Advice On Granny Charger For Use In France

[simonsmith]

Hi,

New Model-Y owner here - 1 month and really enjoying the new car so far!

We are taking the car on a road trip to the south of France next month - nothing like a baptism of fire as a new EV owner and such a trip where i've not even driven in France before! Anyway, i've been doing a lot of reading around the forum here (it's great to have so much knowledge to hand) but one thing I've not really found a definitive answer for is for using a granny charger whilst in France. We are staying in a relatively rural area and I wanted to be able to hook it up to keep some peace of mind whilst staying there (see below). I'm just concerned that if I cannot park close enough to just use the regular extension and Schuko adapter then I will need some form of extension cable. Tough Leads come out well from you guys, but that's a 3-pin UK extension. I have the feeling I cannot just stick a wall adapter in the socket at the end, so any recommendations of the best solution?

My other reason is that in the last week (since doing the latest up date maybe) my Model-Y has been loosing 15 miles or more a day parked on the drive. On the energy usage graph it's using it in "standby mode", but Sentry mode is off as is the cabin temperature override, and it wasn't doing it for the first 2 weeks I had it! I guess it needs to be sorted that with Tesla direct, but if that cannot be resolved in time this granny charger is my backup plan.

Thanks in advance for any guidance on this please!

- Simon.

 

[yessuz]

I am in the same - travelling to France/Spain in early August.

I bought myself this:

EV granny charger weatherproof travel adaptors

Heavy duty weatherproof travel adaptors to enables you to charge your EV using a UK 13A granny charger from domestic sockets across the majority of Europe and Scandinavia. Simple, cost effect and robust solution to driving your EV abroad. 10A, 13A, 16A. Holiday, Europe, driving abroad. Schuko...

toughleads.co.uk

You need Schuko variant.

if you need extended - you can use the 3 pin extension lead from the tough leads. - you connection would be following:

• socket -> any Schuko to 3 pin adapter -> extension lead - 3 PIN > Tesla UMC.

or if you have Schucko extension lead, then connection is this:

• socket -> extension lead - Schucko -> Schuko to 3 pin adapter -> Tesla UMC.

it is adapter (waterproof) which can be used with tesla UMC

 

[Adopado]

We are taking the car on a road trip to the south of France next month - nothing like a baptism of fire as a new EV owner and such a trip where i've not even driven in France before! Anyway, i've been doing a lot of reading around the forum here (it's great to have so much knowledge to hand) but one thing I've not really found a definitive answer for is for using a granny charger whilst in France. We are staying in a relatively rural area and I wanted to be able to hook it up to keep some peace of mind whilst staying there (see below). I'm just concerned that if I cannot park close enough to just use the regular extension and Schuko adapter then I will need some form of extension cable. Tough Leads come out well from you guys, but that's a 3-pin UK extension. I have the feeling I cannot just stick a wall adapter in the socket at the end, so any recommendations of the best solution?

Either use standard 3 pin with a 13amp socket to Schuko plug (heavy duty) extension ... or ... the Schuko adpter for the UMC plus a Schuko to Schuko (heavy duty) extension cable.

 

[tsh2]

I have a Tough Leads Schuko to Comando adaptor, 10 or 15m of Comando extension and the UMC comando adaptor (which came with the car when I bought it). Also a Comando to Sucho from a DIY store in France just in case I need to press it into service for domestic use. Also a 13A to comando to use in the UK (but not at 16A!)

 

[MrBadger]

I have a Tough Leads Schuko to Comando adaptor, 10 or 15m of Comando extension and the UMC comando adaptor (which came with the car when I bought it). Also a Comando to Sucho from a DIY store in France just in case I need to press it into service for domestic use. Also a 13A to comando to use in the UK (but not at 16A!)

That doesn’t sound safe to me if I have interpreted it correctly. Surprised that ToughLeads knowingly sell that combination - they are pretty hot on what connector combinations are safe and which ones have the potential to overload a cable, plug or socket.

