Here's how to charge with 32A commando in UK

[MrBadger]

We generally do not have 3 phase to the home here in UK, although is more common to business premises' where higher loads may be used. What they typically do is split the three phase at the street level, so every house gets just one of the phases, and the same phase is shared typically every 4th house. Not uncommon for a powercut to knock out one phase only, so you can see every 4th house without lights.

 

[Adopado]

So, using the 32 amp commando connector is anyone currently charging successfully at approx. 7 kw via the standard umc with their Model 3?

 

[Fraank]

So what was a thread to help others save a few quid, has actually ended up costing me £534

After learning about 18th regs, I could have installed the commando with type B RCD, but my electrician preferred going for a wall charger when I flagged up the 18th regs. Also I liked the idea of tethered and have gone for 10m which is useful for my setup.

The Rolec looks great, I like how the gun (?) Is black, as it shows as white on all models online. I got it with the DC protection and ground rod. Install is tomorrow, and here's £25 off for anyone else interested at evonestop: EVOS25)

Someone said I should have called the thread "going commando", perhaps "caught with my pants down" would have been better...

 

[Fraank]

And.... installed

Just in time to pick up the car tomorrow!

 

[pdk42]

Had replied to a comment with this, but figured it may help others or people searching for this in future.

The Model 3 comes with the Gen 2 UMC and a 16A commando adapter. This will allow the car to charge at 3.7kW, or 14 miles per hour.

If you want to use a 32A Commando socket to charge, you will need a 32A UMC adapter from Tesla. This will allow you to charge at 7.4W and 27 miles per hour with the UMC cable that comes with the car.

This was a simple and cheap option for me, as my house is not eligible for an OLEV grant.

To get hold of one, you need to email [email protected] and send them your RN number or VIN, postal address, and a telephone number - they will then call you to take payment over the phone. It's £39.99 including next day delivery (only option). I emailed them yesterday and had the below arrive today - so some of you might like to order, just to experience how fast a Tesla delivery can be
View attachment 444675View attachment 444677 View attachment 444676

They also have a few other items like the roof rack and car mats, but hopefully UK store will be up soon.

Stupid question time... I can see that one end of this cable goes into the Commando connector - but what about the other end?

Does it go straight into the car? It doesn't look like it does, but maybe I'm missing something.

 

[GeorgeSymonds]

Stupid question time... I can see that one end of this cable goes into the Commando connector - but what about the other end?

Does it go straight into the car? It doesn't look like it does, but maybe I'm missing something.

The end you can see connects to the UMC (which is the portable charger that came with the car), if the 3 pin plug is still attached, pull it off the UMC.

The other end of what you have pictured is blue and looks just like the one that came with the car, only slightly bigger. If you have a 32A Commando socket, then it will hit into that.

The UMC has another cable coming out of it which fits into the car.

The difference between the UMC and a wall box is essentially very little, they both do the necessary handshaking with the car to control the charge rate. The UMC is clever in that it knows which connector (like the one above) is plugged into it and it can then tell the car the maximum charge rate (ie if the 3 pin plug connector is plugged in then 10A, the smaller blue commando = 16A and the larger blue commando = 32A). The UMC1 also supported a Red connector which was 16A 3 phase

3 phase to all intents and purposes for this discussion is just the same as single phase, but three of them in parallel. It gets a fair bit more complicated in practice with phase angles and voltage between phases but no need to over complicate the discussion The UMC2 can only support 1 phase.

 

[NorfolkMustard]

It plugs into the tesla mobile connector - it's just (one of many) adapters

Here's a guide and pic showing it fully assembled https://www.tesla.com/sites/default/files/pdfs/en_GB/installation_guide_umc_blue_gb.pdf

here's a few more from the tesla shop

 

[pdk42]

Thanks to @GeorgeSymonds and @NorfolkMustard - that's very helpful!!

So, I assume I'll get that little UMC, plus a 13A converter with the car? I then just need to add the Commando adapter if I go that route?

I assume I'll also get a Type 2 cable as well for public chargers?

 

[.jg.]

