I can’t charge my Tesla 3 at other EV charging stations. My adaptor won’t fit. It seems like You need different CHAdeMO DC adapter. I was reading that Model 3, Y can’t use it. What to do? I need to drive 300 miles and there is no Tesla charging stations on my way. Any advice?
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Confused about charging my model 3 on a road trip when no Superchargers are on the way
- Thread starter RVic
- Start date
Are you using PlugShare.com and the phone app, or some other app, to locate charging stations along your route?
Your car can charge on supercharger stations but as you said, there are none on your way.
Your car can charge on level 2 (AC) tesla chargers.
Your car can charge on any J1772 level 2 (AC) chargers. That is the adapter that was delivered with the car.
If you obtain a CHAdeMO adapter, your car can fast charge at up to 50kW on CHAdeMO DCFC stations.
If you obtain a CCS adapter AND if your car is compatible with that adapter, then you can fast charge on CCS DCFC stations.
Your car can charge on level 2 (AC) tesla chargers.
Your car can charge on any J1772 level 2 (AC) chargers. That is the adapter that was delivered with the car.
If you obtain a CHAdeMO adapter, your car can fast charge at up to 50kW on CHAdeMO DCFC stations.
If you obtain a CCS adapter AND if your car is compatible with that adapter, then you can fast charge on CCS DCFC stations.
srs5694
Active Member
Please be more specific. There are five types of EV charging stations, three of which can be described as "other," that a modern Tesla can use:
If you have a recent Tesla (made since late 2020, IIRC), chances are it supports the CCS protocol and so can use one of the Tesla or third-party adapters. See this article for more information, including instructions on how to check if your car is compatible. Most sites with CHAdeMO cables also have CCS cables, and vice-versa; but Electrify America has announced that their new stations will no longer provide CHAdeMO support. For information on CCS adapters, see this thread. The first post has been kept up-to-date (last update was November 4), but early discussions may be outdated, so I recommend you read the first post and then skip ahead to the last page or two of discussions.
You say you need to travel 300 miles, but you don't specify what Tesla variant you own. Some Teslas can do that on a full charge, although for something like an early production Model 3 LR, 300 miles is optimistic in cold weather, hilly terrain, at high speeds, etc. If you can do the 300 miles on a full charge and then charge overnight at a Level 2 (Tesla or J1772) charging station, you should be able to make the round trip without access to DC fast charging en route. That said, it's a bit risky with most ~300-mile Teslas, and something like an SR Model 3 wouldn't be able to do that except with extreme hypermiling. Still, it might be possible to do it with an hour or two of Level 2 charging en route. Using a DC fast charger would likely be preferable, though.
Before embarking on a long road trip, be sure you understand the different charging types, outlined above. You'll be very frustrated if you arrive at a charging site expecting to charge from 10% to 80% in half an hour only to discover that it's a J1772 station that will add maybe 10 or 15 miles of range in that time. There's even considerable variability within each type. CCS, for instance, ranges from 20 kW to 200 kW top speeds on a Tesla. Slower CCS stations are common at car dealerships and other oddball locations. The faster ones are newer installations, usually by Electrify America or EVgo. Check PlugShare or A Better RoutePlanner for information on what sorts of charging stations are available along a given route. I've written this web page with more information on how to optimize an EV road trip.
- Tesla AC stations -- These are most often found at hotels, and sometimes at restaurants. They're just Tesla Wall Connectors mounted in public places. No adapter is needed to use them to charge a Tesla, and they should work just by plugging them in, in most cases.
- Tesla Superchargers -- These also require no adapter, and should work just by plugging them in, assuming you have an active Tesla account.
- J1772 stations -- These are roughly equivalent to Tesla AC stations in speed, but they require using the J1772 adapter that comes with every new Tesla. Some are plug-and-play, but others need an account with a provider (ChargePoint, Blink, etc.), and must be activated via an app or RFID card. J1772 stations are very common, but as AC Level 2 stations, they're limited in speed.
