Is it easy to identify if my Tesla Wall connector can charge other EVs?

[strykeroz]

Hi,

I've read in other threads older Tesla Wall Connectors have a legacy mode which supports non-Tesla EVs. We got ours with Sept 2019 delivery. I'm not sure if that's enough to know if it will have legacy mode, or if there's something else to ID if it will do the job.

Hopefully it will be sunny enough for us to take the MG ZS EV for a drive this weekend. If that becomes car #2, our plan is to use a 10A GPO for most of its charging since it won't travel far daily. It would be good to know up front if we are up for a 2nd EVSE or if the Tesla one can be used when needed.

And follow up question - the Tesla Wall Connector says it will coexist with a second on the same circuit and negotiate their power use. This is of interest as we're constrained with our connection to the grid so can't add another 32A circuit - is there any other EVSE that it will negotiate with in the same manner if we put them both on the same 32A circuit?

Cheers, Geoff

 

[NickFie]

I have never heard of another brand wall connector communicating with Tesla’s.

Don’t know OZ Tesla plug configuration. If your Tesla and the proposed MG can charge from the same public EV power source, then the MG can very likely work with your HPWC(s).

The car-connector dialogue would likely be the same. The charger communicates its capability. The vehicle communicates its capability and demand..

In US some people use an adapter to mate the Tesla-specific HPWC plug to standard J-1772 used by other EVs. Then Nissan Leaf and similar can use HPWC in the garage.

That’s a reversal of Tesla-supplied adapter to mate J-1772 plugs to Tesla’s charge port.

 

[moa999]

^ @NickFie Model 3s in Aus and Europe use a Type2/CCS2 like most other electric cars in those countries, so we have far more interoperability without adapters.
However Tesla HPWCs use by default some form of proprietary communications, and need to be set to legacy mode to connect to other Type2 cars. This feature has reportedly been disabled in latter versions of the Gen2 HPWCs (no Gen3 outside the US yet)

Check if the manual mentions the feature.
Otherwise try it (it's Dip 2 in down position for legacy mode).

Very much doubt the power sharing feature would be anything other than proprietary..
Obviously you could manually limit the cars if you needed to.

 

[strykeroz]

Check if the manual mentions the feature.
Otherwise try it (it's Dip 2 in down position for legacy mode).

Very much doubt the power sharing feature would be anything other than proprietary..
Obviously you could manually limit the cars if you needed to.

Yes I was intending to RTFM, but I have no idea where I put the farking thing Nevermind.
Agree I can always try after we settle on car#2 and see what happens. MG only has 7kW onboard charger, so it's already limited a little

 

[Sir Surfalot]

However Tesla HPWCs use by default some form of proprietary communications, and need to be set to legacy mode to connect to other Type2 cars. This feature has reportedly been disabled in latter versions of the Gen2 HPWCs (no Gen3 outside the US yet)

On my HPWC (Gen2, installed a month or two ago) on the outside of the packing box on the label with the barcode it specifically had the phrase TeslaOnly (or similar) in the comma-delimited cryptic production description on that label. Also the manual supplied with it makes no mention of the purpose of dip switch 2.

I'd like it to work too, but I don't think it does.

Our other car is a Porsche Cayenne PHEV (with a J1772 connector, we bought the car new about 6 years ago and this was the "standard" then, they have gone to Type 2 connectors on the latest ones) and it would be a handy backup for its wall charger if the Tesla charger worked, because I then would just need a Type 2-to-1 adapter for that car. I have a Type 1-to-2 adapter stowed in the Tesla for juicing-up at some local shopping centres, but never bothered buying a Type 2-to-1 one before - and not sure I want to drop $250 on one now just to experiment to see if I can charge the PHEV from the Tesla charger.

 

[Flatbat]

^ @NickFie Model 3s in Aus and Europe use a Type2/CCS2 like most other electric cars in those countries, so we have far more interoperability without adapters.
However Tesla HPWCs use by default some form of proprietary communications, and need to be set to legacy mode to connect to other Type2 cars. This feature has reportedly been disabled in latter versions of the Gen2 HPWCs (no Gen3 outside the US yet)

Check if the manual mentions the feature.
Otherwise try it (it's Dip 2 in down position for legacy mode).

Very much doubt the power sharing feature would be anything other than proprietary..
Obviously you could manually limit the cars if you needed to.

That's right. The original gen 2 charger by default uses Single Wire Can (SWCAN) instead of Control Pilot signal (Pilot). The SWCAN line charge protocol replaced the traditional pilot-based scheme, enabling data communication between Gen 2 WCs and vehicles. The SWCAN messages tell the vehicle about state of supply and voltage/current limits. SWCAN allows advanced diagnostics and firmware updating of Wall Connectors in the field. Flipping dip 2 to off disables SWCAN and removes these features. Presumably making it compatible with various non Tesla EVs. So there is a downside to enabling legacy mode.

