Dual chargers?

[Maaz]

hey everyone I was wondering is there a way to purchase and install dual chargers after delivery? I know the pre refresh model s have the option in the store.
Edit: I know the new model s and x have no actual dual chargers but a single regular or high amperage charger option but in a hidden menu while configuring.

 

[jackB]

Tesla says yes but not when
I've been waiting since March, not available yet.
Since i've found out dual chargers make no difference at Tesla Supercharger stations, and I get 54km an hour
at home, I don't think i"m going to get it.

 

[boaterva]

It used to be a normal after-sale option, the Service Center replaced the 'normal 48 amp charger' with the '72 amp charger'. With the new simplification of the ordering/option/assembly process and trying to reduce the load (we assume) on the Service Centers, some of the after-sale options have disappeared. Not sure who at Tesla has said this will change.... it would be nice to have the option, and not have to purchase the 100D or P models to get the larger charger if you feel the need!

 

[TexasEV]

There never was a dual charger option for the Model X. That was a pre-refresh Model S thing, when it came with one 40A charger and an option for the second. Now both Model S and X have single chargers. There is no room or connection for a second one. You can pay the service center to replace your 48A charger with a 72A charger.

 

[Silverstreak]

Very few people need dual chargers. Superchargers bypass on board chargers, so they don't help there. Unless they include in price like 100D, then I am not adding.

 

[BrokerDon]

Very few people need dual chargers. Superchargers bypass on board chargers, so they don't help there. Unless they include in price like 100D, then I am not adding.

Our "inventory" 2015 P85D came with Dual Chargers and after 2 years and 30,000 miles of driving I can only think of one "urgent" charging instance at our home where having Dual Chargers was an actual advantage... but only because we have a 80A Tesla HPWC. On road trips we've found VERY few destination and public charging stations that charge > 40A (older Model S charging limit) so having dual chargers didn't reduct charging time one bit.

Also the continued expansion of Tesla's Supercharger network makes destination and public charging mostly unnecessary.

IMHO Dual Chargers not worth the additional $$$.

YMMV

 

[RichardD]

My CPO has dual chargers. but I have only seen hotel destination chargers have the capacity to utilize the dual chargers. If it were an option, I would spend the money elsewhere. Of course I could see the benefit of needing them, in my particular case I do not.

 

[jerry33]

Dual chargers are useful at many destination charging points, and Plug Share owners with HPWCs. My opinion is that the cost is minimal and when you need them, you'll be glad you have them. I have them and they have saved hours on some trips.

 

[BrokerDon]

Dual chargers are useful at many destination charging points, and Plug Share owners with HPWCs. My opinion is that the cost is minimal and when you need them, you'll be glad you have them. I have them and they have saved hours on some trips.

Your destination destination charging point experience is definitely different from our road trips in CA CO NV & UT. Only ONE of the multiple destination HPWCs actually had > 40A / 240V charging... ALL the others were either 30A or 40A. Public chargers have been worse, typically 20A or 30A... and often 208V (not 240V). We've also never seen a Plug Share owner with a HPWC who offered charging near our destinations... Let alone > 40A.

Could be my optimized planning using EVTripPlanner and Tesla Winds + Tesla navigation enroute which has made destination charging mostly unnecessary for us, even traveling in EV charging "deserts" like Monument Valley.

and like I said YMMV

 

[jerry33]

Your destination destination charging point experience is definitely different from our road trips in CA CO NV & UT. Only ONE of the multiple destination HPWCs actually had > 40A / 240V charging... ALL the others were either 30A or 40A. Public chargers have been worse, typically 20A or 30A... and often 208V (not 240V). We've also never seen a Plug Share owner with a HPWC who offered charging near our destinations... Let alone > 40A.

Could be my optimized planning using EVTripPlanner and Tesla Winds + Tesla navigation enroute which has made destination charging mostly unnecessary for us, even traveling in EV charging "deserts" like Monument Valley.

and like I said YMMV

Where you drive makes a difference, of course. I don't say I get the benefit of dual chargers on every trip, but I've been to both destination chargers and PlugShare owners where 80 amps was available (I have about 45K road trip miles). There is one other advantage, though just with older cars like mine, and that is that if the master charger should fail and Tesla doesn't have a replacement handy they can switch the two around to get you going again. (No I haven't had this actually happen, but both chargers are the same except for the programming.)

 

[BrokerDon]

Where you drive makes a difference, of course. I don't say I get the benefit of dual chargers on every trip, but I've been to both destination chargers and PlugShare owners where 80 amps was available (I have about 45K road trip miles). There is one other advantage, though just with older cars like mine, and that is that if the master charger should fail and Tesla doesn't have a replacement handy they can switch the two around to get you going again. (No I haven't had this actually happen, but both chargers are the same except for the programming.)

Well you've definitely got a lot more road trip miles which would definitely make dual chargers a better value proposition.

I never thought about the redundancy benefit of dual chargers. Definitely a benefit although an unlikely scenario. But being a former Boy Scout the "Be Prepared" motto is never out of my mind.

