Don’t forget the power of 120V charging on trips.

[dhrivnak]

Recently due to sickness, Hospice and Death, I have had to take MANY sudden unplanned trips in my Model 3 many of which required 650 miles in a day. Fortunately those parts of the trip were a non issue as there are plenty of SuperChargers. But I wonder if most real use the majority of hotels, ball fields and apartments have 120V outlets. I carry a heavy 12 Gauge 25’ cord in the trunk and I am 10 for 10 in finding a charge. Sometimes it is 10 miles for a ball game or 75 miles from a hotel stay but the miles add up and make the real charging times shorter. Tha mast majority of hotels want to accommodate and it opens them to the idea. Try it as I see it as a win for all.

 

[Soul Surfer]

That is my "go-to" backup plan every time.

 

[GtiMart]

I use it as well when I can. Not at hotels but at some destinations when available. a kWh is a kWh wherever you take it from!

 

[George I]

I almost ever decline 120v charging on road trips. It is still useful and most available.
I still travel of the beaten electrical path but those places are slowly getting fewer.
I have spent a week staying at a lodge in remote areas-I had enough range for day-trips.
If one day you don't drive but keep charging (ie from ~16:00 day 1 to ~09:00 day 3) you will get well over half your battery re-filled. May EV's will fill 2/3-3/4 battery in that time. BUt even 17:00 one eve to 9:00 the next day will get you 1/4-1/3 battery.
At B&B's I always ask (in advance) about access to a "3 prong standard outlet without anything else on the circuit".
In 2016 I bought a large variety of charging adapters for my mobile connector yet have used the NEMA 5-15 adaptor as much as all the others combined. If I were buying an EV today (2023), unless I knew I had a special case (ie dryer plug at friend' cottage or simlar), I would only want a 5-15 and of course a J1772.

 

[wws]

The first road trip my wife and I took in our Model 3, the inn we stayed at had a 5-20 receptacle right next to our parking spot. Unfortunately I only had the 5-15 adapter at the time. But if we'd had the 5-20 adapter, the extra couple of MPH of charging over the two days we spent there would have saved a Supercharging stop on the way home.

Since then I've found that oftentimes if there is a 120V receptacle outside, it is a 5-20. So if you find yourself using 120V a lot on the road, adding a 5-20 adapter to the charging kit could prove useful.

 

[George I]

While I have a NEMA 5-20 adapter, I have yet to use it.
5-20 outlets have begun to appear in kitchens in the last 10 or so years but I have never seen an outdoor 5-20 outlet in Canada. I understand that they are quite common in the USA.

 

[DblOSmith]

I use 5-15 daily on my car. Gives me just enough for daily commute, and I always take it on trips as a backup

 

[fiehlsport]

While I have a NEMA 5-20 adapter, I have yet to use it.
5-20 outlets have begun to appear in kitchens in the last 10 or so years but I have never seen an outdoor 5-20 outlet in Canada. I understand that they are quite common in the USA.

The problem is, there aren't many kitchen gadgets that have a 5-20 plug on them. (I think Blendtec used to make a monster ~2400W blender but discontinued it) More commonly in kitchens are 5-15s wired with #12 Romex on a 20A circuit. If I were building new, I don't think I'd ask for 5-20 anywhere except my basement panel plug, and the whole garage.

You're not wrong that they're pretty common in the USA though. Businesses almost always have them. I still have yet to see anything in the wild that uses them, aside from my Tesla's 5-20 adapter.

 

[GtiMart]

I've seen a hotel that announced having EV chargers that only had multiple 5-20 plugs in the interior garage and no actual wall connector/charger. I did not have the actual 5-20 adaptor but the 5-15 worked (obviously) at 12A.

 

[wws]

I've seen a hotel that announced having EV chargers that only had multiple 5-20 plugs in the interior garage and no actual wall connector/charger. I did not have the actual 5-20 adaptor but the 5-15 worked (obviously) at 12A.

The long term parking garage at the SFO airport is another example of this. There are EV spots set aside with a 5-20 at each one.

Some of the 5-20s I've seen in the wild are in cold climates where ICE drivers can plug in engine block heaters. But I've seen them here in parking garages/lots where likely no one has ever plugged in an engine block heater.

Interestingly, one parking garage near me has a few 5-20s on each floor. It is located by a hospital. During early COVID days, they set up drive-up COVID testing stations in the parking garage. Used the 5-20s to power the computers and other equipment.

 

[Rocky_H]

The problem is, there aren't many kitchen gadgets that have a 5-20 plug on them. (I think Blendtec used to make a monster ~2400W blender but discontinued it) More commonly in kitchens are 5-15s wired with #12 Romex on a 20A circuit. If I were building new, I don't think I'd ask for 5-20 anywhere except my basement panel plug, and the whole garage.

