Any Interest in JdeMo Bulk Buy?

[IslandRoadster]

As @Marius and @TOBASH said, QC charge quit building the JdeMo charger for the Tesla Roadster due to low sales volume. I had an email exchange with Tony Williams, the Founder of QC Charge. He indicated that they would consider building another set IF they had an order of 25 or more units.

So, is anyone interested? Cost would be between $3k and $4k each ($4k was their price at the end of their production run (we might be able to negotiate a lower price for a bulk buy)).

Here is my plan of how we would do this:

1. get 25 or more forum commitments
2. Reach out to Tony and get a firm price and a firm commitment from him on production
3. Get funds from each person. Tony would need to specify how much of the funds he needed to begin production.
4. Begin production once we have sufficient funds (we would not start collecting until we had at least 25 people committed)

I know this is a heavy lift, but after seeing the behind-the-license-plate install, I'm ready to spring for one. Having the ability to road trip with my roadster would be great.

So, are 25 of you or your friends interested? According to Tony, "We supplied comprehensive installation instructions for anybody to install, even you." I know that Electrified Garage, Gruber, or Medlock would install as well. Perhaps we can get @CM_007 or @petergrub to go in on the buy with us, thus reducing the number of Roadster owners we need commitments from right now?

 

[IslandRoadster]

As @Marius and @TOBASH said, QC charge quit building the JdeMo charger for the Tesla Roadster due to low sales volume. I had an email exchange with Tony Williams, the Founder of QC Charge. He indicated that they would consider building another set IF they had an order of 25 or more units.

And for those who do not know who might read this thread without having read any of the other JdeMo threads on the forums, a JdeMo charger allows a Tesla Roadster to fast charge on a CHadeMo connector, similar to that of a modern Tesla with Supercharging. From what I've read in the other threads, it uses the Roadster's regenerative braking system to fool the car to allow it to accept DC charging. Very clever. Here's the listing for the sold out item: CHAdeMo charging for Tesla Roadster

Here's one of the other threads.

 

[gregd]

Interesting proposition.

I was on Tony's original "I'm interested" list, but opted not to go for it. I am still on the fence. What stopped me at the time was the rather invasive install, especially for the inlet connector, and the somewhat scarce availability of reliable CHAdeMO chargers in the area (with emphasis on reliable). Lots of chargers, it seemed, but most were either unavailable or out of service. They seemed to be considered trophy installations, not something to be relied upon as a utility.

The JdeMO device is certainly a game changer if you want to go any significant distance in the car. The alternative, the 3.0 battery, gives you a lot more range, but only once. Then you had to charge. This nifty device lets you hook into the high power charging network, and reduce charging time to the point were it almost becomes a non-issue, regardless of which battery you have. For a while, with both CHAdeMO and CCS stations now in good supply, I think it is an excellent solution, especially when you consider the cost is only 10% of the 3.0 battery, if such a thing were to ever come back into availability.

But like Beta VCRs, I think the days are numbered for CHAdeMO, and that's what has me somewhat worried. The only long-ish distance driving that I have done has been to visit family about 220 miles distant, and there's a reliable set of J1772 chargers at a convenient point along the way. So, for me, the need is low enough that the hassle of the install and expense are probably still a stumbling point. But it would certainly enhance the resale value of the car (not that I would ever consider selling it), and who knows what sort of travel it might enable in the future. I wonder, too, whether the high speed charging network might cause the J1772's to become obsolete and ignored in the maintenance budgets of those hosting them.

Waffle, waffle, waffle...

 

[AEdennis]

...
The JdeMO device is certainly a game changer if you want to go any significant distance in the car. The alternative, the 3.0 battery, gives you a lot more range, but only once. Then you had to charge. This nifty device lets you hook into the high power charging network, and reduce charging time to the point were it almost becomes a non-issue, regardless of which battery you have. For a while, with both CHAdeMO and CCS stations now in good supply, I think it is an excellent solution, especially when you consider the cost is only 10% of the 3.0 battery, if such a thing were to ever come back into availability...