I have been using a UMC with a 32A Commando socket for the best part of two years now - there have been no problems. However, I procured a second UMC, so as to have one in the car and the other permanently connected in the garage. Aside from the time taken to move the UMC from car to socket and back, I think this would dramatically increase the wear on the cables and connectors. My setup is entirely in a dry garage - I don't think I would like to have a Commando/UMC setup outside. My Commando socket and the rest of the garage wiring is fed from a small consumer unit in the garage and was installed under 17th Edition rules. The Commando socket was installed as a general purpose Commando socket, without any special EV charging considerations.
Just a thought, if you are having wiring laid in for an EV charger, consider if might be worthwhile having the electrician run in some Ethernet cable (e.g. CAT5e) at the same time. You can then ensure that the car and any security cameras have a decent Internet connection.

 

[Mcraciun]

I have been using a UMC with a 32A Commando socket for the best part of two years now - there have been no problems. However, I procured a second UMC, so as to have one in the car and the other permanently connected in the garage. Aside from the time taken to move the UMC from car to socket and back, I think this would dramatically increase the wear on the cables and connectors. My setup is entirely in a dry garage - I don't think I would like to have a Commando/UMC setup outside. My Commando socket and the rest of the garage wiring is fed from a small consumer unit in the garage and was installed under 17th Edition rules. The Commando socket was installed as a general purpose Commando socket, without any special EV charging considerations.
Just a thought, if you are having wiring laid in for an EV charger, consider if might be worthwhile having the electrician run in some Ethernet cable (e.g. CAT5e) at the same time. You can then ensure that the car and any security cameras have a decent Internet connection.

They are IP67 so shouldn't be a problem. I do have a question though: what do you remove first? The part of the cable attached to the car or the part of the cable that's plugged in?

 

[arg]

just a Commando socket and extension something like:

https://www.screwfix.com/p/abb-surface-socket-32a-2p-e-250v-6h-ip44/9990f

5m Extension Cable 32A 230V with 6mm Black Rubber HO7 Cable

Note that the socket linked to above is not interlocked so NOT compliant with wiring regulations - it's not permitted in domestic installations for any purpose, and it's not permitted anywhere for EV charging installations (the one place you could use it is in an industrial environment if you declare it is not for EV charging).

Screwfix do sell some interlocked ones but they are crazily more expensive; here's a couple from elsewhere at more reasonable cost:
32A 230V Surface Interlocked Socket 2P+E 6H IP44
Gewiss IEC 309 32A Switched Interlocked Socket 240V GW66015 | RS Electrical Supplies

On the TypeB RCD issue, this is a loophole in the wiring regulations - they assume that a plugin EVSE will have DC protection already so you don't need to provide it externally for a commando socket and so can use TypeA. This isn't actually true of most portable EVSE on the market at the moment (Tesla UMC included), but it is a loophole if your only concern is compliance.

As I've said many times before, I don't believe commando socket is sensible for your main home charging - either you use your one and only UMC with it "for free", in which case you either risk forgetting it when you need it or the hassle and wear of unplugging it every morning, or else you buy a 2nd UMC which is actually about the same price as a proper wall-mount chargepoint so you aren't saving anything. Using your one-and-only also means you are totally stuffed if it breaks - if using a proper chargepoint (or 2nd UMC) you have the one you carry around to use on a 13A socket at home in case of emergency.

 

[m3p_uk]

Note that the socket linked to above is not interlocked so NOT compliant with wiring regulations - it's not permitted in domestic installations for any purpose, and it's not permitted anywhere for EV charging installations (the one place you could use it is in an industrial environment if you declare it is not for EV charging).

Screwfix do sell some interlocked ones but they are crazily more expensive; here's a couple from elsewhere at more reasonable cost:
32A 230V Surface Interlocked Socket 2P+E 6H IP44
Gewiss IEC 309 32A Switched Interlocked Socket 240V GW66015 | RS Electrical Supplies

On the TypeB RCD issue, this is a loophole in the wiring regulations - they assume that a plugin EVSE will have DC protection already so you don't need to provide it externally for a commando socket and so can use TypeA. This isn't actually true of most portable EVSE on the market at the moment (Tesla UMC included), but it is a loophole if your only concern is compliance.