 

[Maaz]

Hmm I wonder how much it would be to replace the 48 charger with a 72.

 

[Rocky_H]

Even though they do not show the option on the website, they can still do this service. I saw on this forum someone said they just had it done a week or two ago. Call the service center near you and tell them you want it done, and they can give you the price.

The usefulness varies greatly on where you live and drive. There are some side route state and US highways that are not Supercharger covered yet, where some Tesla owners have given high amp AC wall connectors to help cover those gaps with reasonably fast charging. Here's your classic example: The most direct route from the San Francisco Bay area to Boise Idaho goes along I-80 to Winnemucca and then up U.S. highway 95 to Boise. That highway 95 stretch is too long for one shot (generally). So some owners got an 80A Clipper Creek J1772 station donated to the Say When Casino in McDermitt Nevada at the border. I've done that with my 40A single charger car, but I had to drive pretty cautiously and take a whole hour recharging at 40A. That could be more convenient if I could suck more energy from that station. Similar situations exist on highways 20 (Burns) and 26 (John Day) through Eastern Oregon to get to Bend.

 

[Silverstreak]

I believe it is in the online store and includes installation. Yep, just saw it, 2k, installed.

 

[Canuck]

Your destination destination charging point experience is definitely different from our road trips in CA CO NV & UT. Only ONE of the multiple destination HPWCs actually had > 40A / 240V charging... ALL the others were either 30A or 40A.

How many did you visit? I doubt you could click on the destination chargers in "CA CO NV & UT" and only have one pop up with 16 kW. When I click on them randomly, at least half are 16 kW.

Find Us | Tesla

We have a lot of 80 amp HPWC's and 70 amp Sun Country EVSEs here, including 2 80 amp HPWC's at a gardening store just up the road from me:

Art Knapp Plantland | Surrey, BC | Electric Car Charging Station | PlugShare

Could be my optimized planning using EVTripPlanner and Tesla Winds + Tesla navigation enroute which has made destination charging mostly unnecessary for us, even traveling in EV charging "deserts" like Monument Valley.

Here's what I like about my dual 40 amp chargers.

1. When I travel, if I pick a hotel with an 80 amp HPWC (and there are many if you click on the link I posted above despite what some say) I can arrive at the hotel with a low charge, unpack, shower, etc. and pick up enough miles for a night out on the town, then return later and charge full up for my travels in the morning. Now, I wouldn't need 80 amps for overnight, but for getting the charge needed for the night out they are a must have -- 40 or 42 amps won't cut it. Alternatively, I could have gone to the superchargers, perhaps out of the way, and hang around and wait for the charge. I'd prefer not to while travelling, if I can avoid it, and dual chargers allow for that.

2. I can drive to my cabin in the morning, cut the lawn and do whatever else is needed, and return home in the evening. 40 amps would mean I have to stay overnight or arrive home really late.

3. At home, I dial down my 80 amp HPWC to 42 amps. That means each charger only has to supply 21 amps rather than 40. You can actually watch the chargers ramp up to 21 amps, pause, then switch chargers. The chargers are liquid cooled and a high wear item. There's threads about charger failures and replacements here. I plan to keep my vehicle for a while so the less wear the better. Dialling one charger down to 21 amps is just too slow.

To each their own -- but for me the 80 amps was more than worth the cost. I don't like the fact that when I upgrade the maximum will be 72 amps.

 

[Maaz]

I believe it is in the online store and includes installation. Yep, just saw it, 2k, installed.

I only see it in the model s section of the store, and even then it says pre facelift model s.

 

[Rocky_H]

I believe it is in the online store and includes installation. Yep, just saw it, 2k, installed.

He specified right there in the original post that he's not talking about the actual dual charger for the pre-facelift cars. He's talking about the single charger upgrade from the 48A to the 72A version.

 

[Silverstreak]

My bad, ........

 

[BobC]

It's been a while since anybody has posted on the topic, but it looks like the dual charger upgrade on the pre-facelift Model S is no longer available from the Tesla store. At least, I cannot find it. Maybe it's still available somewhere. I have seen several hotels and places to stay where 16kW charging is available-- probably 80A at 208V, I suppose.

 

[bob_p]

Contact your local Service Center.

We have one of the few 100D's built with the 48A charger (standard for the first few months), which is supposed to be upgradable to 72A. Even though the upgrade wasn't listed on the Tesla store, when I contact the Service Center they confirmed the upgrade could be done (and was still $1900, even though our car already has the 72A hardware, and the upgrade is just throwing a software switch).

Though, we're not currently planning to do the 48A to 72A upgrade on our S 100D, because we probably won't need the extra charging, even on road trips (we'll just plan to stay at the last supercharger for an extra few minutes to build up extra charge before getting to our destination).

Even if Tesla has the dual charger upgrade available, before investing in it - review your charging needs. Unless you will be using home or destination chargers supporting more than 40A of charging AND you need to quickly re-charge during the day, you probably won't see any benefit in having the dual chargers.

This is why Tesla's new UMC is limited to 32A - in practice, few drivers need to charge faster than that, and when they do, there are the superchargers that support even faster charging.