Charging at Campgrounds and RV Parks

[vfx]

Had not seen this one.

We need a thread that just shows error screens. (And solutions)

 

[TEG]

... We need a thread that just shows error screens. (And solutions)...

I wonder if a certain someone would just post the text of the firmware error messages so you don't have to search around for pictures of the VDS with some or all of those conditions active.

Also, if we have the text then someone searching for that string can find it, unlike a bunch of photos of VDS screens.

 

[Slackjaw]

Odd... my connector works just fine at sub-zero temperatures.

Ours has been getting worse for about the past month; only one time I couldn't detach it at all and gave up (in our garage), then came back later and it was easier so I assumed it was temperature-related. But I'm taking my car into the shop on Thursday and might get some feedback at that point. Amongst other things, I yanked off part of the wordmark on the back last time I cleaned the car.

 

[Slackjaw]

We need a thread that just shows error screens. (And solutions)

Maybe we can just update the FAQ? Or have an inFAQ? I'd be happy to start work on it.

 

[JRP3]

Ours has been getting worse for about the past month; only one time I couldn't detach it at all and gave up (in our garage), then came back later and it was easier so I assumed it was temperature-related. But I'm taking my car into the shop on Thursday and might get some feedback at that point. Amongst other things, I yanked off part of the wordmark on the back last time I cleaned the car.

Maybe a thin layer of grease, Vaseline, Teflon, or silicone would help?

 

[Slackjaw]

Maybe a thin layer of grease, Vaseline, Teflon, or silicone would help?

I forgot to update this thread - I didn't dare put anything on the connector myself (especially anything labelled "petroleum jelly", expecting to be engulfed in a fireball the first time I plug in) and the Tesla NY guys gave me a new HPC after they tried it themselves. I tried to talk them out of it but they insisted. The new one is "smoov like butta", in fact easier on/off than the original one ever was.

 

[Aspirant]

Anyone know if the Leaf, Volt, and (other non-Teslas) can take advantage of campground charging? Wouldn't they just need a J1772 -> 14-50 adapter?

 

[mitch672]

Anyone know if the Leaf, Volt, and (other non-Teslas) can take advantage of campground charging? Wouldn't they just need a J1772 -> 14-50 adapter?

Leafs and Volts only come with 120V portable EVSEs, there is a company called "evseupgrade" that modifies certain ones to be dual voltage (120/240), once thats been done, you just need the correct adapter to 14-50.. Of course they don't charge any faster, they have 3.3KW onboard chargers.

EVSEupgrade site: EVSE Upgrade - Products

 

[Aspirant]

Right, found that after posting. Thanks.

I know Model S has one or two 10 kW chargers onboard. What does the Roadster have? I know the Roadster can take advantage of 70A charging with its single on-board charger, so it must be rated higher, yeah?

At 40A do the Roadster and Model S charge at the same rate?

 

[tomsax]

I know Model S has one or two 10 kW chargers onboard. What does the Roadster have? I know the Roadster can take advantage of 70A charging with its single on-board charger, so it must be rated higher, yeah?

The Roadster has a 16.8 kW (input) on-board charger. The LEAF has a 3.6 kW (input) 3.3 kW (output) on-board charger.

At 40A do the Roadster and Model S charge at the same rate?

It depends on what you mean by rate: input to the charger, output to the battery, or miles of range per hour of charging.

Input power to the charger should be the same.

I don't know if there's an official published number for the Roadster's charger efficiency, but my most recent big charge clocked in at 82% (42 kWh from the wall, 34.5 kWh into the battery). Charging efficiency depends on the power draw. Read more here: Tesla Roadster Charging Rates and Efficiency - Tom Saxton's Blog. Charging efficiency also depends on the battery and ambient temperatures.

We don't know what the Model S charger efficiency is, so we can't say what the net power delivered to the battery pack will be.

I assume the Model S uses a little more energy per mile than the Roadster, although it's hard to do a straight comparison because the EPA testing cycles changed between when the Roadster and Model S went through their testing. If the charger efficiency is the same as the Roadster, the miles per hour of charging would be a little lower for Model S.

 

[mitch672]

Tesla has a chart showing input amperage and miles per hour of charge: http://www.teslamotors.com/sites/default/files/downloads/highpowerwallconnector.pdf

On a 50A circuit, they show the Model S with a single (or dual) onboard 10KW charger, charging at 31 miles per hour of range per hour of charge (do we have an abbreviation for that yet, such as "MPHRPHC"?)

