Adapters at charging stations?

[bradtem]

While everybody talks about car owners buying adapters (and indeed I have the Tesla CHAdeMO) that's the backwards way to do it. Adapters should be placed at charging stations that want customers of the other type. Every charging station should be very pleased to support Teslas, there are far more of them out there, and if the station is far from superchargers, good demand. Some EVgo stations have a Tesla/Chademo on a retractable cable which you can use to charge there, but stupidly they put these on stations not far from superchargers, and who wants to use a slower more expensive station?

There are far more cars then there are charging stations by an order of magnitude or more. Put the adapters at the stations and it costs less. For the charging station owner, it's new business. For Tesla, it's the ability to say to Tesla buyers, "You can fast charge in more places now" without having to build a supercharger. Win win. Even if it's not, just rent the adapters for some per-charge price. Any driver would pay it if the station is the right place to charge. The car knows you are using the adapter and can bill you for use of the rental adapter easily enough. No point in stealing that one either, even if there were somewhere you could use it.

Yet this doesn't happen.

 

[MD-2000]

The beauty of a charging system is it can run unattended. Yes, ther's the possibility of vandalism - but other hassles, like gasoline theft from the tanks, the risk of spills, need for delivery of gasoline, multiple grades, etc. etc - not a problem with chargers. So instead of dedicated "not-gas stations" these will be in the corner of every parking area - restaurants, malls, theatres, parking garages, workplaces... So how would an unattended charger site ensure adapters didn't wander?

To my mind, the solution is simple - just use cables. A charger already has (usually) both CCS and ChaDEMO cables. Add a Tesla cable. I presume this would require some sort of new protocols for the cars, a conversation with the charger that says "yes I'm a Tesla, but I see you don't care about my account with Tesla but still want to supercharge..." If only there were some way for Tesla to distribute such a software change to all cars.

In the longer term, the obvious solution is for Tesla to switch to CCS and sell adapters; either a CCS to Tesla for older cars, or a Tesla-to-CCS for future superchargers, unless they adapt the two-cable policy. (I say this because in coming years, it's not inconceivable that other EV's will become as numerous as Tesla). But that sort of thing happened in Europe because the EU cleverly got ahead of the problem and mandated it. If the USA does not have the gumption to make such a decision, then the future I see will include a LOT of CCS chargers and the eventual consumer demand that Tesla sell a CCS-to-Tesla adapter for their cars.

When installing chargers for rental and apartment buildings becomes a common thing, they will *need* that standard, (most likely J1772? CCS low power?) At that point, the multiple standards thing will be a pain to deal with.

 

[gnuarm]

Yes, it only makes sense to add a Tesla cable to chargers. So why haven't they done that? There must be something proprietary about the Tesla cable "handle" or the protocol involved.

Tesla is making a CCS to Tesla adapter so you can charge a Tesla at a CCS pump. It's being tested in Korea I believe and is expected here soon. Personally I don't like that approach. Adapters are messy and vulnerable to theft and vandalism.

Tesla is not going to change the cars they sell in the US. That would tick off too many owners and send the wrong signal that they are the second choice in the market. Better to just use appropriate connectors at the charging stations. End of story.

 

[EVRider-FL]

Why would other companies that provide charging stations pay for adapters that every Tesla comes with?

 

[gnuarm]

Why would other companies that provide charging stations pay for adapters that every Tesla comes with?

My car came with no adapter. Care to explain what you are talking about???

Are you talking about J1772 level 2 charging???