Anyone using plugless?

[VIncenzo]

How has your experience with plugless been?

https://www.pluglesspower.com/pgls_community_post/plugless-model-s-charg...

PS - yes I have seen the robosnake and can plug the car in like everyone else but this product helps me sell it to the wife.

 

[wdolson]

It isn't available for a few more months, but plugless charging is very lossy. You will pay more in electricity than the car takes in.

 

[BG121]

@VIncenzo your wife really won't get on board unless there is a plugless solution?

 

[James Anders]

Plugless is ~12% less efficient than corded L2 30amp 240V charging systems and ~7% less efficient than corded Level 1 charging systems.

It's not the efficiency that's the problem for me. It's what do I really get for my money. It's hardly a big deal to park the car in the garage and plug it in upon exit. Takes me 10 seconds if that.

 

[javawolfpack]

Plugless is ~12% less efficient than corded L2 30amp 240V charging systems and ~7% less efficient than corded Level 1 charging systems.

It's not the efficiency that's the problem for me. It's what do I really get for my money. It's hardly a big deal to park the car in the garage and plug it in upon exit. Takes me 10 seconds if that.

I agree, and honestly if you add up the time to plug in/unplug it's less time than I'd spend at the pumps with my previous ICE vehicle in a month. And such a more pleasant/enjoyable experience.

 

[javawolfpack]

In addition to the inefficiencies of charging, the fact they have to add something into the Tesla for it to work had me decide against even considering it. As this would likely void or cause issues the Tesla warranty.

 

[AndreSF]

Not to mention that it's really a $2K+ EVSE

 

[S4WRXTTCS]

We have to consider the future anytime we talk about value proposition when it comes to anything with electric cars.

The ability to inductively charge is a MASSIVE benefit of electric cars over ICE cars. What's an ICE car going to do to charge on the move? Hook itself up to a tanker truck going down the road?

For me the biggest limitation isn't the cost because the delta isn't that much, but it's the non-standardness. It's not standard on the Tesla or any other car at least that I know of. It's not at any destination charger.

With the Tesla I paid more knowing that the value proposition was a tough sell. I wasn't a high mileage driver where the value really starts to show. Well at least I wasn't before I got the car.

With the Tesla the value gets better as time goes on. The supercharges, the destination chargers, etc.

If you think about it in terms of the future a plugless charger would be really cool. You could have a parking lot with a bunch of them without having equipment that can be easily vandalized or broken. It's also absolutely essential for autonomous cars unless you really love snake chargers.

But, for now I see the main benefits as being the following

1.) Never forgetting to charge. There are those of us like myself who don't always plug it in. I normally keep the state of charge around 40-80%, and it doesn't require plugging in everyday. There are also times where I simply forget.

2.) No wear&tear on the cord or the connector. I think people underestimate the importance of this.

3.) Summons the car in/out the garage without having to plug/unplug it

The main disadvantage I see in addition to what people have already talked about is the inflexibility in where I can charge. Right now I have it setup so I can either charge inside the garage or I can back up and charge outside the garage. I do that when I have to put my Jeep into the garage,

I am a little surprised that more Tesla owners aren't supportive on plugless charging especially considering how tailor made the Tesla is towards laziness. From one pedal driving to not having to stop off to get gas while going to work.

 

[SDRick]

I agree, and honestly if you add up the time to plug in/unplug it's less time than I'd spend at the pumps with my previous ICE vehicle in a month. And such a more pleasant/enjoyable experience.

Time spent at the pumps? How about the time driving to and from the gas station? In comparison, plugging and unplugging is almost a joy.

 

[brucet999]

Time spent at the pumps? How about the time driving to and from the gas station? In comparison, plugging and unplugging is almost a joy.

I think javawolfpack meant that plugin/unplug takes less time altogether in a month than one time at the pump with ICE.

