-
Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
Anyone near Hertford?
- Thread starter xnetco
- Start date
-
- Tags
- Ireland United Kingdom
Thanks for your help. The sales guys are a little bit confusing. I don't think many of them have much experience in working in the car industry so some third party help would be useful.
1) The car I've ordered comes with Enhanced Auto Pilot. Does that mean it'll do Full Self Drive or do I need to add something to this?
2) I need to install a home charging kit. The easiest and less out sightly option for me seems the Type 2 Connector outside my garage. Is this easy enough or should I be looking at the Tesla Charger option?
3) The third party market seems quite fragmented. I've got some independent trips planned to Yorkshire, Manchester and Cornwall. What third parties should I subscribe too for charging?
Thanks again.
1) The car I've ordered comes with Enhanced Auto Pilot. Does that mean it'll do Full Self Drive or do I need to add something to this?
2) I need to install a home charging kit. The easiest and less out sightly option for me seems the Type 2 Connector outside my garage. Is this easy enough or should I be looking at the Tesla Charger option?
3) The third party market seems quite fragmented. I've got some independent trips planned to Yorkshire, Manchester and Cornwall. What third parties should I subscribe too for charging?
Thanks again.
I'm not a UK expert but there is a search option on the top of the right corner.
Search - UK home charge - result:
https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threadloom/search?keywords=UK+home+charge&users=&date=&nodes[]=114&_xfToken=
Search - UK home charge - result:
https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threadloom/search?keywords=UK+home+charge&users=&date=&nodes[]=114&_xfToken=
No problem. My input as follows:
1. Full self drive requires an additional purchase as well as enhanced auto pilot. It's currently £3.8k if added after delivery, go to the Design Studio for more info. Most new purchasers, myself included, have deferred buying this as the date autonomous driving becomes legal is heaven only knows when, so why pay for something that you may never be able to use.
2. The most unsightly and convenient home charger is a tethered one, i.e the cable is attached to the charger unit on the wall and you just plug the connector into the car. There are plenty on the market included ones that qualify for a grant of up to £500. The Tesla wall unit does not qualify for the grant and has a 2.5 or 7.5 metre (I think) cable. Costs around £400, a bit more for the longer cable version.
Personally I've gone for the Tesla version as it's specifically designed for the car (although I'm sure the gubbins inside is the same) and looks nice.
The cheapest option would be to have a commando socket installed and plug the cable Tesla provide with the car, called the UMC (Universal Mobile Connector). Inconvenient and faffing around coiling up and storing the cable every time you use it, in my opinion.
3. Yes, it's messy and confusing. I'm not an expert as haven't got my car yet (March) but Ecotricity aka Electric Highway have a presence at most if not all motorway service stations and would be the second choice of charging solutions if the Supercharger network has gaps you need to fill.
Hope this is of some help!
WannabeOwner
Well-Known Member
Mine is on the wall outside the house but behind a large planter
so inconspicuousI much (as in MUCH) prefer a tethered cable; have same both at home and work. Get home/work, just plug in. Put plug/cable back on "rack" when leaving. Doesn't matter if it is raining - the cable stays on the wall, not messy and inside the car / boot etc.
I also put in a standard connector, for any visiting EVs, at the same time.
Consider which side of the car the charging port is, how you will like to park, and where the wall-connector will be. Ideally same-side as charger (for me it would mean coming into the drive the wrong-way-round and having to back-and-fill, so I drive in as-normal but have to plug in "wrong side" which worries me that the sticking-out plug / cable might get knocked / run over by a delivery prat)
That's disappointing - I took that to be a request for someone to hammer down to Hertford, take you out for a few off-the-line-launches and detailed walk-through, all in return for a cup of coffee - which I thought was a really good deal! I was about to set off before I realised you were already sold
I'll send you a PM with details of my installer, I reckon you are within his catchment and if nothing else it will give you a price comparison.
That's disappointing - I took that to be a request for someone to hammer down to Hertford, take you out for a few off-the-line-launches and detailed walk-through, all in return for a cup of coffee - which I thought was a really good deal! I was about to set off before I realised you were already sold
I'll send you a PM with details of my installer, I reckon you are within his catchment and if nothing else it will give you a price comparison.
That's very useful about your outside charger. I presume it doesn't matter if the end of the Tesla charge gets wet.
Sorry I didn't mean to be rude. I was just hoping that there was someone local who didn't mind a chat.
I come from another car marque (the red trouser brigade) who are all too happy to have a chat.
