I'm not getting the twin charges. Is there any reason that I should consider getting an HPWC rather than a spare mobile connector? The mobile is $100 less and I'd plan to leave it plugged in like an HPWC, but take it with me on overnight trips as a backup. It would also give me some flexibility to charge other vehicles on the 14-50 should I make any EV friends. Am I missing something? (FYI, I tried to post this in the Charging subforum, but got an error stating that the forum was closed to new posts.)
1. It's hard-wired so there is less to go wrong. 2. The cable is longer. 3. The cable is heavier (potentially more efficient, I don't know if anyone's measured how much more efficient). 4. The amperage is variable via dip switches although not applicable for you. (for example if your panel can take more than 50 amps but less than 100 amps you can set the HPWC for that amount) 5. Having both a NEMA 14-50 and a HPWC gives you redundancy, and also allows two cars to be plugged in at the same time. 6. It's next on my list whenever I get a spare $750.
I would reconsider the decision of not getting the Dual Chargers, in the winter time you will appreciate it a lot and there will be those cases where you would need a faster charge than 29 miles per hour in good weather and ~20 during cold days. This will be my first winter and I don't regret getting the HWPC, charge rate dropped from 66 miles per hour down to 55-56 miles per hour, just from the cold temperature outside and it's not even winter yet. I would prefer getting HWPC over UMC, longer cable, future proofs you if you decide to get the Dual chargers and or upgrade your car in the future.
I have dual chargers (Sigs all came with two chargers) and only one UMC. Normally I leave the UMC plugged in at home; the dozen or so times I've unplugged it to take on road trips don't seem likely to wear out the connector any time soon. The system's worked fine for me, with 34K miles driven in two years. I've only used the second charger maybe three, four times.
Thanks for all of the advice. I'm getting an inventory car with a single charger and don't anticipate the need for twin. I guess I'll have to spend some extra time at a supercharger if I'm wrong. Still haven't decided about the HPWC, but gives me something to think about.
No disdain. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and my opinion is that twin chargers will come in handy during the life of your car. Enjoy your Model S! :biggrin:
IMHO now that the HPWC is $750, getting a HPWC instead of a second UMC is a no-brainer, even with single chargers. @jerry33 already gave you the long list of advantages, but the fact that it is hard-wired is probably the best reason of all.
I got both - I was worried about equipment failure and my car is a daily driver (over 25,000 miles in 11 months) - so I did get both the HPWC and the UMC. I also installed a 100AMP panel in the garage and have a 14-50 outlet as backup. Love the HPWC and you are paying a lot less than I did for it!! I charge at about a mile a minute on the HPWC and half a mile a minute with the UMC. Also have an exterior charging station for visitors if they need it. (near Manassas Battlefield) I personally like the speed and have used it for quick charge on many occasions. Also if you pre-heat the seats and turn the heater up to 75 before you rollout (shore power connected), you can do that and still charge the battery with an HPWC, the lower AMP solutions just take longer to do both and you see a significant impact on charge times once you kick on all those heating elements and the heater/fan/ windshield wiper heaters. If you live in warmer climates this may not be an issue, but heating does put a load on the charging system / battery. For some reason the AC Unit seems to be hyper efficient and I don't see the same load with the AC System in the Tesla.
The A/C just needs to move heat from one place to another. That requires running a compressor, which doesn't take that much power. The heater on the other hand needs to generate heat from scratch. That takes a lot of power. To the OP: I've been torn on the HPWC vs. UMC+NEMA 14-50 thing myself. I ordered a HPWC intending to install it for the aforementioned hardwired advantages and overall aesthetics. However, I ended up sending it back for two reasons. 1) It's HUGE. I mean, really really big. About 4 or 6 times the size of the UMC. That was a surprise. 2) Because the cord is so thick, it sticks out from the side of the car farther before draping down than the thinner UMC cord does. If you need to regularly walk past the back corner of your car in a tight garage, as I do, that makes a difference.
If you decide to get a HPWC, you might want to check out Ebay. I ended up paying $500 plus $40 shipping for a new one. But I see some for $528 shipping included. For example: Tesla Model s Wall Connector | eBay New Tesla Wall Connector Part NBR 1008488 00 D Tesla Model s Charging Charge | eBay Tesla Wall Connector PN 1008488 00 D New | eBay
With a $200 discount, it's probably worth being self insured. With 2 HPWC's in use for well over a year, the only problem that I had was between the car's charge port and the HPWC; they wouldn't mate. It was not clear which side was causing the problem, so Tesla changed both, no charge, and never checked on purchase date or SN of the HPWC. At the eBay prices of Canadian HPWC's, I would definitely get one of those rather than a second UMC.
It is possible to make a heater that is a heat pump too, but likely this is harder to have work in subzero temperatures. I'm sure the reason the AC is so efficient is because the batteries require AC too, and human comfort is a secondary feature of this system.
If you travel any, esp. where there are no high power DC sources such as superchargers or CHAdeMos you will be kicking yourself for not getting duals. HPWC is an 100A risk for your home's electrical system, and God only knows what new EV your wife will want in 5 years, and since car will be in garage all night regardless, a 220v 50A will do. With duals charging will take roughly half the time with any 220v outlet from J1772 all the way to RV camps, hotel dryer, or weld shop.
Returning from a ~1500 mile trip, I was stranded for a day 300 miles from home due to a dead mobile connector. Dallas got me a replacement promptly, but it was still a day out of my life. After that experience, I was resolved to buy and take a spare mobile connector on my next trip. However, the JuiceBox came out. Now, I travel with a mobile connector and a JuiceBox; the JuiceBox is quite bulky but the Tesla is a big car. And I upgraded from a single charger to a twin. The JuiceBox typically gives me 45 amps out of a regular 14-50 while 14-50s with heavy wire and breakers at my home give me 60-70 amps. I wish I had saved some money by buying the twin charger with the car.
With a single charger there is no advantage whatsoever to get a HPWC. In your case a second UMC makes sense. I actually prefer the lighter and more flexible cable of the UMC. The UMC can be used with a 14-50 extension. Might be easier when reorganizing your garage.
What about long term durability? It's much more heavy duty than the UMC and I've read repeated stories of failed UMC's. They do seem too "lightweight" for years of use but great for portable use.
You can get a $40 UMC bracket sold here on the classifieds and an $25 HPWC replacement hook with a plug holder from Tesla and permanently hook up a UMC in garage, second one in car.