It sounds like you're misunderstanding this a bit. 5-20 outlets are one of the few types that are intentionally defined to be (for lack of a better term) "backward compatible". They are the ones with a T shaped slot on one side, so they can receive either 5-15 or 5-20 plugs.

(Internal thought: I guess that's interesting, that there are specifically 5-20 receptacles that ONLY take 5-20 plugs, but those are really rare. The ones we are talking about required in kitchens now are the dual type, with the T slot, so they can take both plug types.)

You talked about it as if a 5-20 outlet would prevent plugging in any appliances with standard 5-15 plugs, and so you saying you wouldn't want them, but that's not true.

 

[fiehlsport]

It sounds like you're misunderstanding this a bit. 5-20 outlets are one of the few types that are intentionally defined to be (for lack of a better term) "backward compatible". They are the ones with a T shaped slot on one side, so they can receive either 5-15 or 5-20 plugs.

(Internal thought: I guess that's interesting, that there are specifically 5-20 receptacles that ONLY take 5-20 plugs, but those are really rare. The ones we are talking about required in kitchens now are the dual type, with the T slot, so they can take both plug types.)

You talked about it as if a 5-20 outlet would prevent plugging in any appliances with standard 5-15 plugs, and so you saying you wouldn't want them, but that's not true.

Oh no, I know what they are. I just don't think they make any sense in residential because of aesthetics. (And they cost marginally more, which is usually not a big deal) 99.5% of kitchens will never need them - so why bother, since 20 amp circuits can still happily use a 5-15R by code? (As long as there is more than one receptacle on the circuit)

My BIL replaced all of his living room receptacles with 5-20s because it was a 20 amp circuit, and it looks kind of ridiculous. And, they were the chunky commercial type with really strong clamping power, so plugging in an iPhone charger requires some work.

 

[brkaus]

I’m assuming you are asking first, but Isn’t that technically theft if not approved? Sure, it’s only $0.20 to $0.50 and hour, but it adds up. Maybe they should throw in a free soft drink while someone waits.

But it’s not really the cost - What happens if a breaker pops and takes out something useful and no one on site knows how to reset it? Or worse, burn something up.

 

[grasshopper]

Greetings,
New guy here, just purchased a new 2023 RW model 3, 2 weeks ago. Boy what a fun learning experience. So far my charging has been 120V outlet works fine for my short daily trips. My question is I just took a 148 mile trip. Is it ok to charge on 120V for 24 or more hours continuous ? Is this detrimental to battery health/life.

 

[wws]

Greetings,
New guy here, just purchased a new 2023 RW model 3, 2 weeks ago. Boy what a fun learning experience. So far my charging has been 120V outlet works fine for my short daily trips. My question is I just took a 148 mile trip. Is it ok to charge on 120V for 24 or more hours continuous ? Is this detrimental to battery health/life.

Your battery pack will hardly notice it is being charged.

Do make sure that the receptacle was wired with the screw terminals, or screwed clamps, rather than the quickie 'back stabs'. While at it, replace cheapo 'residential' quality receptacle with commercial or industrial grade.

 

[doghousePVD]

I have about a dozen dongles and just about the least used is the 5-15. I regularly use the 14-50, 6-50, 14-30, 10-30, TT-30, and occasionally use the 10-50.

Almost every building in the US has 240V. Just need a plug and an extension cord.

 

[mspohr]

Many motels have under window HVAC units which use a 6-20 plug. This is 240v up to 20 amps.
I've used these on several trips when staying overnight.

 

[GSP]

@dhrivnak - You might remember in the early Tesla days one Roadster owner took his car on a weeklong vacation trip using only 120 V charging. He planned it out before he left, and wrote up his experience here at TMC. It worked great for his trip. 120 V charging has limitations, but is surprisingly useful. Basically cars spend a lot of time parked doing nothing, which allows 120 V slow charging to catch up with driving distance. I have used 120 V on many occasions, when 240 V charging is not available. I always ask first, and I usually reduce charge current to 8 Amps in case there are other loads on the circuit.

GSP

 

[Nosken]

If I use a VRBO house on trips with a 4-7 days, the 120V plug works great to maintain charge, and be ready for departure.

 

[DblOSmith]

Greetings,
New guy here, just purchased a new 2023 RW model 3, 2 weeks ago. Boy what a fun learning experience. So far my charging has been 120V outlet works fine for my short daily trips. My question is I just took a 148 mile trip. Is it ok to charge on 120V for 24 or more hours continuous ? Is this detrimental to battery health/life.

It absolutely is. I charge exclusively on 120v home charging. You may have to reduce the amperage from 12 to 10amps to keep the EVSE happy. ..but it works.