 

[deonb]

1.) Never forgetting to charge. There are those of us like myself who don't always plug it in. I normally keep the state of charge around 40-80%, and it doesn't require plugging in everyday. There are also times where I simply forget.

Well, that's why you forget...

If you plugged in every day you won't forget. It would be like forgetting to close your garage door.

 

[Dwdnjck]

A solution in search of a problem.

 

[SDRick]

"I think javawolfpack meant that plugin/unplug takes less time altogether in a month than one time at the pump with ICE."


I think we are on the same page on this one.

That said, if plug less charging was cheap with easy install and fast charging, it would be a no-brainer. Unfortunately, right now it misses on all those key metrics.

 

[S4WRXTTCS]

A solution in search of a problem.

Isn't that the best way to make money? To have a solution to a problem just as it starts to become a problem?

In the next 3-4 years plugless charging is going to be a pretty major thing.

Right now it probably makes more sense with a Leaf where someone runs lots of errands, and doesn't constantly want to unplug/plug.

With my once or twice a week charging it's hardly a benefit.

 

[David99]

Sure, plugging in isn't a big deal. Plugging in a phone isn't a big deal either, yet wireless charging pads are pretty popular and comes standard in the new S7.
Not having to worry about plugging in is a nice convenience. Summons really only makes sense if the car does not need to be plugged in. Even Tesla showed the concept of a robotic arm plugging the car in. There doesn't need to be a problem to appreciate a nice feature. Nice rims cost the same money and don't solve any problem.

 

[James Anders]

Sure, plugging in isn't a big deal. Plugging in a phone isn't a big deal either, yet wireless charging pads are pretty popular and comes standard in the new S7.
Not having to worry about plugging in is a nice convenience. Summons really only makes sense if the car does not need to be plugged in. Even Tesla showed the concept of a robotic arm plugging the car in. There doesn't need to be a problem to appreciate a nice feature. Nice rims cost the same money and don't solve any problem.

Worry to plug in? Sorry, I guess I just don't see it. I've never worried about this. I get out, grab the plug, push it in and leave the garage. If this feature was $100 then sure, but I just don't see the bang for the buck. And I'm a tech/gadget type of guy.

 

[javawolfpack]

@James Anders, I think if it was closer to the cost of the Tesla HWPC for cost then it would be an easier sell. It's the modification to the vehicle that has me worried... I seriously considered pre-ordering it even with the cost, but the requirement to modify the vehicle worried me. Not sure what Tesla's policy on this would be in context to the warranty. With how expensive the Tesla is to fix, wouldn't want to risk not having Tesla pay for warranty repairs because I added the required hardware to wirelessly charge w/ Plugless.

 

[James Anders]

@James Anders, I think if it was closer to the cost of the Tesla HWPC for cost then it would be an easier sell. It's the modification to the vehicle that has me worried... I seriously considered pre-ordering it even with the cost, but the requirement to modify the vehicle worried me. Not sure what Tesla's policy on this would be in context to the warranty. With how expensive the Tesla is to fix, wouldn't want to risk not having Tesla pay for warranty repairs because I added the required hardware to wirelessly charge w/ Plugless.

Plugless has a FAQ on their site. Like other aftermarket items - this will not void your warranty per Magnusson-Moss.

 

[kwjayhawk]

It would be cool if there was a future where the wireless charging was built into the roads. Moonshot, sure. For now.

As an aside from building a product from scratch that didn't exist, trying to think and overcome an issue for the 1% of a user base over the 99 was stressful. I wanted to solve that last problem that affected so few, but I had to accept that whatever I did was not going to please every user right now. I kind of see that the way of AP, wireless charging and plug in standards in general. If you gain traction in something than that will lead to future changes of a device.

 

[brucet999]

Right now it probably makes more sense with a Leaf where someone runs lots of errands, and doesn't constantly want to unplug/plug.

In places like CA, where daytime electric rates are $0.35/kWh or more and overnight costs $0.125/kWh, inefficient wireless charging makes even less sense than elsewhere.