Charging/Using a US Model S in Europe

[Yankees]

First thing is that the plug adapters for the Mobile Connector don’t care about voltage. If you are actually in Europe, you should be able to buy a direct Mobile Connector Gen2 Schuko plug adapter. If you are un the US and want to use a European inverter to Charge your Tesla, just get a Schuko power cable and cut off the C13 connector or whatever is on the device end of the cable. You can buy a NEMA 6-15 or 6-20 receptacle that is designed to go on the end of a flexible cord. Then buy a Tesla Mobile Connector NEMA plug adapter to match. The important thing is that the NEMA adapter matches the inverter capability. For example if you have a 4kW inverter, you want to use a NEMA 6-20 adapter because it will allow 16A continuous and if your inverter outputs 230VAC that will be 3.68kW.

Gotcha, so basically I'll run 230V over the 6-20 plug and the US-spec UMCv2 will ingest 230V over it? That would be kinda cool!

I found this product, I could probably just use this. Now, there is an additional problem I'm not sure how I would address, on US-spec 120V stuff thruout, when running off an inverter, I had to bind ground else the UMCv2 would not work — I guess I'd have to do the same for the 230V inverter?

I could of course get a split-phase inverter and hook up a 14-50 instead.. but like I said, the cost of those kind of inverters is considerably higher, and I've only got ~2.4kW of solar power to play with, even a 6-20 would give me almost 50% room to grow (which is not likely for the near-mid future). I will probably buffer some of the solar into a battery bank so I can charge at a faster rate when I am charging tho. If/when I build a big boy system I'll just put a WC in.

 

[Rocky_H]

Gotcha, so basically I'll run 230V over the 6-20 plug and the US-spec UMCv2 will ingest 230V over it? That would be kinda cool!

Right, as @miimura mentioned, the mobile charging cables (and onboard car charger) are VERY open to detecting and using whatever voltage level is on them, from about 100V up to about 250V-ish? So stuff with 110, 120, 220, 230, 240, etc. are all fine. The only case that it does seem to be picky about is when using the 120V type connections that have only one side hot and the other as a neutral that is at 0V, it actually does care which side the 0V is on. I couldn't describe which side that is, but if you make some adapter of a Hot and Neutral, and it doesn't work, try reversing them, and that may fix it.

 

[Brass Guy]

I've seen 208V in public chargers many times. (It's a common US 3-phase voltage.) I also have seen 245 in a residential installation; got lucky with the closest transformer I guess. The UMC will take any voltage between about 100V and 250V. The car however will reduce current draw if the voltage drops too much from the initial voltage reading.

 

[Yankees]

I've seen 208V in public chargers many times. (It's a common US 3-phase voltage.) I also have seen 245 in a residential installation; got lucky with the closest transformer I guess. The UMC will take any voltage between about 100V and 250V. The car however will reduce current draw if the voltage drops too much from the initial voltage reading.

Got it. I've seen as high as 248V on my 14-50/WC (converted from former to latter) during off-peak times (esp in spring/fall, like when neighbors' neither AC nor heating is on). Great that the UMCv2 will take anything you'll throw at it!

 

[terranx]

Right, as @miimura mentioned, the mobile charging cables (and onboard car charger) are VERY open to detecting and using whatever voltage level is on them, from about 100V up to about 250V-ish? So stuff with 110, 120, 220, 230, 240, etc. are all fine. The only case that it does seem to be picky about is when using the 120V type connections that have only one side hot and the other as a neutral that is at 0V, it actually does care which side the 0V is on. I couldn't describe which side that is, but if you make some adapter of a Hot and Neutral, and it doesn't work, try reversing them, and that may fix it.

It apparently tolerates 277v as well 8.6kW UMC Gen 2 Charging on SR+ with 277Vac!

 

[terranx]

First thing is that the plug adapters for the Mobile Connector don’t care about voltage. If you are actually in Europe, you should be able to buy a direct Mobile Connector Gen2 Schuko plug adapter. If you are un the US and want to use a European inverter to Charge your Tesla, just get a Schuko power cable and cut off the C13 connector or whatever is on the device end of the cable. You can buy a NEMA 6-15 or 6-20 receptacle that is designed to go on the end of a flexible cord. Then buy a Tesla Mobile Connector NEMA plug adapter to match. The important thing is that the NEMA adapter matches the inverter capability. For example if you have a 4kW inverter, you want to use a NEMA 6-20 adapter because it will allow 16A continuous and if your inverter outputs 230VAC that will be 3.68kW.

I don't see why you wouldn't just buy a native european plug for the UMC? Something like this European Schuko Adapter for Tesla Model S/X/3/Y Gen 2 – EVSE Adapters

The adapter that's used on the actual European UMC might also work https://shop.tesla.com/fr_fr/product/adaptateur-schuko-

 

[Rocky_H]

It apparently tolerates 277v as well 8.6kW UMC Gen 2 Charging on SR+ with 277Vac!

Right. That has worked on some cars and ranges of years and not on some others, depending on the type and generation of charger in them, so I didn't want to give just a yes or no answer on that.