Juicebox vs included charger

[danix]

I've got a Juicebox 40 on the wall, but my kid convinced me I should just be using the included mobile Tesla connector with a 14-50 adapter, because it does the same thing, and has the bonus of the button to pop open the charger port.

I'm having a hard time finding exact specs on the stock charger, as well as the Tesla wall connector.
My SR+ has a max charging rate of 32A and I believe all three chargers will deliver that.
I think the wall connector can go up to 100A, but that's far more than I need.

So... is there any reason to hang onto my Juicebox? It's unlikely I'll need to keep the mobile charger in the car.

 

[willow_hiller]

I think the only reason to keep the Juicebox would be if it gives you useful usage statistics. Otherwise the mobile connector will be able to provide you with the same amperage, and you'll be able to control it via the Tesla app (so any controls on the Juicebox would be redundant).

 

[danix]

Agreed, the Juicebox will let me set a charging schedule so it will only kick in during TOS pricing (11pm on). With the mobile charger, I'd need to set that schedule on the car.

Usage statistics I don't care much about except for cost.
It occurred to me that Tesla should be able to tell me exactly what my charge cost at home, just like when I'm at a supercharger, based on kwh consumed vs cost of energy at that time. Is there anything like that?

 

[willow_hiller]

Agreed, the Juicebox will let me set a charging schedule so it will only kick in during TOS pricing (11pm on). With the mobile charger, I'd need to set that schedule on the car.

Usage statistics I don't care much about except for cost.
It occurred to me that Tesla should be able to tell me exactly what my charge cost at home, just like when I'm at a supercharger, based on kwh consumed vs cost of energy at that time. Is there anything like that?

The usage statistics in the Model 3 are a little bit lacking. You can get the number of kWh used on your trip meter, and for an individual charging session you can get total kWh (but there's some discussion on whether this is from-the-wall or into-the-battery depending on whether you're L2 or L3 charging). But there's no aggregate statistics, or any way to track things historically unless you write them down yourself or pay for a third party app.

 

[Rocky_H]

It doesn't really matter what you use. I would probably keep the Juice Box since you already have it. It's handy to have a spare in case one thing stops working.

and has the bonus of the button to pop open the charger port.

Why do people keep bringing this up as if it matters? The Model 3 has the pushable charge port. Just touch it with your finger and it pops open. There--whoopty do--you didn't need a fancy remote control button on your charge handle.

Agreed, the Juicebox will let me set a charging schedule so it will only kick in during TOS pricing (11pm on). With the mobile charger, I'd need to set that schedule on the car.

I've seen some threads on that particular thing, where the Model 3 doesn't seem to work very well with that. If the power is off to the Juice Box, and the car has gone to sleep, and then the wall connector powers back up with its scheduling feature, it seems the car isn't very good at detecting that and waking up to begin charging. I don't know if that has been fixed in a firmware update yet. The foolproof way is to use the scheduling in the car, so I would stick with that.

 

[LoL Rick]

... It's unlikely I'll need to keep the mobile charger in the car.

I'm going to focus on this part of the post. Correct, it is unlikely that you will need the mobile connector in the car. But what is likely is that you will need the J1772 adapter. Since the Juicebox needs that adapter, you are probably removing it every day and putting it in the car or, more likely, leaving it at home and limiting your ability to use public charging. For this reason I would recommend using the mobile connector at home, leaving the J1772 in the car, and selling the Juicebox. I recently sold on on here for a pretty decent price.

 

[TheDom]

I've seen some threads on that particular thing, where the Model 3 doesn't seem to work very well with that. If the power is off to the Juice Box, and the car has gone to sleep, and then the wall connector powers back up with its scheduling feature, it seems the car isn't very good at detecting that and waking up to begin charging. I don't know if that has been fixed in a firmware update yet. The foolproof way is to use the scheduling in the car, so I would stick with that.

The way the JuiceBox works now if you configure your car as a Tesla through the app is during on peak times it will only allow 6 amps of charging, which works to keep the car awake, but charging at a slower rate. With our other car when that's selected it turns off the charging entirely until you hit off peak hours. I haven't tested whether recent firmware updates to the Model 3 have changed how it behaves when the charging is turned off entirely.

 

[Rottenapplr]

It doesn't really matter what you use. I would probably keep the Juice Box since you already have it. It's handy to have a spare in case one thing stops working.


Why do people keep bringing this up as if it matters? The Model 3 has the pushable charge port. Just touch it with your finger and it pops open. There--whoopty do--you didn't need a fancy remote control button on your charge handle.


I've seen some threads on that particular thing, where the Model 3 doesn't seem to work very well with that. If the power is off to the Juice Box, and the car has gone to sleep, and then the wall connector powers back up with its scheduling feature, it seems the car isn't very good at detecting that and waking up to begin charging. I don't know if that has been fixed in a firmware update yet. The foolproof way is to use the scheduling in the car, so I would stick with that.

But you need to use the app or the car to unlock the charger attached to the car.

 

[danix]

I keep a spare J1772 adapter in the car anyway.
I used the Juicebox last night and noticed the hourly minimal charge thing happening. Not a big deal.
On the other hand, I don't get cost stats from Juicebox either, but was able to get them from TeslaFi.
So I'm still undecided.

