fits better in covered boxes and might even be more waterproof.

They made it for a reason originally, or you could just have purchased another UMC!

And what comes with the Model 3 is a new (for some reason) version of the UMC, with the same adapters as the S and X. We still don't know why it's 'different', but it appears to be. New efficiencies of manufacturing? I would have thought they would make one new one and use it on all three cars and be done with it.

 

[deonb]

When I go on a road trip, I spend the 2 minutes it takes to unplug my UMC and put it back into the carrying satchel in the trunk.

That's out of routine. And especially for people in a rush, those extra minutes will feel like a LONG time.

"Rush" and "Road Trip" doesn't often coincide.