Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

Endorse my letter to Tesla for supporting 3-phase charging for the Model S

This site may earn commission on affiliate links.
Sure, they could design yet another connector for 3-phase, but why when they could do everything in one?

Unused and unneeded pins don't have to be installed, or it could be designed so two smaller pins carry the same current as a previous larger pin. If they did it right, it could become the single global standard that I had been hoping Mennekes would become up until the point the US chose that ugly non-forward looking Yazaki J1772 connector...

Or Tesla can go ahead a design different connectors for different regions... whatevs...

This all is a bit moot for now since from what we've been hearing Tesla does not intend to support 3-phase.
 
Guys, as has been mentioned up thread, this thread is about sending the message to Tesla that the European cars need to support three phase and/or whatever networks are on the ground in Europe.

So it's fine to debate the strategy or the content of Widodh's letter, but it is not helpful to confuse that discussion with what is not needed in North America. We know that stuff and we've all seen the solution for there now. We have perhaps 6 months to get this right before the European LHD launch.
 
Guys, as has been mentioned up thread, this thread is about sending the message to Tesla that the European cars need to support three phase and/or whatever networks are on the ground in Europe.

So it's fine to debate the strategy or the content of Widodh's letter, but it is not helpful to confuse that discussion with what is not needed in North America. We know that stuff and we've all seen the solution for there now. We have perhaps 6 months to get this right before the European LHD launch.
Thanks, I indeed want to keep this thread clean.

Thanks again for everybody who is signing!
 
I am just back from my Tesla-event. it was nice to talk to many fans of Model S. I had the chance to talk to JB Straubel again. His last response to his promise he gave me on the tesla store opening in Milan was his focus giving me to the DC-Interface. Maybe I have to buy 3 extra 10kW onboard charger to setup my on portable? external charger. but what about cooling? Or we have to ask BRUSA for an alternative onboard charger to fit our need. i strongly support Widodh's letter and will sent my endorsement to him tomorrow.
 
I'll be blunt. It's selfish and wrong headed for Americans not to support this request. The next time we need something in the States it would be nice if we could count on support from our fellow early-adopters, visionaries, family members etc all over the world. As pioneers of sorts, we all need to help each other out as best we can.

Having said that, I'm not sure I believe that Tesla is not supporting 3 phase. It looks to me like they are. A battery is not a device that makes use of AC current. It's ultimately charged with DC power. The charger does two main things. It rectifies the AC power supply to DC and controls the voltage and current supplied to the battery while charging. Once the power is rectified, I don't think it matters whether it started out as 1 ph or 3 ph. OK, the DC wave form is a little different, but I don't think that's relevant to this application. So if the car can take both AC and DC input, why does it matter where the rectifier is located? In the car or out? The rectifier can be made small enough to be portable. So support for 3 ph is no more than an extra portable rectifier/adapter of sorts. No? And why would you want this adapter to be built into the car when you only need it when traveling? You can always leave it in the car if you want. Sorry if I missed something.

This is very different from the problem with the Roadster. That car has no DC input so requires a large and difficult solution...


Guys, as has been mentioned up thread, this thread is about sending the message to Tesla that the European cars need to support three phase and/or whatever networks are on the ground in Europe.

So it's fine to debate the strategy or the content of Widodh's letter, but it is not helpful to confuse that discussion with what is not needed in North America. We know that stuff and we've all seen the solution for there now. We have perhaps 6 months to get this right before the European LHD launch.
 
Rectifying is not that easy. JB Straubel told me, that they are using IGBT instead of simple diodes being used in a bridge-rectifyer because of higher efficiency. He sees the future with fast charging, starting with Teslas 90kW DC charger, later DC charger will deliver even higher current to cut the charging time even further down, which cannot be done with AC onboard charger because of weight. For the Model S you can order a second 10 kW onboard charger as an option. But you add at least 15kg extra weight. It looks like I have to carry an extra 50kg external 3-phase charger if tesla wont change mind. But what for America is the 40A 240V socket is in Europe the 3x16A 230V socket, widespread, easy to install and best use for overnight charge and already available on hundreds of existing charging station throughout of Europe.
 
When you think about it the concept makes the most sense. Regardless of single or three phase, the power needs to get from AC to DC to be useful for the car. Why would you want to have 10's of thousands of cars carrying around all of the extra weight in onboard chargers. Even though I have been strongly urging installation of higher power Level II evse's I agree that DC fast charging should be the most effecient and quickest method of charging! We just need to start seeing the stations! That said and to keep on topic, yes I agree that for europe 3 phase needs to be supported, even if in lower power for overnight charging.
 
Last edited:
Thanks to Kevin Sharp for highlighting this issue via Twitter. Tesla you need to be a true global player and the UK made only be small; Europe is about the same size as your economy so please don't leave us out!

@alexharteco
Wannabe Model S owner
 
Why wouldn't you just need a portable 3 ph rectifier and then use the on-board DC charging system?
Could we please stick to the thread here?

We have enough other threads where you can discuss this :)

I've been receiving signed documents, but is there any comment on my letter? Something I'm forgetting? English spell check?

@VolkerP, good catch on the Tesla website!

I ask everybody to keep the 3-phase discussing to this thread: Future Charging for Model S 1-phase or 3-phase ?
 
Last edited:
Why wouldn't you just need a portable 3 ph rectifier and then use the on-board DC charging system?

The on-board charging system isn't as much a charging system as it is the car controlling an external DC charger by telling it precisely how much current to supply at each stage of the charging process. The DC cables are basically a direct path to the battery.
 
He sees the future with fast charging, starting with Teslas 90kW DC charger, later DC charger will deliver even higher current to cut the charging time even further down, which cannot be done with AC onboard charger because of weight.

Thanks for passing on the info! (Glad to hear Tesla is going in the direction which makes the most sense to me.)