 

[Rottenapplr]

I keep a spare J1772 adapter in the car anyway.
I used the Juicebox last night and noticed the hourly minimal charge thing happening. Not a big deal.
On the other hand, I don't get cost stats from Juicebox either, but was able to get them from TeslaFi.
So I'm still undecided.

Does juicebox show kwh used? I just wished tesla would give us charging stats

 

[danix]

 

[Rocky_H]

But you need to use the app or the car to unlock the charger attached to the car.

Not true. That operates the same whether you are using a Tesla handle or a J1772 handle. There is no difference with unlocking the port to release a charge handle.

Granted, the car needs to be unlocked either way, no matter what you are using, to let you have the ability to unlock the charge port for releasing a handle. But given that, to get the port to unlatch to release the charging plug, the button on a Tesla plug and the button on a J1772 does the exact same thing. They are both sending the interrupt signal to the car using the J1772 communication protocol on the signal wire (not wirelessly), which causes it to release the latch in the charge port, then you can pull the handle out. Exactly the same. Granted, there is one other little thing, that when you press the button on the J1772, you will want to make sure to grab that adapter with your other hand and pull it out at the same time while the port is unlocked. If you just pull the J1772 handle out by itself and leave the adapter in, the port can latch back onto that. But the point is that it never requires using the phone app or the screen in the car to release anything to remove a charging plug.

 

[ewoodrick]

Simply put, it's a lot easier to charge with the UMC than to charge with a J-1772. I have 2 UMCs, one stays on the wall, the other on the wall, which, by the way is hung on the same hanger that a J-1772 EVSE sits. I just swap 14-50 plugs the few times that I need to charge the Leaf (it normally charges off of 120V 15A).

I charged with the J-1772 for a little bit. It was just cumbersome getting the adapter out and plugging and in-plugging. Sure I could leave the adapter on the J-1772, but I'd accidentally unplug from it, as it is second nature to push the trigger on the J-1772 to unplug it. Then the adapter would be in the car and I'd have to get the phone out to release it or reach in the car.....
The UMC just makes it a no-brainer.

Get an extra UMC for the car and find a new loving home for the JuiceBox.

 

[mcfuzz89]

I have a JuiceBox Pro 40 and absolutely love it. I prefer to have the ability to monitor my charging, get stats but more importantly - since I park outside and have my charging handle hang outside, I can let my homies charge as well if needed.

 

[danix]

Thought I'd share the stats from TeslaFi. This is what I would ideally see in the Tesla app directly, or be able to pull from the car without having to go through a 3rd party. With this info, it seems it doesn't really matter what charger you use (at least in terms of home charging).

 

[Rottenapplr]

Not true. That operates the same whether you are using a Tesla handle or a J1772 handle. There is no difference with unlocking the port to release a charge handle.

Granted, the car needs to be unlocked either way, no matter what you are using, to let you have the ability to unlock the charge port for releasing a handle. But given that, to get the port to unlatch to release the charging plug, the button on a Tesla plug and the button on a J1772 does the exact same thing. They are both sending the interrupt signal to the car using the J1772 communication protocol on the signal wire (not wirelessly), which causes it to release the latch in the charge port, then you can pull the handle out. Exactly the same. Granted, there is one other little thing, that when you press the button on the J1772, you will want to make sure to grab that adapter with your other hand and pull it out at the same time while the port is unlocked. If you just pull the J1772 handle out by itself and leave the adapter in, the port can latch back onto that. But the point is that it never requires using the phone app or the screen in the car to release anything to remove a charging plug.

I have no idea what you are talking. I spoke about needing to use an app or the car to unlock the charge cable for j1772. You don’t need that if a charger is made by tesla. That’s all the point I made. No need to type a wall of text. I like the convenience of tesla charger. If there was an unlock button on the charge port to release the charger this would be great!

 

[davewill]

I have no idea what you are talking. I spoke about needing to use an app or the car to unlock the charge cable for j1772. You don’t need that if a charger is made by tesla. That’s all the point I made. No need to type a wall of text. I like the convenience of tesla charger. If there was an unlock button on the charge port to release the charger this would be great!

Pressing the j1772 button unlocks the port, then you pull both out together. That's the same thing.

 

[Bill Foster]

Why do people keep bringing this up as if it matters? The Model 3 has the pushable charge port. Just touch it with your finger and it pops open. There--whoopty do--you didn't need a fancy remote control button on your charge handle.

Ummmmmm Because it's awesome?

 

[RFernatt]

I kept the JuiceBox and left the UMC in the car. I have a Leaf also and need the J1772, plus I'm a data junky and the JuiceBox can export detailed data for compiling stats against solar production and home usage. Plus, the LR can take all 40A that JuiceBox provides. If you don't care about the data, don't need the extra amp capacity and don't have anyone stopping by with a non-Tesla EV, then you may want to just sell the JuiceBox. But, I do like knowing that the UMC with an extra J1772 adapter is always in the car just in case!

I put together charts like this for presentations using JuiceBox and Sense data. Multiply by $.12/kWh for cost and I can get cost data (no ToU or varying charges).

 

[Rocky_H]

Ummmmmm Because it's awesome?

It's not $500 out of my pocket worth of awesome. I grant that there is a slight bit of more convenience being able to one-hand it with a Tesla handle instead of using two to pull out a J1772 with the adapter, but it's also kind of awesome to keep $500 to just use what you've already got instead of buying an extra wall connector or something you don't need.