CHAdeMO test on Model 3 (US)

[Seth2020]

Just so I would have the extra option on long trips, I decided to splurge on the CHAdeMO adapter when they came back in stock. Today I went to my nearby CHAdeMO charging station and tried it out.

This is an EVgo station and is rated 50kW

1. The CHAdeMO connector connected to the female end of the adapter easy enough

1. On first try inserting the male end of the adapter into the Tesla, I got an initialization error (as per the EVgo station display). I do not think I seated the connector into the Tesla well enough (although it did lock in place)

2. Second try was success

3. It works! It is not the prettiest thing to look at (see picture). The Adapter is HUGE, and I am slightly concerned about all the weight pulling on the connector to Tesla interface. But all in all seems fine

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4. Charger was rated 50kW. I was getting a steady 30kW. Note I already was pretty close to my limit (charged it from 81% to 86%). I do not know if the Tesla software was throttling the charge as I was near top, or if something else was happening.

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Overall I am still wincing at the price tag, but on road trips it will give us that extra measure of security.

Not the thing is so big I plan to store it in my garage and not in the car, and then put it in the car for any long trips -- hope I do not forget!

 

[sduck]

ok

 

[smatthew]

I keep my chademo adapter in the sub trunk. The adapter is 50kW max. The station you were at says it's a 50kW station, but it's actually a 100 Amp station. If you were pulling 500 Volts, that would be 500VX100A=50,000 watts or 50kW. But Tesla batteries top out at 400 volts.

This unfortunately means that charging with CHAdeMO is slowest when the battery is empty. At a 50kW CHAdeMO station, you'll barely get 28kW when your battery is empty, and closer to 40kW when the battery is closer to full.

62.5kW stations charge at 125 amps. That means charge rates will range from 35kW to 50kW

Still a heck of a lot faster than L2 charging!

 

[The_Observer]

Definitely faster than any sort of level 2 charging for sure.

I would still like a CCS adapter coming to the US, but one can only hope...

 

[AEdennis]

At 80% the algorithm will throttle you down already... Depending on input voltages, SOC, weather, all that stuff... Be happy when you see 44kW steadily...

 

[puckpurnell]

I have a CHAdeMO adapter...just in case...to give me an option (like in the Maritimes). Expensive, yes but glad to have it.

 

[DaddyCool]

That's quite a 'hunk of love' hanging from your charge port - I take it these things are well stress tested?

Shame adaptor cable not longer (for the cost) as the weight could be supported on the charge station in some way.

 

[Stickboy46]

I have a CHAdeMO adapter...just in case...to give me an option (like in the Maritimes). Expensive, yes but glad to have it.

I managed to grab one from the Service Center the day I picked up my car. They had two left and the website had been sold out for a while. I told myself it was worth it just for that extra option and less anxiety (first EV). It helps that the midwest has a lot of CHAdeMO stations.

The sub trunk sure comes in handy though. Mine now consists of

• Charging Cable with 14-50 adapter
• J Adapter
• CHAdeMO Adapter
• Tire Inflation kit (taken out of my Taurus SHO that I traded in lol)
• Jack Pucks (had to add these after getting a flat 100 miles after getting the car)
• Large Towel for wiping off the car

 

[camalaio]

I keep my chademo adapter in the sub trunk. The adapter is 50kW max. The station you were at says it's a 50kW station, but it's actually a 100 Amp station. If you were pulling 500 Volts, that would be 500VX100A=50,000 watts or 50kW. But Tesla batteries top out at 400 volts.

This unfortunately means that charging with CHAdeMO is slowest when the battery is empty. At a 50kW CHAdeMO station, you'll barely get 28kW when your battery is empty, and closer to 40kW when the battery is closer to full.

62.5kW stations charge at 125 amps. That means charge rates will range from 35kW to 50kW

Still a heck of a lot faster than L2 charging!

Some of what you said might be correct, but you can absolutely pull 50kW at low SoC (and probably higher too) from a 50kW station. I've seen it multiple times at various brands of station, all "50kW" stations.

You likely don't see the full 50kW at low charge simply due to battery heating which will take 3.5-7.0kW. It heats the battery like it does at Superchargers.

 

[Joshan]

Definitely faster than any sort of level 2 charging for sure.

I would still like a CCS adapter coming to the US, but one can only hope...

Per the standard a US CCS adapter is not allowed as it requires liquid cooling and you cannot pump liquid into the adapter.

 

[Drax]

@Joshan Thanks for the tip. Do you have a source on that? Seems like a strange requirement..