WannabeOwner
Well-Known Member
It has a "hook" so you can coil up the cable neatly, I just hang the plug over it (so the business end is pointing downwards, and preventing water ingress) and kick the cable behind the planter. The one or work is on a post in the carpark, so more exposed to the elements (same approach with just-hang-plug-over-hook), Seems to be fine.
Not sure where you are collecting from, but my recommendation would be that you stop to Supercharge, even if on a relatively full charge, just so you know that you can. Northampton if coming from Birmingham (its in the car park of a hotel, you need to put your Reg No into their self-service screen at reception) or Potters Bar if coming from e.g. Heathrow
Some of the Supercharger sites are in non-obvious locations within service centres, but if you set it as the destination in Sat Nav and then zoom right in when you get there it will guide you right to the stalls
WannabeOwner
Well-Known Member
That's what I meant - not "Potters Bar" ... what was I thinking about?!!
Some photos in case helpful:
That picture has reminded me that the wall-charger has a socket on the front, to stuff the Plug into, which presumably helps with rain-protection. I do use that at work, at home the plant container is too close ...
(My wife keeps the squeegee in the plant container to clear the back screen before setting off)
Yes, it's very fragmented. Your best option is to look at the areas you're visiting/travelling through on Charging points and electric vehicles UK 2016 - Zap Map or PlugShare to see who provides chargers in that area, and then look at their websites to see how to use their chargers. Most providers are moving to phone apps now rather than RFID cards, which is a mixed blessing, but at least it means you don't need to wait for them to send you a card.
Ecotricity/Electric Highway are at service stations on motorways and major A-roads
Manchester is CYC (who administer the GMEV scheme)
Yorkshire is also mostly CYC, I think
Cornwall is ChargePoint Genie
You also need to think whether you need any additional charging cables if you're going to use non-Tesla charging stations. Some slower chargers are untethered, so you may need a Type 2 to Type 2 cable if you intend to use one of those. To get a 'fast' charge (at an EH pump, for example), you'll need a DC CHAdeMO adaptor from Tesla. Note that 'fast' in this case is up to 50kW, which is much slower than a SuperCharger. Without a CHAdeMO adaptor, you'll have to use AC charging at 11kW (assuming you have the standard Tesla charger in your car).
Zap-Map has a useful summary of the charging networks here: Public charging networks - national and regional electric car charge networks
Rough 'mph' added by different types of chargers:
SuperCharger: 300+ mph
CHAdeMO DC: 150+ mph
AC Fast with Tesla High Power Charger in your car: 50 mph
AC Fast with standard Tesla Charger in your car: 34 mph
Home/Destination Charger: 22 mph
3-pin plug: 4 mph
Always use destination charging when you can, even if it's 3-pin plug via the UMC.
WannabeOwner
Well-Known Member
I will travel at least 15 minutes out of my way to use a Sueprcharger (compared to anything else). Everything else is subject to: not working, without any notice (but Plugshare might have a comment from another driver), very few stalls - so might be "occupied" - and visitors likely to stay parked for 30 minutes or more - whereas at Supercharger more likely that folk will charge just-enough-to-continue journey and 6+ stalls, and average charging time of 30 minutes or so means that even if full (which is rare) likelihood is that a stall will become free soon. Slower chargers with few stalls has exactly the opposite effect, when full.
Worth checking your trip on EV Trip Planner or A Better Route Planner - to see how far you can get without charging and/or what Superchargers your trip might be able to use. best to leave home charged to 100% on long trips, and is a "D" model Range Mode can help (enough to be worthwhile)
paso904
Member
A socketed (non-tethered) wall charger has the benefit of allowing another electric car to charge at your home should you own a non-Tesla electric car at some stage. We bought our first electric car (NIssan Leaf) twelve months ago and fitted a tethered charger which, with the benefit of hindsight, was a mistake as I now need to fit a second charger for the forthcoming Model S. If I had gone with a non-tethered item at the outset all I would need to have purchased was a type 2 cable. The Phoenix Works are highly recommended. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.
paso904
Member
I decided against a Rolec unit after I conducted a poll on a Tesla Facebook Group: Out of 43 respondents that had Rolec units, 13 have had problems. I shall be going for an ABL wall charger which come highly recommended.
WannabeOwner
Well-Known Member
Is the Tesla one not yet available? I think that's nice - not exactly future proof unless you have the bumper sticker "All my other cars will be Teslas"
Similar threads
- Question
