CHAdeMO, CCS combo or J1772 L2?

[AustroTom]

Hello All,

I'm thinking about a second option for trip charging to "bridge" Superchargers.

We have some EVGO stations in our area (don't know of any other places yet).
But I haven't found any CCS combo adapters for the Tesla yet. So the only option would be the CHAdeMO?
(The Tesla supplied J1772 adapter is just too slow of a charging rate).
And then there are all the charging plans these stations want you to be on.

Thank goodness for free supercharging

Any other tips?
Thanks,
Thomas

 

[AEdennis]

Hello All,

I'm thinking about a second option for trip charging to "bridge" Superchargers.

We have some EVGO stations in our area (don't know of any other places yet).
But I haven't found any CCS combo adapters for the Tesla yet. So the only option would be the CHAdeMO?
(The Tesla supplied J1772 adapter is just too slow of a charging rate).
And then there are all the charging plans these stations want you to be on.

Thank goodness for free supercharging

Any other tips?
Thanks,
Thomas

I always carry multiple options when I travel. Just in case.

 

[rw86347]

My leaf uses chademo. All CCS charges are the same machine as chademo. You don't need both.

 

[CmdrThor]

The vast majority of CCS stations will also have CHAdeMO in the US. If you are going to rely on CHAdeMO be aware they are mostly 1 or 2 plugs per station. Check the Plugshare reviews to see the reliability and also find out what your plan B is going to be if one of them fails. I had a trip where I relied on CHAdeMO because it saved me a lot of time, but there were 3 stations within range if my planned station failed. L2 would be your ultimate backup, but it is at least better than L1 or a tow truck.

 

[Skipdd]

Hello All,

I'm thinking about a second option for trip charging to "bridge" Superchargers.

We have some EVGO stations in our area (don't know of any other places yet).
But I haven't found any CCS combo adapters for the Tesla yet. So the only option would be the CHAdeMO?
(The Tesla supplied J1772 adapter is just too slow of a charging rate).
And then there are all the charging plans these stations want you to be on.

Thank goodness for free supercharging

Any other tips?
Thanks,
Thomas

I have an eVgo subscription and a CHAdeMO adapter and that has worked out great for trips as well as when I have to drive a lot on a given day.

 

[Btrflyl8e]

You no longer have to sign up for a plan with EVGo, they now allow you to swipe a credit card and pay $5.95 plus $0.20 per minute (I think I remember correctly) for a 30 minute charging session. Depending on your route, I'd look first for any other CHAdeMO networks. Many are free, or less expensive, although the EVGo machines seem well made and reliable. They are also really ramping up coverage, but after I had a bad experience with their customer service and so did another Tesla owner I know, I'm trying to avoid giving them my business.

I suppose a plan would reduce the cost to use their machines, but good luck getting their website to allow you to do it. I tried for weeks and it simply refused to take any account numbers I gave it and they couldn't have cared less about my problem.

CHAdeMO and J1772 are still what I travel with, along with a UMC and 14-50, because RV parks could also be a good option if they have 50amp service and will let you charge. It's faster than L2!

 

[Naonak]

You no longer have to sign up for a plan with EVGo, they now allow you to swipe a credit card and pay $5.95 plus $0.20 per minute (I think I remember correctly) for a 30 minute charging session. Depending on your route, I'd look first for any other CHAdeMO networks. Many are free, or less expensive, although the EVGo machines seem well made and reliable. They are also really ramping up coverage, but after I had a bad experience with their customer service and so did another Tesla owner I know, I'm trying to avoid giving them my business.

I suppose a plan would reduce the cost to use their machines, but good luck getting their website to allow you to do it. I tried for weeks and it simply refused to take any account numbers I gave it and they couldn't have cared less about my problem.

CHAdeMO and J1772 are still what I travel with, along with a UMC and 14-50, because RV parks could also be a good option if they have 50amp service and will let you charge. It's faster than L2!

That's pretty much what I do as well. However, I will note that the few RV parks I have availed myself to have 14-50s, but if you try to draw anywhere near 40A from them, they pop the breaker. Usually have to dial it back to 30ish, unless it's a really new park. (Garden City fairgrounds, thank you for having good receptacles!)

 

[TonyWilliams]

Since Tesla does not have a CCS adaptor, obviously it's not possble to carry one, but even if it were available, most (by far) CCS plugs have a CHAdeMO sitting right next to it. Plus the fact that CHAdeMO significantly outnumbers CCS makes it use somewhat marginal

While it was mentioned upthread to check PlugShare for CHAdeMO station failures, it's a good idea to do something similar with Tesla Superchargers. Thankfully, NRG /eVgo recently saved my bacon when the Tesla Superchargers failed in Barstow over Thanksgiving.