 

[Joshan]

I can try to find it. It is because CCS is a fast charger so it generates an enormous amount of heat. Chademo is much slower, so not as much heat to worry about.

 

[smatthew]

Some of what you said might be correct, but you can absolutely pull 50kW at low SoC (and probably higher too) from a 50kW station. I've seen it multiple times at various brands of station, all "50kW" stations.

You likely don't see the full 50kW at low charge simply due to battery heating which will take 3.5-7.0kW. It heats the battery like it does at Superchargers.

How can you pull 50kW from a 100 amp station? The maximum voltage of Tesla batteries is 400 Volts. 400 Volts * 100 Amps = 40kW.

 

[camalaio]

How can you pull 50kW from a 100 amp station? The maximum voltage of Tesla batteries is 400 Volts. 400 Volts * 100 Amps = 40kW.

I did not say they were limited to 100A, that was your assertion. The 50kW labeled stations I've been to have all delivered more than 100A, both in Canada and the United States. Unless you mean this is an EVgo specific thing? I haven't been to an EVgo station.

 

[smatthew]

I did not say they were limited to 100A, that was your assertion. The 50kW labeled stations I've been to have all delivered more than 100A, both in Canada and the United States. Unless you mean this is an EVgo specific thing? I haven't been to an EVgo station.

CHAdeMO chargers are either 100 Amp, or 125 Amp at 500Volts. A 100 Amp station by definition is a 50kW charger. And a 125Amp station is by definition a 62.5kW charger. I've never seen a charger that is capable of 125Amp, but only advertises as a 50kW, but I hear they are out there.

I guess it doesn't matter what the kW rating is. Just what the Amp rating is.

In my travels in the Pacific Northwest, CHAdeMO stations that provide 100A are the standard. 125A stations are fairly rare because they cost more to buy!

Hold on: This is much more confusing that I realized. Check out this webpage. I know it's for chevy bolt owners, but it's less than a year old.
Chevy Bolt EV Owner's Guide to 50 kW Chargers | Torque News

So yes, some "50kW" chargers will output 125A. Now I know. But the take-away seems to be to check the label on the charger and look for the amperage limit. Or check plugshare.

 

[I'm_Jp]

That's quite a 'hunk of love' hanging from your charge port - I take it these things are well stress tested?

Shame adaptor cable not longer (for the cost) as the weight could be supported on the charge station in some way.

I saw a tear down on the adapter somewhere, and inside the handle is potted with a hard rubbery substance. The circuit in the handle looks like it could take submersion. That filler is where a lot of the weight comes from.

 

[3 Life]

For what it’s worth, my experience using the CHAdeMO is it’s related to certain charging stations. The one I frequent the most almost always shows 30kW or so for the first half of charging, yet always gets to 50kW by end of charge. Seems different stations take longer to warm up?... and not so much the car controlling kW.

What’s most important, and surprising, is no matter the kW variance during charging the expected time displayed on screen and in TESLA App in the beginning is usually on point. I’m happy with this.

 

[wws]

For what it’s worth, my experience using the CHAdeMO is it’s related to certain charging stations. The one I frequent the most almost always shows 30kW or so for the first half of charging, yet always gets to 50kW by end of charge. Seems different stations take longer to warm up?... and not so much the car controlling kW.

What’s most important, and surprising, is no matter the kW variance during charging the expected time displayed on screen and in TESLA App in the beginning is usually on point. I’m happy with this.

Power is the product of voltage and amperage. What you are seeing is the battery pack voltage rising as it is being recharged, and amperage limited to either the 125 amp limit of the adapter or whatever the CHAdeMO stations limit is. Hopefully the CHAdeMO station will also do a full 125 amps. But 100 amp, and even lower, are out there.

 

[3 Life]

Power is the product of voltage and amperage. What you are seeing is the battery pack voltage rising as it is being recharged, and amperage limited to either the 125 amp limit of the adapter or whatever the CHAdeMO stations limit is. Hopefully the CHAdeMO station will also do a full 125 amps. But 100 amp, and even lower, are out there.

Thanks for the reply wws. After re-reading my own post I started to think it may be the car affecting kW. New to electric cars, so thank you for the info.

 

[PblCEBR]

I got my CHAdeMO adapter yesterday, I went to 4 EVGO stations, and it didn't work in all of them. I don't have the RFID yet, so I used my smartphone to hit Start, but I always got the same message informing me that there was an issue. When I connected the charger to the adapter, I didn't hear any "click" too. Any input?