Did you know? (Charge port open/close/unlatch debate)

[Dunstan]

I just open the passenger door and press unlock on the charging screen (which is showing constantly until you unplug).

My "gloves for handling dirty cables" usually live on the passenger seat, so I unlock from the screen while getting them out.

 

[Durzel]

The app is slow but pretty reliable these days. The most reliable way for people without the Tesla Wall Connector is to buy the £150 fob.

+1

The fob works brilliantly. Long press on the boot and it unlocks the port, or if there’s nothing connected it opens the charge port. As a bonus it opens the bonnet easily too.

 

[Durzel]

My "gloves for handling dirty cables" usually live on the passenger seat, so I unlock from the screen while getting them out.

Smart. I keep thinking of something like this but keep forgetting to sort it out by the time I get home.

 

[Adopado]

My "gloves for handling dirty cables" usually live on the passenger seat, so I unlock from the screen while getting them out.

My trick is not to handle dirty cables! (Where I park and charge is not overlooked and with space to unplug and sling the cable just holding the socket connector ... the cable is not coiled up every time ... just lies on the ground but out of the way, so gets a little less wear and tear too maybe ... makes plugging in and out super-quick!)

 

[kitenski]

dumb question as I await my MY, but if the car is unlocked can I not simply press the charging port door for it to open? That's what I've done on the previous 2 EVs I've owned!

 

[rotor2k]

dumb question as I await my MY, but if the car is unlocked can I not simply press the charging port door for it to open? That's what I've done on the previous 2 EVs I've owned!

The debate is about how to get the car to unlock the port when the charge cable is plugged in. The options are:
- Own a Tesla Wall Connector, which has a button that will trigger the car to unlock the port
- Use the Tesla app (or a third-party app) -- slow but reasonably reliable if you're patient
- Open the car and unlock the charge port from the screen (I find this incredibly inconvenient, for some reason I can never spot the correct button to touch)
- Retrofit your non-Tesla EVSE ("charger") with a special third-party cable that has the same button as the Tesla Wall Connector has -- this ends up costing at least as much as the fob below plus requires some handiness to replace the cable
- Buy the £150 Tesla fob
- Jerry-rig a system using IoT buttons or NFC tags, your phone, an app or an API call to trigger the port to unlock

 

[Nick77]

dumb question as I await my MY, but if the car is unlocked can I not simply press the charging port door for it to open? That's what I've done on the previous 2 EVs I've owned!

Yes you can.

Unlocking the cable when it's finished charging isn't as simple though.

 

[kitenski]

@rotor2k @Nick77 Thanks! I have a pod point home charger, guess that might be an excuse to get the key fob

 

[Nick77]

@rotor2k @Nick77 Thanks! I have a pod point home charger, guess that might be an excuse to get the key fob

I mean it's not hard to simply reach in and press the button on screen, or open the app and do it before you leave. But each to their own. The key fob is expensive for what it does.

 

[kitenski]

How slow is "slow" when using the app on a phone? Ie say I lock the front door, open the app, unlock the car then immediately unlock the charging port, would it be then unlocked by the the time I walked from my front door to the car? Say 10 paces??

 

[rotor2k]

How slow is "slow" when using the app on a phone? Ie say I lock the front door, open the app, unlock the car then immediately unlock the charging port, would it be then unlocked by the the time I walked from my front door to the car? Say 10 paces??

The slowness is “how long does it take to wake the car when you launch the app”. This can easily be a good 20-30 seconds before you can then interact with the unlock port button. So: phone out of pocket, unlock phone, find Tesla app and launch it, wait 20-30 seconds (if the car is asleep), press unlock port button. I just timed my Model 3, and it took 23 seconds to wake the car from launching the app. The fob and Tesla cable button are instant (I assume they use Bluetooth).

Certainly the first-est of first world problems!

 

[Tenatious]

The slowness is “how long does it take to wake the car when you launch the app”. This can easily be a good 20-30 seconds before you can then interact with the unlock port button. So: phone out of pocket, unlock phone, find Tesla app and launch it, wait 20-30 seconds (if the car is asleep), press unlock port button. I just timed my Model 3, and it took 23 seconds to wake the car from launching the app. The fob and Tesla cable button are instant (I assume they use Bluetooth).

Certainly the first-est of first world problems!

But don’t certain functions operate over Bluetooth when in range and so don’t require the car to wake up with the app. Wouldn’t surprise me if the charge unlock wasn’t one of the ones that works over Bluetooth.

 

[kitenski]

Certainly the first-est of first world problems!

cheers, presumably if the car is pre conditioning it's "awake" so that is quicker?

 

[mikeyg_ev]

The slowness is “how long does it take to wake the car when you launch the app”. This can easily be a good 20-30 seconds before you can then interact with the unlock port button. So: phone out of pocket, unlock phone, find Tesla app and launch it, wait 20-30 seconds (if the car is asleep), press unlock port button. I just timed my Model 3, and it took 23 seconds to wake the car from launching the app. The fob and Tesla cable button are instant (I assume they use Bluetooth).

Certainly the first-est of first world problems!

Yes this is exactly the problem - it takes ages - so long that I wonder if it's broken.

I can understand that you can't just unlock the charge port when you unlock the car. If the charge hasn't finished then you need to do something to stop the current flow before you pull the plug out. But if the app takes this long getting its regular car connection then maybe the app could use bluetooth for this function like the key-fob does.

In fact several app functions would really benefit from a bit of a speed up.

Aside from this niggle the phone key works seamlessly for me - I wouldn't carry around a fob even if it was free. (I saw someone using a remote keyfob to unlock a car recently and the whole lock/unlock business struck me as really old fashioned)

 

[Adopado]

How slow is "slow" when using the app on a phone? Ie say I lock the front door, open the app, unlock the car then immediately unlock the charging port, would it be then unlocked by the the time I walked from my front door to the car? Say 10 paces??

If I'm plugged in then I'm going to have the car warming up before I get in anyway ... so the car is awake already and the app connects immediately.

 

[Adopado]

In fact several app functions would really benefit from a bit of a speed up.

Do you mean the car waking up needs a speed up rather than app functions? I can't think of any issues I've had with speed of app functions so long as the car is awake.

 

[rotor2k]

But don’t certain functions operate over Bluetooth when in range and so don’t require the car to wake up with the app. Wouldn’t surprise me if the charge unlock wasn’t one of the ones that works over Bluetooth.

I’ve tried a few times, and unlock the charge port is not one of them, unfortunately.

 

[Tenatious]

I’ve tried a few times, and unlock the charge port is not one of them, unfortunately.

I've just tested. Charge port unlock is 100% via bluetooth. I turned off Wi-Fi and mobile data on my phone (aeroplane mode), opened the app and pressed unlock charge port whilst next to the car and it unlocked instantly.

 

[rotor2k]

I've just tested. Charge port unlock is 100% via bluetooth. I turned off Wi-Fi and mobile data on my phone (aeroplane mode), opened the app and pressed unlock charge port whilst next to the car and it unlocked instantly.

Try it again without disabling wifi and mobile data (and without the car being awake already).

 

[Tenatious]

Try it again without disabling wifi and mobile data (and without the car being awake already).

Just tested. Car asleep (confirmed with Teslamate). Walked up to it. Pressed the charging icon on the iPhone widget and the port unlocked instantly before the app had even loaded properly and car still waking up for the app (with Wi-Fi and mobile data on) so yes, it is 100% using bluetooth to unlock the charge port if you are close enough. Try using the iPhone widget instead of opening the app up.