As I've said many times before, I don't believe commando socket is sensible for your main home charging - either you use your one and only UMC with it "for free", in which case you either risk forgetting it when you need it or the hassle and wear of unplugging it every morning, or else you buy a 2nd UMC which is actually about the same price as a proper wall-mount chargepoint so you aren't saving anything. Using your one-and-only also means you are totally stuffed if it breaks - if using a proper chargepoint (or 2nd UMC) you have the one you carry around to use on a 13A socket at home in case of emergency.

Using the UMC does make it a lot easier to unlock the charge port though as it has the integrated button in the handle which is something I'll miss after my smart charger is installed.

 

[NorfolkMustard]

Using the UMC does make it a lot easier to unlock the charge port though as it has the integrated button in the handle which is something I'll miss after my smart charger is installed.

You can get a third-party type-2 cable with the tesla button included - you can use that if your home wall connector is untethered

e.g. Charging cable with Tesla command button - evChargeking

 

[m3p_uk]

You can get a third-party type-2 cable with the tesla button included - you can use that if your home wall connector is untethered

e.g. Charging cable with Tesla command button - evChargeking

That's a very expensive cable.
I use my phone with Bluetooth as the main key for model 3 and so don't have a fob to press to unlock easily.
If I didn't get the smart charger then it would have been cheaper and easier to get another UMC with a commando connector installed.
Also have the benefit of an extra UMC if one goes faulty or can easily sell it when I change cars.

 

[smeg9]

I've been watching the forums for a while, and this thread keeps popping up.

Ohme-Ev have an option for a 32A commando, I got one for £199 through Octopus, I'm in the process of switching to their Go tariff.

The Ohme cable is dubbed as "Smart" since it can download Octopus' Agile tariffs, if that's the one you're on, or estimated carbon emissions and charge to save money, or charge to be "green" you basically set your desired charge % by x time and it'll do the rest.

The Ohme does have DC RCD built in too.

 

[-DB-]

Isn’t it...

16A single phase = 3.7kw
32A single phase = 7kw (wall charger)
16A 3 phase = 11kw

I've a family member with a 3 phase supply. What do commando do i need to use this? Happy with either 7kw or 11kw.

 

[WannabeOwner]

Happy with either 7kw or 11kw.

Pretty sure (based on Model-S but i think valid for Model-3 too) that the UMC, and 16AMP Commando adaptor, which comes with the car, will do 7kW, and if you want 11kW on 3-Phase then the advice in first post in this thread will get you that (basically the addition of 32AMP Commando adaptor for the UMC)

 

[LukeT]

Pretty sure (based on Model-S but i think valid for Model-3 too) that the UMC, and 16AMP Commando adaptor, which comes with the car, will do 7kW, and if you want 11kW on 3-Phase then the advice in first post in this thread will get you that (basically the addition of 32AMP Commando adaptor for the UMC)

The gen2 UMC doesn't do 3 phase so isn't blue single phase just 16A x 240V = 3.8kW?

Caveat: rusty school physics, not electrician!

 

[WannabeOwner]

The gen2 UMC doesn't do 3 phase

Thanks for pointing that out. That is my understanding too ... so I made a right Horlicks in my post

16AMP Commando adaptor, which comes with the car, will do 7kW

That bit was rubbish, sorry about that, brain in Neutral. 16 AMPs and 7kW isn't 230 volts

I can do 7kW on the Commando that came with my Model-S ... and that isn't 3-phase, so presumably 2 flavours of "blue commando", 16Amp skinny and 32AMP fatter ?

3-Phase commando is not relevant in this discussion.

Either way the info in the first post is the one to believe:

The Model 3 comes with the Gen 2 UMC and a 16A commando adapter. This will allow the car to charge at 3.7kW, or 14 miles per hour.

If you want to use a 32A Commando socket to charge, you will need a 32A UMC adapter from Tesla. This will allow you to charge at 7.4W and 27 miles per hour with the UMC cable that comes with the car..

 

[.jg.]

I've a family member with a 3 phase supply. What do commando do i need to use this? Happy with either 7kw or 11kw.

If you have an old type UMC, you could use a red three phase commando for 11kW or a blue single phase 32A commando for 7kW.
If you have the new type UMC, you can order a blue single phase 32A commando as an option, to get 7kW.
But what socket(s) does your family member have?