Traveling without all the charging options available to you is a little silly. I use CHAdeMO many times out of pure convenience, but the odds of getting stranded are vastly increased by relying on any one charging network.

So, if I were traveling and a Supercharger site was full or failed, my list of choices in order of preference are as follows:

1) CHAdeMO - its smart to have many of the typical charge cards in the car. I carry:

a. NRG / eVgo (and pay the $14.95 per month plus ten cents per minute plan)
b. ChargePoint (prices vary considerably), Greenlots (they have an app, too)
c. AeroVironment (West Coast Electric Highway, available in Washington and Oregon only)
d. OpConnect
e. Blink might be ok to have, but I expect them to be bankrupt again soon, and at $0.59 per kWh, it might cost $59 to fill up a 100D !!!

Typical charging speeds of CHAdeMO into a 300-400 volt battery in a Tesla is:

* 115-125 amps - 36kW to 48kW (most charging stations)
* 100 amps - 30kW to 40kW (BTC manufacturered stations)
* 40 - 60 amps - 12kW to 24kW (somewhat rare, so you need to observe the charge rate or find out on PlugShare prior to plugging in)

2) RV Parks - if I really needed an enroute charge, then your UMC plus the NEMA 14-50 plug will provide 9.6kw. This is significantly faster than public J1772.

3) J1772 - these are typically attached to 208 volt commercial power, with 30 amp max (many are slower). That's just 6.2kW on a good day

4) Tesla HPWC - these are still somewhat rare, and I find most do not have 80 amp (19.2kW) capability anyway.

5) Roadster stations - very rare, but typically 70 amp capable. I carry the adaptor.

Clearly, for overnight charging at a hotel, take whatever you can get.

 

[Skipdd]

You no longer have to sign up for a plan with EVGo, they now allow you to swipe a credit card and pay $5.95 plus $0.20 per minute (I think I remember correctly) for a 30 minute charging session. Depending on your route, I'd look first for any other CHAdeMO networks. Many are free, or less expensive, although the EVGo machines seem well made and reliable. They are also really ramping up coverage, but after I had a bad experience with their customer service and so did another Tesla owner I know, I'm trying to avoid giving them my business.

I suppose a plan would reduce the cost to use their machines, but good luck getting their website to allow you to do it. I tried for weeks and it simply refused to take any account numbers I gave it and they couldn't have cared less about my problem.

CHAdeMO and J1772 are still what I travel with, along with a UMC and 14-50, because RV parks could also be a good option if they have 50amp service and will let you charge. It's faster than L2!

Interesting, I had that exact experience -but with Chargepoint. No problem at all with EVgo..

 

[Gjacobs]

If I have a J1772 80A 240v charger on a 100A circuit will it charge my Tesla using the adapter at the same rate as using a Tesla HPWC?

 

[TexasEV]

If I have a J1772 80A 240v charger on a 100A circuit will it charge my Tesla using the adapter at the same rate as using a Tesla HPWC?

Yes, compared to the HPWC on a 100A circuit. A lot of HPWCs aren't.

 

[Boatguy]

If I have a J1772 80A 240v charger on a 100A circuit will it charge my Tesla using the adapter at the same rate as using a Tesla HPWC?

Yes. I have a 40a EVSE for my BMW and I've tried it on the MS. It works fine and delivers 40a. If you have an 80a 1772, and dual chargers on the Tesla, it should use all 80a.

 

[AB4EJ]

On the Chademo chargers - if you plan to use these, always have a backup plan. Many of the Chademo chargers are often out of order, and in some cases the organization which installed it doesn't care and has no intention of doing anything about it.

 

[TonyWilliams]

On the Chademo chargers - if you plan to use these, always have a backup plan. Many of the Chademo chargers are often out of order, and in some cases the organization which installed it doesn't care and has no intention of doing anything about it.

Any charging station can be out-of-order, including the vandalized Supercharger in Barstow, California over Thanksgiving holiday 2016.

I recommend using PlugShare to check out the next charge station. If it shows that it's broken, or low in dependability (like every Blink station), move on to plan B or C.

The same is true of the Superchargers. While they have a very reliable reputation, blindly assuming that they always work is probably a good way to find yourself waiting for a tow truck.