Australian Model Y Waiting Room

[YSooSerious]

Congrats! Is your UMC charging at 8a or 10a? Mine is only charging at 8a even though I am using a 10a tail. Not sure what is happening.

I've got a 15A socket in my garage. So its charging at 12A. I'm hoping when Tesla update the firmware, I'll get 15A.

 

[Gior]

I've got a 15A socket in my garage. So its charging at 12A. I'm hoping when Tesla update the firmware, I'll get 15A.

Good to know I’m not alone with the under max current issue Yes, hoping for that update soon too.

 

[Gior]

I called Tesla and got the following email. I couldn’t get it to work but it might be of help to one of you guys.

Thank you for your recent enquiry regarding updating your UMC from 8amps to 10amps.

Please find steps to update your charger as follows:

How to trigger an off-board update:
When the right conditions are met, the update will start automatically. The following steps can be used to accelerate the process and trigger an update immediately:

• Make sure the vehicle's battery SOC is above 50%.
• Move the state of charge target slider on the vehicle's touchscreen to a value below the current state of charge.
• Connect the vehicle to the Gen 2 UMC (device needs to be powered).
• Make sure all vehicle doors are closed and HVAC is off.
• The off-board update will start as soon as the center display is off.
• The update may take between 2-5 minutes (Gen 2 UMC). On Gen 2 UMC, the Tesla "T" LED will flash green during the update process which is expected.

If you have any other concerns please don't hesitate to reach out for assistance.

Happy Charging!

 

[SphinX]

When the right conditions are met, the update will start automatically. The following steps can be used to accelerate the process and trigger an update immediately:

• Make sure the vehicle's battery SOC is above 50%.
• Move the state of charge target slider on the vehicle's touchscreen to a value below the current state of charge.
• Connect the vehicle to the Gen 2 UMC (device needs to be powered).
• Make sure all vehicle doors are closed and HVAC is off.
• The off-board update will start as soon as the center display is off.
• The update may take between 2-5 minutes (Gen 2 UMC). On Gen 2 UMC, the Tesla "T" LED will flash green during the update process which is expected.

Yeap...tried this a few times and didn't do anything for me

 

[JonDarian]

Yeah, been there, done that. I even just tried again. I have an email from Tesla on July 16, saying:

"I have been advised that there is a known characteristic with vehicle software 2023.20 or newer that is causing UMC updates to fail. This is currently being investigated by our tech/ engineering and we are hoping for this to be fixed via a future firmware update

Please connect to a strong Wi-Fi connection whenever possible to allow future firmware updates to download when they become available."

I had hoped that the firmware update my car received this week would include the bug fix, but it didn't.

 

[Midnight Man]

Question please for those who have been before me - I have a Model Y on order (order placed 2 weeks ago), and at the same time, I put in all the required details for a trade in of my existing vehicle.

That trade-in valuation is still pending, yet an estimate that I asked for a couple of days before ordering came back in 24 hours.

How long does it usually take to get a final trade-in valuation please?

 

[JonDarian]

Question please for those who have been before me - I have a Model Y on order (order placed 2 weeks ago), and at the same time, I put in all the required details for a trade in of my existing vehicle.

That trade-in valuation is still pending, yet an estimate that I asked for a couple of days before ordering came back in 24 hours.

How long does it usually take to get a final trade-in valuation please?

If you have submitted all of your photos, etc, it can take 2-3 weeks for the valuation if they are busy. They did hurry that up and get a response in a day or so, when I SMS'd and asked them to (I think I had been waiting a week or so, and wanted to get it organised - in the end, my Tesla was delayed and there was no need to have hurried).

 

[pattitay28]

As some others have said unfortunately you won't get the UMC tesla mobile charger. YMMV but what I did is, firstly beware certain aussie youtubers who are paid to promote expensive alternatives and don't have to fork out $450!, looked around for good alternatives that won't break the bank. Note I don't have any affliation and paid retail for these.

