CHAdeMO Adapter Price and Necessity

[goldenbyte]

Is this adapter really $450? Maybe there's a 3rd party alternative?

Tesla Accessories and Charging Adapters CHAdeMO Adapter


Am I correct in thinking that CHAdeMO is the only way to utilize "level 3" public charging?

 

[dalamchops]

3rd party adapter to blow your car up?

The adapter was initially $1,000 and still would've sold just as many. $450 is a steal

 

[goldenbyte]

Understood. Thanks for the perspective. :redface:

 

[AnOutsider]

We don't have enough in our area to warrant it, but we did recently take a trip where there were a few nearby. We bought the adapter (~480 after taxes), but didn't end up needing it as there were other charging facilities near our hotel. Tesla graciously allowed us to return it (unopened) on the return trip.

Honestly, had it been cheaper (even ~$200) we may have kept it just in case, but there's a lot we can spend nearly $500 on other than an adapter that will likely only get used once or twice. Perhaps if our kids were older and we were doing more road trips, but as my wife pointed out: by the time that happens, the SC network should be more robust (and who knows, the adapter may no longer be necessary).

 

[Cosmacelf]

Depends where you live, how far you drive, how often you take trips, and how price sensitive you are. I bought one, have used it once so far and was glad to have it. Am lending it out to someone soon who will use it on an extended trip up the coast.

 

[cgiGuy]

Someone has signed up in the Seattle area on the "CHAdeMO sharing" map. If you only need it occasionally, you could always contact them.

CHAdeMO Adapter Sharing ZeeMap

 

[mattmass]

This question comes up quite frequently. I regularly take a route that would be really tough without the adapter. Having it enabled me to get the car now, as opposed to waiting for enough superchargers. I've found CHAdeMO stations to be fairly unreliable, but at least I can make it in the MS.

 

[goldenbyte]

Honestly, had it been cheaper (even ~$200) we may have kept it just in case, but there's a lot we can spend nearly $500 on other than an adapter that will likely only get used once or twice.

Exactly my feelings.

- - - Updated - - -

Someone has signed up in the Seattle area on the "CHAdeMO sharing" map. If you only need it occasionally, you could always contact them.

CHAdeMO Adapter Sharing ZeeMap

Thank you, I never would have thought this existed.

 

[cgiGuy]

Thank you, I never would have thought this existed.

It didn't 4 days ago. I'm hoping we can get enough people to sign up so that most major cities are covered with a few people in each.

 

[Xenoilphobe]

I view it as an insurance policy - except I actually get something of value out of it, if I ever need it. With two cars I am sure it will get some usage as we head down the Route 81 corridor in Virginia - which doesn't have a single SC along the whole route through Virginia. Several are planned, but I don't know when they are planned to "energize" the route 81 SC network. I checked out eVplanner.com and it had several Nissan dealers - that have a couple of chargers and I know there is one is downtown Roanoke (which EVPlanner.com didn't even have on their network).

I plan to test it out locally to see what it can do on a Nissan charger - then I plan to checkout EVGO - think they have some CHAdeMO.

BTW that has to be the most stupid name in the world - I know it means "tea break" or something in Japan, but this doesn't help market EV's to the general public when you have to get a Bachelors in NEMA, CHADeMO, etc. Wish their was a national standard. Frankly I want to buy a zero motorcycle or mission motorcycle and I am waiting until the have an option to use the Tesla network - I am hoping Tesla buys one of them when they go into chapter 11 and rebrand them as Tesla with standard Tesla charger capability.... Tesla buy Mission Motorcycles.....

What were we talking about again -- CHAdeMO - yes its expensive - but then again who pays $5000 for 4 wheels and tires for a car ???? Even when the Wheels aren't Forged but cast poured ????

 

[golfski]

I bought the adapter and only recently used it. It was nice to have alternatives to Superchargers, it allowed me to travel a shorter route and skip a SC. In the PNW, there is a pretty good density of them. Most of them are Aerovironment out here, its kind of pain in the butt to have to call each time to use it, but it has always worked.

 

[David99]

The difference between charging at 6 kW (which is the limit on most public L2 chargers) and 45 kW CHAdeMO is significant. It's more than 7 times as fast. The difference of waiting for 40 min vs 5 hours to charge is definitely worth $450.

I really don't understand why so many people are hesitant buying it. It's one of the cheapest accessories for the Model S yet it has gives you a huge time advantage when charging out and about. Even if you use it only a few times, it's worth the saved time.

 

[AEdennis]

We initially picked this up as an insurance policy as well (especially since it dropped from $1000 to $450.)

However, when we went on our roadtrip last month, it became especially useful in Vermont, where there is only one Tesla Supercharger at the time we visited.

 

[cwerdna]

3rd party adapter to blow your car up?

The adapter was initially $1,000 and still would've sold just as many. $450 is a steal

Yep, $450 is a pretty good price.

CHAdeMO connectors by themselves are NOT cheap.

 

[plaeuschler]

The difference between charging at 6 kW (which is the limit on most public L2 chargers) and 45 kW CHAdeMO is significant. It's more than 7 times as fast. The difference of waiting for 40 min vs 5 hours to charge is definitely worth $450.

It may not be that big if a difference in Europe though. The usual public charger is 22 kW over here. And most public CHAdeMO even only provide 20kW. But I had to get it nevertheless, just in case they build more 50kW CHAdeMO.

 

[deonb]

Understood. Thanks for the perspective. :redface:

I see you're in Seattle - it's probably one of the places in the country where you would get the most use out of Chademo.

We have a big concentration of them, and there are a few common places in daytrip reach that are uncomfortable or impossible to visit with SuperChargers alone, but are well covered with Chademo. E.g. Sequim, Port Angeles, Ocean Shores, Wenatchee, Chelan, Mt. Rainier (depending on where you live). Also anything on the 101 instead of the I5.

I don't expect SuperChargers on these routes for the next 3 years at least.

So all things considered it's probably not a terrible investment. In Tesla math, if it saves you 5 hours of time it's worth $500, so you only need to use it once to pay for itself