Hey I've got a Model S due to arrive in 2-5 weeks. i was looking at charging options. I have a 14-50 being installed at home so I know I'll need that adapter. At my in-laws they have a 6-50, so I was planning on buying the 6 pack of adapters just to be ready for all the options.... Do I need the CHAdeMO? We are in Washington state and I have a Local Utility 6.6kw charger across the street that is free... but I don't know what connector I need? Or what does the CHAdeMo go to exactly? Thanks in advance
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Maybe be a simple post but I'm confused
- Thread starter Royalk4
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You almost certainly don't need a CHAdeMo adapter. It's used only for 50kW CHAdeMo chargers, which we otherwise used by cars like the Nissan Leaf. Except in certain areas with spotty supercharger coverage that somehow have CHAdeMo chargers, you'll likely never use it.
The other adapters in the connector bundle are also likely less useful. Charging on the road is likely to be either opportunistic (use a standard 5-15 plug that comes with it) or Tesla/J1772 Level 2 chargers.
I would get the 14-50 and 6-50 adapters and call it a day.
Your local 6.6kW adapter will almost certainly have a J1772 connector, which your car comes with an adapter for. You'll never use it if you have charging at home unless you really just want a few free electrons. Level 2 charging is only really useful for overnight situations such as at a hotel.
New owners (I did it too) tend to over-complicate the charging logistics, but nowadays, if you have robust Level 2 charging at home (which you will with a 14-50), you'll likely never need anything else. In the old days you might need adapters for campgrounds, welding outlets, etc just in case there wasn't a supercharger nearby and you were in a pinch.
Other things to consider are that your included mobile adapter can only draw 32A (7.7kW) - you might consider getting the Corded Mobile Connector ($500) or a Wall Connector ($500 but you'd hard-wire it rather than plugging into a 14-50 outlet). The CMC has a 14-50 plug on the end, so just leave it permanently at home and don't worry about wearing out your 14-50 receptacle, and it will charge at 40A or 9.6kW. The wall connector, if you instead use 6 AWG wire and a 60A breaker, will give you 48A or 11.5kW. In both of these cases you can just leave your mobile connector and adapters in the car for visits to the in-laws etc. If you do use a 14-50 receptacle, you should strongly consider either leaving your 14-50 pigtail plugged in, or getting a high quality 14-50 receptacle that's intended for frequent insertion/removal - a typical $10 home depot 14-50 socket is meant to be used by an oven or dryer that's plugged in once and left for 10 years. Frequent insertion and removal can degrade the connections and lead to high resistance, heat, and the risk of a fire.
The other adapters in the connector bundle are also likely less useful. Charging on the road is likely to be either opportunistic (use a standard 5-15 plug that comes with it) or Tesla/J1772 Level 2 chargers.
I would get the 14-50 and 6-50 adapters and call it a day.
Your local 6.6kW adapter will almost certainly have a J1772 connector, which your car comes with an adapter for. You'll never use it if you have charging at home unless you really just want a few free electrons. Level 2 charging is only really useful for overnight situations such as at a hotel.
New owners (I did it too) tend to over-complicate the charging logistics, but nowadays, if you have robust Level 2 charging at home (which you will with a 14-50), you'll likely never need anything else. In the old days you might need adapters for campgrounds, welding outlets, etc just in case there wasn't a supercharger nearby and you were in a pinch.
Other things to consider are that your included mobile adapter can only draw 32A (7.7kW) - you might consider getting the Corded Mobile Connector ($500) or a Wall Connector ($500 but you'd hard-wire it rather than plugging into a 14-50 outlet). The CMC has a 14-50 plug on the end, so just leave it permanently at home and don't worry about wearing out your 14-50 receptacle, and it will charge at 40A or 9.6kW. The wall connector, if you instead use 6 AWG wire and a 60A breaker, will give you 48A or 11.5kW. In both of these cases you can just leave your mobile connector and adapters in the car for visits to the in-laws etc. If you do use a 14-50 receptacle, you should strongly consider either leaving your 14-50 pigtail plugged in, or getting a high quality 14-50 receptacle that's intended for frequent insertion/removal - a typical $10 home depot 14-50 socket is meant to be used by an oven or dryer that's plugged in once and left for 10 years. Frequent insertion and removal can degrade the connections and lead to high resistance, heat, and the risk of a fire.
beatle
Active Member
I would also just buy the adapters you need. That's what I've done and I've ended up with 5-15, 6-20, 14-30, and 14-50. Maybe I'll buy a 3rd party TT30 adapter one day if I go camping at a remote site in the cold. The bundle is actually more expensive per connector, and several will likely never get used.
Instead of buying a HPWC, buy a second UMC. If you buy a gen 1 you can get 40A out of your 14-50, and they are generally a lot less expensive than a HPWC.
Instead of buying a HPWC, buy a second UMC. If you buy a gen 1 you can get 40A out of your 14-50, and they are generally a lot less expensive than a HPWC.
So if I do the corded mobile connector at $520 plus the 14-50 installation etc, wouldn't that be more than just installing a Wall charger? If the electrician is coming anyways....
The Level 2 charging was only a thought as it's in the parking lot next to me so I could park there for 6-7 hours without issue...
Yes it would. It would only be advantageous if you wanted a 14-50 for some other reason in your garage, or if you planned on getting a non-Tesla EV in the future and didn't want to deal with adapters.
I would go for the wall connector. There have been some issues with the Gen3 wall connector, but they seem to be worked out now (I got a replacement and it's been solid for months now). It's nice charging at 11.5kW, looks classier, and I always have my mobile connector bundle in the car just in case.
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