- CHAdeMO stations -- Your question mentions CHAdeMO, so you may have run into a CHAdeMO station. CHAdeMO uses a large plug/socket that's roughly circular in shape. It's a DC fast charging standard that can charge at up to 50 kW (some stations can do 100 kW, but Tesla's adapter is limited to 50 kW). Tesla used to sell a CHAdeMO adapter, but it's no longer available in the US Tesla store. CHAdeMO is used natively by the Nissan Leaf and some older compliance cars, but as a standard it's failed in North America. Although there are still CHAdeMO stations in North America, and CHAdeMO plugs are still being installed, it's a doomed standard, and I cannot recommend buying a CHAdeMO adapter at this time. (It'd have to be imported or bought second-hand, if you did buy one.) When the Model 3 was first introduced, Tesla's CHAdeMO adapter did not work, but that limitation was lifted years ago; AFAIK, all Teslas sold in the US (aside from the Roadster) work with the CHAdeMO adapter.
- CCS stations -- The Combined Charging System (CCS) is another DC fast-charging system. The CCS1 variant used in North America uses a plug that is an extension of the J1772 plug; it adds two high-voltage/high-amperage DC lines below the J1772 lines, resulting in a roughly triangular connector. Currently, the fastest CCS stations claim they can provide up to 350 kW, although few or no production cars can actually reach those speeds. The J1772 adapter that comes with Teslas will not work with CCS. (It might physically connect the two ports -- I've never tried -- but it won't work to charge the car.) Tesla now sells a $250 CCS1 adapter, and third-party adapters are also available. Most of these adapters require CCS software support in the car and top out at about 200 kW, but one (made by Setec) does not, although that Setec adapter is limited to 50 kW speeds.
If you have a recent Tesla (made since late 2020, IIRC), chances are it supports the CCS protocol and so can use one of the Tesla or third-party adapters. See this article for more information, including instructions on how to check if your car is compatible. Most sites with CHAdeMO cables also have CCS cables, and vice-versa; but Electrify America has announced that their new stations will no longer provide CHAdeMO support. For information on CCS adapters, see this thread. The first post has been kept up-to-date (last update was November 4), but early discussions may be outdated, so I recommend you read the first post and then skip ahead to the last page or two of discussions.
You say you need to travel 300 miles, but you don't specify what Tesla variant you own. Some Teslas can do that on a full charge, although for something like an early production Model 3 LR, 300 miles is optimistic in cold weather, hilly terrain, at high speeds, etc. If you can do the 300 miles on a full charge and then charge overnight at a Level 2 (Tesla or J1772) charging station, you should be able to make the round trip without access to DC fast charging en route. That said, it's a bit risky with most ~300-mile Teslas, and something like an SR Model 3 wouldn't be able to do that except with extreme hypermiling. Still, it might be possible to do it with an hour or two of Level 2 charging en route. Using a DC fast charger would likely be preferable, though.
Before embarking on a long road trip, be sure you understand the different charging types, outlined above. You'll be very frustrated if you arrive at a charging site expecting to charge from 10% to 80% in half an hour only to discover that it's a J1772 station that will add maybe 10 or 15 miles of range in that time. There's even considerable variability within each type. CCS, for instance, ranges from 20 kW to 200 kW top speeds on a Tesla. Slower CCS stations are common at car dealerships and other oddball locations. The faster ones are newer installations, usually by Electrify America or EVgo. Check PlugShare or A Better RoutePlanner for information on what sorts of charging stations are available along a given route. I've written this web page with more information on how to optimize an EV road trip.
(moderator note)
Thread title changed from "Charger' to what it is now, as it appears that is what the OP is asking. I still am not clear on what the OP is asking, since they mention CHAdeMO, but no Tesla comes standard with that. If this current thread title is not what the Op is asking, let me know.
Thread title changed from "Charger' to what it is now, as it appears that is what the OP is asking. I still am not clear on what the OP is asking, since they mention CHAdeMO, but no Tesla comes standard with that. If this current thread title is not what the Op is asking, let me know.
Depending upon when you need to make this trip, but if you have the time, have you considered a CCS retrofit?
What 3 are you driving? Are you in Homer Glen, IL? Cause if you are, there seems to fairly good SC coverage in most directions, with the lightest section being South towards Kentucky. You should try using ABRP for trip planning.