If you are using a commando pigtail on the UMC (16A or otherwise) in-line with a lesser plug/socket (ie UK or some countries plugs/sockets) then you run the risk of overloading the circuit, even accidentally or unintentionally as default for that combo at new location is 16A.

 

[NewbieT]

Schuko is rated at 16A. Tesla UMC pigtail throttles to 13A (UMC manual page 8). With a command you just dial down in the car to 13A.

 

[MrBadger]

Schuko is rated at 16A. Tesla UMC pigtail throttles to 13A (UMC manual page 8). With a command you just dial down in the car to 13A.

UK is rated at 13A but UMC derates to 10A.

What is the max UMC rating when using Schuko pigtail?

[edit] sounds like toughleads so indeed endorse use of commando 16A inline with Schuko for a bit extra speed

 

[WannabeOwner]

my Model-Y has been loosing 15 miles or more a day parked on the drive

Might be an APP keeping the car awake. Quickest way to test that is to change the password on your MyTesla - all/any such APPs will then fail to connect. (maybe you did a trial of an APP and you have forgotten ... or it was spouse / etc. and you never even knew )

If that fixes the problem then it was an APP ... re-login, with new password, to any APPs that you actually use and if problem comes back its one of those APPs which is at fault.

Sentry mode would normally be the culprit, particularly for 15 miles a day sort of usage - I reckon that's around 400W which I think is more than an APP that periodically wakes the car up.

 

[Burley]

I use the Tesla specific Schuko adaptor for the UMC in France. It works fine and I believe compensates for when the +ve & -ve wiring has been swapped over in the Schuko socket, which is very common in France. If you use an adaptor with the UK 3-pin, I don't think it will do that. Its available in the Tesla store.

 

[GeorgeSymonds]

If you use a domestic socket, the continual rating is 3a lower than the short term max - in the uk thats 13a -> 10a and on the continent, schuko goes 16a ->13a.

A commando socket doesn't have this limitation so 16a -> 16a

The potential issue when you start mixing plugs is the UMC will set its max current to the plug it sees and not the weakest in the chain. If you use your UMC UK plug pluggred into a a cable with a 16A or 32a commando or schuko you'll be ok because the UMC will rate it for the uk plug and let you draw no more than 10a.

If you used a 16a commando UMC connector and then used a commando to schuko extension cable, with the schuko plugged into a wall socket, the umc will try and draw 16a and the wall socket will in all probability oiver heat in time and you run the risk of a fire etc

The safest way for uk people abroad in my opinion is to siimply get a quality extension lead with a uk socket on one end and a schuko plug on the other. The UMC plugs into the socket, the UMC is using the UK plug and so limits the draw to 10A, and the schuko end is happy because it can handle 13a. The downside is it will charge slightly slower than a pure schuko setup.

You can dial the current down.. but will you always remember, will everyone always remember? Will the car if it does something funny remember? Can you convince somebody you'd done it right if the worse happens?

The older UMC1 was Earth Neutral intollerant and the french had a habit of not caring when the wired up sockets so half the time the UMC wouldn;t work. The UMC2 (which is all M3 and MY and the later MS and MX) came with this and are tolerant to the issue. The UMC1 is also a 3 phase UMC which might help identify it.

 

[Doudeau]

I regularly charge in my place in France with the granny charger and a tough leads extension.

Last summer, with Sentry mode and cabin heat protection on, the car just about managed to draw more electricity than it was using.

Otherwise, we had a trouble free time last August where we drove 3500 ish miles around France using SCs all the way.

 

[GRiLLA]

My other reason is that in the last week (since doing the latest up date maybe) my Model-Y has been loosing 15 miles or more a day parked on the drive. On the energy usage graph it's using it in "standby mode", but Sentry mode is off as is the cabin temperature override, and it wasn't doing it for the first 2 weeks I had it! I guess it needs to be sorted that with Tesla direct, but if that cannot be resolved in time this granny charger is my backup plan

Sounds like you've turned on Summon Standby Mode ?