I'm interested, but it's the wife's car and she isn't... So, we didn't get it.

To the 3.0 battery point. It's actually ideal fit for that because then you can refill the larger battery at a quicker rate than otherwise... Even if you have a 70a AC as another option, which is extremely rare nowadays especially since destination chargers are now being deployed with Gen 2/3 Tesla HPC (48a for the Gen 3)

Here are a couple of videos of using the jDemo that I filmed with Tony and @samcarney about four years ago...

Enjoy, Hope you get your 25 folks... I was disappointed in the uptake as I was peripherally involved when Tony was building these after the ones for the RAV4EV 2nd Gen

 

[IslandRoadster]

Interesting proposition.
But like Beta VCRs, I think the days are numbered for CHAdeMO, and that's what has me somewhat worried. The only long-ish distance driving that I have done has been to visit family about 220 miles distant, and there's a reliable set of J1772 chargers at a convenient point along the way. So, for me, the need is low enough that the hassle of the install and expense are probably still a stumbling point. But it would certainly enhance the resale value of the car (not that I would ever consider selling it), and who knows what sort of travel it might enable in the future. I wonder, too, whether the high speed charging network might cause the J1772's to become obsolete and ignored in the maintenance budgets of those hosting them.

Waffle, waffle, waffle...

I was kinda of feeling the same way about CHAdeMO as you were, regarding its longevity. But Tony noted to me in his email that "it looks like CHAdeMO v3.0 is already released, with 500kW capability, AND with reverse compatibility with tje previous CHAdeMO (with an physical adaptor), as well as China’s GBT. It might also be compatible with CCS. We would be interested in that." He seems to think this new CHAdeMO specification provides continued viability for the standard. For now, there are enough CHAdeMO cars out there (old Leafs, RAV 4s) that will will probably see stations with both CCS and CHAdeMO for a while.

I also asked him about building a system compatible with CCS and he noted: "I don’t foresee us making an SAE-J1772-DC-CCS-Combo1 only unit, since that would only be viable in North America, where we sold about a dozen kits. The same would be true of GB/T for China, since I’m not even aware of a single Roadster there. CHAdeMO is worldwide, with over 28,000 units on 5 continents and over 100 countries." He also noted, "The JdeMO™ designs we produced for both the Toyota RAV4 EV and TESLA Roadster we’re both designed to handle two separate DC fast charge protocols, like CHAdeMO and a regional protocol like CCS. Also, JdeMO™ was designed to have a higher charge rate than 50kW (about 80kW in the Roadster)."

If we installed them, I suspect we would have enough chargers for a while to make them worthwhile. Nothing last forever, of course. Here's a map of the current CHAdeMO chargers in the US:

 

[IslandRoadster]

I'm interested, but it's the wife's car and she isn't... So, we didn't get it.
Enjoy, Hope you get your 25 folks... I was disappointed in the uptake as I was peripherally involved when Tony was building these after the ones for the RAV4EV 2nd Gen

Thanks for the videos. i don't expect to get 25, but I do hope that we will. Hopefully the community who knows about this, like you and @gregd will help spread the word about this thread and possibly we can drum up enough interest!

 

[AEdennis]

Thanks for the videos. i don't expect to get 25, but I do hope that we will. Hopefully the community who knows about this, like you and @gregd will help spread the word about this thread and possibly we can drum up enough interest!

I was one of the main people to get the visibility on SpeakEV (where I am a moderator and got a good number of the European owners to order)... (unfortunately Tony W has a complicated relationship at TMC...)

I do hope that you get the next 25 to do this (and hope that I am able to get the "dream" Very Orange Roadster to convince my wife that we need 2 Roadsters in our garage (that means the 3 and S get kicked out))...