What I found was this UMC alternative: MIDA Adjustable Portable EV Charger | 8A 10A 15A | Type 2 AU Plug $279 as of writing. This works perfectly on 15 amp sockets and also through my caravan converter that allows you to plug in to a standard 10 amp household plug. This was reviewed by an electrical expert (also unlike the youtubers who use stuff once) who analyses the internal components and found them to be really good quality.

I also bought an (relatively) inexpensive type 2 cable for those charger that need it and instead of paying $200+ I paid $140. You can probably get cheaper from aliexpress or somewhere but I bought an unbranded one locally in case it turned out to be crap quality - which it didn't and has been good so far.

Thanks! Just picked up our Tesla today and I ordered a mobile charger hopefully it will come soon else I have no way to charge my car so do I also have to buy another adaptor for when I charge at a public station? Or can I use the mobile charger I got from Tesla at a public charging station?

 

[JonDarian]

Thanks! Just picked up our Tesla today and I ordered a mobile charger hopefully it will come soon else I have no way to charge my car so do I also have to buy another adaptor for when I charge at a public station? Or can I use the mobile charger I got from Tesla at a public charging station?

You have a little catching up to do! Here's the summary.
The mobile charger is a Level 1 charger and is for charging from AC power points like the typical 10A (10 amp) general power outlets in your house, or 15A power points like might be in your shed or a caravan park. Your kit will have two swappable tails so that you can plug into 10A and 15A power points. You can also buy a third-party tail that can charge at up to 32A. To work out how many kW you are receiving, multiply the voltage (usually 230V) by the amps. If you charge at 230V and 10A for one hour, you will add 2.3kWh to you car (although it is actually a bit less due to inefficiencies).

A Level 2 charger (like the Tesla High Power Wall Connector, or a destination charger at a hotel or shopping centre) also charges in ACz but at a higher rate. The Model Y can "only" receive 11kW of AC. Those chargers provide their own cables in most circumstances. There are some that don't, like the AC units that act as backups on the Qld Electric Superhighway chargers. For them, you need to BYO a "type 2 to type 2" cable, which can also be called "Mennekes". You never use your mobile charger at a public charging station, but you might use it at a caravan park or cabin, friend's house, etc.

Level 3 charging is DC charging at higher speeds, and the cable is permanently attached to the charger. This includes Tesla Superchargers, Evie, Chargefox and other providers. You don't need to provide your own.

If you haven't already, it is a good idea to familiarise yourself with the apps "A Better Route Planner" and "Plugshare". Plugshare is excellent for learning the state of non-Tesla chargers, and communicating with other EV drivers using the chargers. You should probably did which charging networks are in your area and setup their apps. Even if you plan to use superchargers, it is worth being familiar with the other networks so you have more options.

 

[nivas]

Thanks! Just picked up our Tesla today and I ordered a mobile charger hopefully it will come soon else I have no way to charge my car so do I also have to buy another adaptor for when I charge at a public station? Or can I use the mobile charger I got from Tesla at a public charging station?

Congrats I am in the waiting line and was wondering when to order the mobile changer. I think I will order it now, so it arrives even before the car arrives

 

[JonDarian]

Congrats I am in the waiting line and was wondering when to order the mobile changer. I think I will order it now, so it arrives even before the car arrives

Most people seem to be getting them pretty quickly. That said, mine took three attempts and a few weeks. I'd suggest ordering a bit early so it is ready.

 

[pattitay28]

You have a little catching up to do! Here's the summary.
The mobile charger is a Level 1 charger and is for charging from AC power points like the typical 10A (10 amp) general power outlets in your house, or 15A power points like might be in your shed or a caravan park. Your kit will have two swappable tails so that you can plug into 10A and 15A power points. You can also buy a third-party tail that can charge at up to 32A. To work out how many kW you are receiving, multiply the voltage (usually 230V) by the amps. If you charge at 230V and 10A for one hour, you will add 2.3kWh to you car (although it is actually a bit less due to inefficiencies).

