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Can you use a non-Tesla NACS charger with a CCS non-compatible Model Y?
- Thread starter CanuckT
- Start date
I would think that the S standing for 'standard' would imply that a non-Tesla NACS charger would charge a model Y or virtually any other(non-roadster) Tesla, CCS compatible or not.
srs5694
Active Member
Probably not; however, that's based on some assumptions, and some things will change by the time those stations become available:
- The NACS specification document basically says that NACS plugs should implement the CCS communications protocols. Thus, any vendor who follows this advice will have a station that will charge Teslas that are CCS-enabled, but not Teslas (like yours and mine) that are not CCS-enabled. This point, however, assumes that the equipment manufacturer will just throw the CCS protocol over the cable. In theory, a vendor could negotiate with Tesla to implement Tesla's proprietary protocol. In theory, Tesla could agree, and then the third-party station would be able to charge any Tesla. Whether this will happen is anybody's guess, and most commentators seem to be assuming it won't happen. I can't say I think it's likely myself, but who knows? I wouldn't want to entirely rule it out as a possibility, but I certainly wouldn't count on it happening.
- Although a number of vendors have announced support for NACS, I don't know how quickly third-party NACS-enabled stations will start appearing. My guess would be it'll still be a few months from now, but I can't be sure of that.
- Tesla has promised CCS retrofits for the Model 3 and Model Y very soon -- this summer, IIRC. Of course, Tesla is notorious for missing deadlines, but if my recollection isn't far off from reality, and if you're first in line to get the retrofit for your Model Y, you may be ready to use these NACS-equipped third-party chargers before they're put in the ground. Even if that timing is reversed, it's not likely to be by a lot.
- A 2021 Model Y almost certainly uses the non-CCS-capable 1537264-80-B ECU, which was a temporary drop-in replacement for the 1537264-00-B ECU. Thus, if you can find the latter, and if you're a little adventurous and technically savvy, you can do the swap yourself; or you could pay a mechanic who understands EVs to do the work. This thread describes how for the Model 3. (Read the first post and then skip to the final page or two. The rest is a lot of false leads and discussion of special cases. Ignore all the discussions of the "bundle of wires," since you won't need it on your Model Y.) I believe there are some small differences in where the module is located in the Model Y. Honestly, though, we're close enough to Tesla releasing the official upgrade that there's little point in trying the DIY approach unless you're just into that sort of thing.
Rice&Curry
Member
Interesting, my 2020 MY was CCS1 ready when it was delivered, so when the adapter became available from Tesla, I purchased one and tested it, it worked. May be during the pandemic and supply chain related issues, Tesla may have stopped adding the CCS1 option on the newer MY as a temporary measure so that they could still ship their Model Y w/o waiting for CCS1 parts.
srs5694
Active Member
That's precisely correct. The history is this:
- The oldest vehicles (like my 2019 Model 3) have an older charging electronic control unit (ECU; whose part number I don't know offhand). These will need an upgrade to a new part that is, AFAIK, not yet available from Tesla. I'm not sure if any Model Ys shipped with this configuration.
- Around the time the Model Y was introduced, Tesla redesigned their charging system to include CCS compatibility. This was presumably done partly for the European market, but yet another charging ECU variant is included in European-spec Model 3s and Ys. Anyhow, the new North American-spec ECU, 1537264-00-B, includes CCS support as well as support for Tesla's proprietary protocol. When it was first introduced, though, Tesla did not advertise CCS compatibility in the US.
- Because of the chip shortage, Tesla temporarily dropped the chips needed to "speak" CCS with the 1537264-80-B ECU, which is a drop-in replacement for the 1537264-00-B ECU. I believe this was done at least twice, for brief production runs in both 2021 and 2022, IIRC. Tesla could do this quietly and few people noticed because Tesla was not advertising CCS protocol compatibility in the US.
If you have the "lobotomized" 1537264-80-B ECU, you can literally unplug it, unbolt it from the car, and install the full -00- variant and it will work. (You'll need to do a software update or re-install, too, so that the car knows what you've got.) Tesla could be offering these upgrades today, assuming they have sufficient supply of the -00- ECUs. It's possible they aren't yet offering the upgrades because they're still suffering from chip shortages; or maybe they want to have supplies of both the 1537264-00-B ECU and whatever new variant the oldest Model 3s will need so that they can open the floodgates for all Model 3 and Model Y owners simultaneously. It's also likely that CCS upgrades for older vehicles are just not a priority for them, although they are offering upgrades for the Model S and Model X. Those cars have their own charging ECU variants, so they require different upgrade ECUs than the Model 3 and Model Y need.
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