Dennis

 

[X.l.r.8]

In Canada all the petrol canada locations installing this format and that means it will be there for a while, and as it looks like I'll be waiting another 4 years to move south so it would make my life much easier.

 

[coolVariable]

I would be tempted if it was CCS but Chademo seems to be on the decline (unless I am totally wrong)

 

[jackbowers]

A new Chademo / CCS station just opened up on Highway 95 in McDermitt near the Nevada/Oregon border. This is a key route that connects Boise to Winnemucca. Curiously, Tesla has not been willing to put a Supercharger anywhere along the route - even backed out of a plan to put 4 destination chargers at the "Say When" Casino.

 

[GJVR]

I am in Europe and I think CCS would be better.

I have a model S with free supercharging as well so no need for road trips with the roadster yet.

The costs and install hassle seem to be too high.

I hope to get a 3.0 battery some day. Will I have the balls to also hack that one?

perhaps the 3.0 V2 will have some quick charge capacity already?

doubt doubt doubt....

 

[IslandRoadster]

I am in Europe and I think CCS would be better. ... I hope to get a 3.0 battery some day. Will I have the balls to also hack that one? perhaps the 3.0 V2 will have some quick charge capacity already?

I asked Tony of QC Charge about CCS. He said:

I don’t foresee us making an SAE-J1772-DC-CCS-Combo1 only unit, since that would only be viable in North America, where we sold about a dozen kits. The same would be true of GB/T for China, since I’m not even aware of a single Roadster there. CHAdeMO is worldwide, with over 28,000 units on 5 continents and over 100 countries.
​

His view is that CHAdeMO remains viable worldwide since they just introduced the CHAdeMO consortium just released the next version with even faster charging.

And keep in mind that their version of Roadster fast charging is not a battery hack at all, so the 2.x or 3.x battery would be no different. Their hack is a software hack working with the car's regenerative braking, as I understand it. So the battery version shouldn't affect it at all.

 

[X.l.r.8]

I think a lot of us were happy knowing that the kit was available, now the kit is no longer available it means the few of us wanting the kit will have to wait for the used markets, I’d take fast charging over a 3.0 battery but I do a lot of driving. I put 20k on the roadster in the last 6 months and 4 on the model S and Summer is not even close.

 

[Marius]

FYI
JdeMo is working on both battery configurations. Mine is a 2.0 and owners with a 3.0 confirmed it is working also on that configuration.
Still it is best to use it only for the few long trips a year since it is better for the battery to charge with the AC charger with relative low charge rate.
In my case due to the bad CAC I have a "long trip" multiple times a month now and JdeMo keeps me on the road.
If JdeMo was not there I would have to give up using the roadster for trips further than 90 miles.

 

[IslandRoadster]

If you count the yeses and the maybes, we're up to 7. Only 18 to go! Let's get out there and evangelize!

 

[Tex EV]

In 4 years, I've only road tripped in the Roadster for meetups and track events. But now with a CAC south of <130, there might be a trailer involved in the future unless this happens. Count me in.

 

[dhrivnak]

I am on the fence as I have the 3.0 battery and in our area there is very few CHAdeMO chargers in the wild. But if at the lower end of the price range I may be tempted.

 

[ra88it]

Having chatted them up and being told they won’t do another run, it’s great to hear there is an option.

albeit a rather insane (numbered) group buy, clearly he’s serious that he has no interest in making them again when needing min of 25units on a 10yr old car that (from the looks of this thread) many are uneducated about chademo and the fact it won’t be leaving at any point in the next 5-10yrs due to Leaf/many other Japanese cars.

 

[BBone]

If you count the yeses and the maybes, we're up to 7. Only 18 to go! Let's get out there and evangelize!

Was ready to get a Roadster until the current Covid crisis. Maybe in a few months or more. Once/if I get a Roadster I'd be in for this.

 

[jason.tv]

let alone collecting payments from 25 people.