A Level 2 charger (like the Tesla High Power Wall Connector, or a destination charger at a hotel or shopping centre) also charges in ACz but at a higher rate. The Model Y can "only" receive 11kW of AC. Those chargers provide their own cables in most circumstances. There are some that don't, like the AC units that act as backups on the Qld Electric Superhighway chargers. For them, you need to BYO a "type 2 to type 2" cable, which can also be called "Mennekes". You never use your mobile charger at a public charging station, but you might use it at a caravan park or cabin, friend's house, etc.

Level 3 charging is DC charging at higher speeds, and the cable is permanently attached to the charger. This includes Tesla Superchargers, Evie, Chargefox and other providers. You don't need to provide your own.

If you haven't already, it is a good idea to familiarise yourself with the apps "A Better Route Planner" and "Plugshare". Plugshare is excellent for learning the state of non-Tesla chargers, and communicating with other EV drivers using the chargers. You should probably did which charging networks are in your area and setup their apps. Even if you plan to use superchargers, it is worth being familiar with the other networks so you have more options.

ohmy thanks for this summary! I somehow get it? hahaha. My mobile charger is arriving tomorrow, so yay!

I was looking at Chargefox as there's one close to where we live, and in the Chargefox app it says it's a 'BYO cable' station hence my question above. I will probably just get a Mennekes and convince my husband to have the wall charger installed sooner than later

I have downloaded Plugshare and found one close to us and free of charge. But then again, it's BYO cable.

 

[pattitay28]

Congrats I am in the waiting line and was wondering when to order the mobile changer. I think I will order it now, so it arrives even before the car arrives

I placed my order yesterday (23 July) and it will arrive tomorrow (25 July) so didn't have to wait for too long

 

[cafz]

I was looking at Chargefox as there's one close to where we live, and in the Chargefox app it says it's a 'BYO cable' station hence my question above. I will probably just get a Mennekes and convince my husband to have the wall charger installed sooner than later

I have downloaded Plugshare and found one close to us and free of charge. But then again, it's BYO cable.

Note that the Mennekes cable is not cheap - even with free charging it'll take a while to recoup the cost of it compared to just charging at home.

 

[pattitay28]

Note that the Mennekes cable is not cheap - even with free charging it'll take a while to recoup the cost of it compared to just charging at home.

At this point, I just want to be ready in all possible charging situation lol

 

[JonDarian]

At this point, I just want to be ready in all possible charging situation lol

That is the way I approached it, too. A UMC and a Mennekes cable will cover most of your needs (although look into it a bit more if travelling far into the regions and needing to charge in showgrounds, etc). Many people will never use the Mennekes, especially those who stay on the Tesla Supercharger routes. I have use mine twice already (on Qld Electric Superhighway chargers), saving me time and frustration when the single DC charger was busy or broken.

 

[DragonD]

I got assigned a VIN yesterday for a car that arrived in WA nearly three months ago. And delivery is in Queensland. Seems highly unusual. Thoughts?

 

[JonDarian]

@pattitay28 it would be interesting to see if you can update your UMC (to enable charging at 10A instead of 8A) using the factory (non-updated) firmware on your car. The newer firmware currently prevents updating the UMC. Are you able to try that?

You would need the car to be charged above 50%, then lower the maximum charge level to below the current charge level. Turn off sentry mode and close all the doors. Plug in the UMC and let the car go to sleep. If you come back in 10 minutes and the car can now accept 10 amps from the UMC, you have successfully updated the UMC firmware.

 

[Gior]

@pattitay28 it would be interesting to see if you can update your UMC (to enable charging at 10A instead of 8A) using the factory (non-updated) firmware on your car. The newer firmware currently prevents updating the UMC. Are you able to try that?

You would need the car to be charged above 50%, then lower the maximum charge level to below the current charge level. Turn off sentry mode and close all the doors. Plug in the UMC and let the car go to sleep. If you come back in 10 minutes and the car can now accept 10 amps from the UMC, you have successfully updated the UMC firmware.

Turn off the air con too

 

[cafz]

At this point, I just want to be ready in all possible charging situation lol

That's how they get ya!