Model 3 Owner's Manual | Tesla

Learn about Smart Summon and its specifications.

www.tesla.com

 

[g_man28]

Just thought I'd add my experience after getting back from France yesterday.

MY, tried charging at 27% battery level, 240Vac + schuko adapter, charging at 2kW... as expected is very slow. We needed to use car so gave up and drove to a supercharger.

In my experience if you're going out and using car several times a day, and close to a SuC then I'd just rely on that.

If you don't use car often and have easy access to socket then might as well top up.

Also with sentry mode and overheat protection turned off, overnight I didn't notice any change or drop in state of charge.

 

[fsman]

I have just come back from a trip from UK and south of france and back.

Used a combination of super chargers & motorway services high speed chargers & local charger with my octopus Electoverse card. i actually left my ganny charger at home. take a look at the electroverse map - for your destination to see of the the local chargers. Electroverse | Charge point map
I would also get a Shell Recharge Card too just in case the elctroverse card doesn't work.
Charging in france is cheap too.

Last year I took my granny charger with 13A (Not 10amp) Travel adaptors (£6 from amazon AA Brand - code AA6585). But never used it.

Also get an emovis toll tag - if you message me, I have a referral code for €5 off.

finally get one of these - low emission stickers for paris, lyon etc. only costs a fiver and valid for the life of you car.

Le site officiel de la vignette Crit'Air (certificat qualité de l'air) - Ministère de la Transition écologique

Le seul site officiel à délivrer la vignette Crit'Air (certificat qualité de l'air), établie en fonction des émissions polluantes du véhicule.

www.certificat-air.gouv.fr

 

[WllXM]

Also get an emovis toll tag - if you message me, I have a referral code for €5 off.

Just pointing out that emovis is clearly taking advantage of UK drivers vs local tag providers such as Ulys and Bip&Go.
The latter don’t charge admin fees, nor annual management fees, no security deposits either, and the cost per month used is half of what emovis is. + they offer promotional discounts on the first year that makes them free.
Yes, local ones seem to have some difficulties setting up direct debits on UK accounts but still. It sure it’s worth to pays that much for the convenience

 

[WannabeOwner]

schuko adapter, charging at 2kW

Did you also have a UK 13AMP socket (extension) involved as well?

I would expect a Schuko adapter (for Tesla granny charger) to give you 16AMPs in France - but maybe that depends on which house-socket you plug it into.

In my experience if you're going out and using car several times a day, and close to a SuC then I'd just rely on that.

If you are back-at-base for, say, 14 hours overnight at 2kW that's 110 miles added each night. If you get UK 13AMP, which is typically 2.4kW, that would be 130 miles overnight, and if you could get a full 16AMP that would be around 200 miles. When I've staying in France somewhere that had a Schuko socket I've preferred that to having to sit at Supercharger - although a slow-ish charger "whilst shopping" would suit me fine - but I'd need the right Cards / APPs for the 3rd party charger etc. Might even get lucky and find a restaurant for lunch with a Tesla destination charger

 

[Burley]

Did you also have a UK 13AMP socket (extension) involved as well?

I would expect a Schuko adapter (for Tesla granny charger) to give you 16AMPs in France - but maybe that depends on which house-socket you plug it into.

The Schuko adaptor limits current to 13A with the UMC, its only 10A with the UK 3-pin adaptor. Its to keep a small margin so the circuits aren't overloaded by pulling their maximum current for long periods. I use the Schuko adaptor in France fairly often. 13A is ok if you're leaving the car to charge overnight, or just plugging in for a top up whenever you need to.

 

[WannabeOwner]

The Schuko adaptor limits current to 13A with the UMC, its only 10A with the UK 3-pin adaptor

That's what I was thinking of, misremembered ... getting old! ... thanks for correcting.