 

[moa999]

Interesting.
Came across this article as well which suggests some models will revert to legacy after 30 secs of not getting a SWCAN response (again not clear which models)

https://cablesforcharging.com/using-a-type-2-to-type-1-adaptor-with-a-tesla-wall-charger/

 

[stphw]

Yes I was intending to RTFM, but I have no idea where I put the farking thing Nevermind.
Agree I can always try after we settle on car#2 and see what happens. MG only has 7kW onboard charger, so it's already limited a little

https://www.tesla.com/sites/default/files/pdfs/wall-connector-eu/20161208/tesla-32a-wall-connector-installation-manual-en-AU-v2.pdf

Here's the manual though I couldn't see anything about legacy mode. Page 19 talks about the DIP switches - the one it says to always leave up looks like the one to try as down.

 

[evtricity]

#strykeroz

You will need a HPWC with model designation ending in 00 or 01 to be able to charge a non-Tesla.

The model designation endings in Australia are 00, 01, 02 and 07.

Model 3s deliveries in Australia had HPWC with 07 and started in Sep 2019 so I'd guess yours will be a 07.

I have a 00 and 07. The 00 charges our Kona and Model 3 no problem in legacy mode while the 07 will only charge the Model 3 regardless of what mode it is set to.

I have also set up the power sharing across the two HPWCs and it works pretty much as expected. The 07 is primary and allows the Model 3 to charge at 3 x 16A and allows 16A on one phase for the Kona on the 00 HPWC. To get the full 32A for the Kona on the second HPWC I need to unplug the Model 3 from the primary HPWC. Effectvely the primary HPWC reserves 16A for the connected Tesla even if it is plugged in and not charging. Ideally it would allows 32A to the 00 HPWC before after the Model 3 charges but that's not the case.

We will probably replace the Kona in time (I'm not a fan) with another Tesla and then the HPWC will split the 32A perfectly and allows us to max out the 3 x 32A circuit.

 

[strykeroz]

@dgh853 is it the 03 in the TPN that you're meaning? This HPWC was in the boot of our Sept 27 2019 SR+

 

[evtricity]

@dgh853 is it the 03 in the TPN that you're meaning? This HPWC was in the boot of our Sept 27 2019 SR+
View attachment 647508

Yes, the -03- in this TPN. So unfortunately it's not one of the older models (00 and 01) that I've have seen work charging Konas, Leafs, i3s etc in legacy mode.

 

[mrau]

Here are some photos of inside a Gen 2 wall connector. It has a label that explains what the Dip Switch 2 can be set to.... Normal or Legacy. Also included a close up of the dip switch with #2 in the Up position.

 

[moa999]

And it should be noted for new owners following along that all V3 wall chargers now have an electronic "All Cars" mode, so none of the above applies.

 

[Ozee]

Bit disappointed for misleading info on Tesla Gen 3 charger I.e it can charge all cars.
I got mine installed to charge my MG ZS EV 2020 model/. but it stays in solid blue. I have got the latest firmware 21.36.5 and set to all cars. No luck nearly $2k down the drain

 

[Hairyman]

Bit disappointed for misleading info on Tesla Gen 3 charger I.e it can charge all cars.
I got mine installed to charge my MG ZS EV 2020 model/. but it stays in solid blue. I have got the latest firmware 21.36.5 and set to all cars. No luck nearly $2k down the drain

Does it need a switch inside to be set for universal charging? Have Tesla said anything?

 

[Maximillan]

Bit disappointed for misleading info on Tesla Gen 3 charger I.e it can charge all cars.
I got mine installed to charge my MG ZS EV 2020 model/. but it stays in solid blue. I have got the latest firmware 21.36.5 and set to all cars. No luck nearly $2k down the drain

Find the piece of paper that it came with that passes for a manual.

In there you'll find how to change the setting so that it charges non-Teslas.

 

[Ozee]

Does it need a switch inside to be set for universal charging? Have Tesla said anything?

In the Gen 3 its all software-based and has no dip switches.
attached is the screenshot.
Electrition has also reduced 32 amps all the way down to 16ams as it allows one amp increment. no luck

 

[Ozee]

Find the piece of paper that it came with that passes for a manual.

In there you'll find how to change the setting so that it charges non-Teslas.

yup the "Access control" is set to "All Vehicles"

 

[Maximillan]

yup the "Access control" is set to "All Vehicles"

Have you tried to charge any other vehicles besides the MG?

 

[Hairyman]

In the Gen 3 its all software-based and has no dip switches.
attached is the screenshot.
Electrition has also reduced 32 amps all the way down to 16ams as it allows one amp increment. no luck

Sad to hear that