SourJellybeans
Member
With a 14-50 plug on the mobile charger (or a 14-50 + TT-30 adapter), you can also charge at Level 2 speeds at many RV camp sites.
It’s not super applicable for folks trying to get somewhere as fast as possible, but it opens up a whole world of charging opportunities in more remote places that don’t have or advertise EV chargers.
If you’re inclined to camp in your car, as we have several times, you can enjoy the benefits of Camp Mode all night and wake to a full battery in the morning.
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It would help if you gave us the locations you're traveling between - not exact addresses, but the town names would sure help a lot. We could help map out your options that way.
Also, what model Tesla we're discussing? As in - 2021 Model 3 Long Range, or 2022 Model Y Performance, etc.
Thanks.
Also, what model Tesla we're discussing? As in - 2021 Model 3 Long Range, or 2022 Model Y Performance, etc.
Thanks.
Hopefully you spent a few minutes reading the very thoughtful comments in this thread and get your trip sorted out
Good luck to you sir/madam, hope you spend some time to research and read more. I'm sure if you give us a starting location and a destination, people on this forum will be more than happy to suggest some charging solutions. If your home location is correct and it's Homer Glen, IL, I see superchargers in every conceivable direction that you could drive towards within 300 miles.
srs5694
Active Member
That would be pretty close to the bottom of my list of suggestions for how to plan an EV road trip. A Better Routeplanner ("ABRP" for short) is an excellent tool for this, followed closely by Tesla's in-car navigation system. For locating charging near where you happen to be, PlugShare is the go-to tool. PlugShare also has a route planner, but the last time I checked, it was very primitive compared to ABRP or Tesla's in-car navigation. Although I've provided links to their Web sites, both ABRP and PlugShare are also available as iOS and Android apps. You'd do well to load them onto your phone before you leave, along with the apps for any charging networks you think you might use.
No matter how you plan your trip, it's imperative that you understand the different types of charging, as outlined in my earlier reply. If you expect to use anything but Tesla plugs, you must buy or borrow appropriate adapter(s). Both ABRP and PlugShare have filters for the types of charging your car can use. Be sure they're set correctly for your Tesla (plus whatever adapter(s) you have), and pay attention to charging speed, particularly when using PlugShare. (ABRP tries to produce a speed-optimized route, which takes charging speed into consideration.)
I've never actually seen a route with more Chademo chargers vs. Tesla Superchargers. I bet if you follow the posters above suggestion, you'll see that there are Superchargers on your route as they are more plentiful than the other chargers combined.
RayK
Active Member
Just so we're clear, this is roughly a 300 mile radius from Homer Glen, IL:
The Red lightning bolts represent active Supercharger stations and the grey ones are planned (not operational yet). I do see some areas which may not have a Supercharger coverage. This map was obtained at Find Us | Tesla If it doesn't open up to your location, simply specify in the location box in the upper left of the map and click on Store and Galleries, Service, Collision Centers and optionally, Destination Charging, leaving Superchargers as the only option that's not greyed out. Destination Chargers are basically what you would install in your own home and can deliver up to 40 miles of range per hour; some are much less. That may not be suitable for your trip (it will add several hours in stops).
Looks like you can get everywhere in that 300 mile radius and at least get a partial charge on the way there or on the way back at a Supercharger.
RayK
Active Member
Yeah. There's a couple of directions where the coverage isn't that great but it still should be doable. It's not like there's NOTHING in that 300 mile radius.
Well, there's your problem.
Based on what this OP has currently said on this forum, it appears to me that someone told them "Hey you need to get access to some other chargers other than tesla, because..... (insert reason here).
Or, they went to a location that had L2 charging that was chademo, or a charge point station, or "something" and then now think they need to "get some charging other than teslas".
I think "chademo" is a red herring here, as well as "there is no charging on my route" since they just googled "EV charging" on whatever route they were looking at, didnt see much, then now think there is no charging on their trip (without looking anywhere else like abetter route planner, or even putting the trip into the car and seeing where it tells them to stop.
I realize that all the above is "projecting" a bit, but thats what it seems to me is going on at this point. The OP would need to respond with more than a couple of sentences for us to know more.
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