 

[Robert.Boston]

Tesla has a chart showing input amperage and miles per hour of charge: http://www.teslamotors.com/sites/default/files/downloads/highpowerwallconnector.pdf

On a 50A circuit, they show the Model S with a single (or dual) onboard 10KW charger, charging at 31 miles per hour of range per hour of charge (do we have an abbreviation for that yet, such as "MPHRPHC"?)

I don't think that's a standard acronym yet. It ought to be something like "ideal miles per charging hour" (IMPCH), but that's not a pretty acronym.

 

[mpt]

Mph?

K.i.s.s.

 

[jerry33]

I don't think that's a standard acronym yet. It ought to be something like "ideal miles per charging hour" (IMPCH), but that's not a pretty acronym.

You can always rearrange it: Charging Hours, Ideal Miles Per = CH,IMP

 

[TEG]

Anyone know if the Leaf, Volt, and (other non-Teslas) can take advantage of campground charging? Wouldn't they just need a J1772 -> 14-50 adapter?

It has mostly been answered, but yeah, 2011&2012 LEAFs came with a 120V to J1772 portable EVSE so you could 'trickle' charge at campgrounds doing 1.4kW which can mostly fill the small LEAF pack if you leave it there all night (12+ hours). I think it is safe to expect that any reasonable campsite would have the NEMA5-15 [email protected] outlet you need. If you got your LEAF portable EVSE modified to accept 240V, generate a 16A pilot signal, and have a NEMA14-50 plug (all available from EVSEUPGRADE.com) then you could charge at the LEAF's full rate of 3.3kW from campgrounds with "50amp service". Then you could totally fill the LEAF in about 7 hours...

2013 LEAFs are expected to have an (optional?) 6.6kW charger so they could use some beefier portable EVSE (closer to the UMC) so they could charge even faster.

Roadster & Model S have more powerful chargers that can already charge at the maximum rate a campground outlet could provide.

 

[tomsax]

Tesla has a chart showing input amperage and miles per hour of charge: http://www.teslamotors.com/sites/default/files/downloads/highpowerwallconnector.pdf

What's with assuming 250V? That's just wacky. I've never seen more than a couple of volts over 240 under load.

On a 50A circuit, they show the Model S with a single (or dual) onboard 10KW charger, charging at 31 miles per hour of range per hour of charge (do we have an abbreviation for that yet, such as "MPHRPHC"?)

OK, but what's a "mile"? The Roadster's ideal mile is based on the EPA rating, equating a nominal full pack at 55 kWh to 244 miles. In more practical terms, it's the amount of energy needed to drive the Roadster one mile at something between 55 and 60 mph on level freeway in moderate weather with no climate control. Is the Model S based on the new EPA rating? Or is it a Roadster equivalent?

In my experience, the Roadster gets about 36 ideal miles per hour of charging at 238V/40A.

 

[Rupe]

When I made a trip to Clearwater FL for a fighter squadron reunion, the RV camp where I charged my Roadster en route registered 251vac.

- - - Updated - - -

When I made a trip to Clearwater FL for a fighter squadron reunion, the RV camp where I charged my Roadster en route registered 251vac.

 

[tomsax]

When I made a trip to Clearwater FL for a fighter squadron reunion, the RV camp where I charged my Roadster en route registered 251vac.

Is that common in Florida? It's certainly not in Washington and Oregon.

The US national standard is 240V +/- 5% (or 208V nominal for two legs of a three-phase feed, commonly found at commercial charging sites).

 

[mitch672]

What's with assuming 250V? That's just wacky. I've never seen more than a couple of volts over 240 under load.



OK, but what's a "mile"? The Roadster's ideal mile is based on the EPA rating, equating a nominal full pack at 55 kWh to 244 miles. In more practical terms, it's the amount of energy needed to drive the Roadster one mile at something between 55 and 60 mph on level freeway in moderate weather with no climate control. Is the Model S based on the new EPA rating? Or is it a Roadster equivalent?

In my experience, the Roadster gets about 36 ideal miles per hour of charging at 238V/40A.

I guess Tesla will have to answer these questions, it's their chart, and the only data we have on the Model S charge rates so far...

 

[GSP]

?.....
I assume the Model S uses a little more energy per mile than the Roadster, although it's hard to do a straight comparison because the EPA testing cycles changed between when the Roadster and Model S went through their testing. If the charger efficiency is the same as the Roadster, the miles per hour of charging would be a little lower for Model S.

Tesla has published range vs. speed charts for both the roadster and Model S. They should allow a good comparison.

GSP