Most common 240v outlet

[GlennAlanBerry]

The Tesla website does a pretty good job of explaining the different adapters and what they are used for. http://www.teslamotors.com/charging#/outlet

The Model S normally comes with a NEMA 14-50 adapter, a NEMA 5-15 adapter, and a J1772 Public Charging Station Adapter. RV campgrounds usually have NEMA 14-50 plugs (which they call 50 amp service), while most public L2 charging stations will use the J1772.

So far, I have also bought a NEMA 14-30 adapter. If you do buy any extra adapters, try to pick them up in person at your local Tesla Service Center (assuming it is nearby and they have any in stock). That will save you quite a bit of money on shipping from Tesla.

 

[Saphire]

Thank you for simplifying this and providing the Tesla link. After spending some time reading it looks like the NEMA 14-30 and NEMA 10-30 are the two best options. I'll definitely go thru my local service center for these adapters, again all good info to know up front before my MS arrives.

 

[Cosmacelf]

WOW - Cosmacelf the link you provided had extensive info...very informative thank you. I'm not wanting to delve into home made electrical connections. Keep it simple, I'd like to purchase the most commonly used Tesla adapters for road trips. I also want to take advantage of Blink, Charge Point, Leviton charging stations. What do I need?

All public charging stations (Blink, Charge Point, most if not all made by Leviton) will have a cable attached to a J1772 connector. Tesla provides you a free J1772 adapter with your car. You just plop the smallish J1772 adapter onto the J1772 plug and plug that into your car's charge port to charge at any Blink, Charge Point, Leviton charging station.

Tesla ALSO provides you with a mobile charger that they call a UMC (Universal Mobile Charger) - your car comes with a UMC adapter for a regular 120V household outlet, and a NEMA 14-50 240V outlet. The NEMA 14-50 outlet also happens to be what RV parks call 50A outlets for providing power to large RVs. You can then buy additional UMC adapters from Tesla for other outlets at http://shop.teslamotors.com/collections/model-s-charging-adapters

 

[Gear]

Tesla ALSO provides you with a mobile charger that they call a UMC (Universal Mobile Charger) - your car comes with a UMC adapter for a regular 120V household outlet, and a NEMA 14-50 240V outlet. The NEMA 14-50 outlet also happens to be what RV parks call 50A outlets for providing power to large RVs. You can then buy additional UMC adapters from Tesla for other outlets at http://shop.teslamotors.com/collections/model-s-charging-adapters

Just to clarify, Tesla's website says the 240v adapter that comes with the car is the owner's choice. So I would assume you can pick from the 6-50, 14-50, or whatever.

 

[Longhorn92]

Just to clarify, Tesla's website says the 240v adapter that comes with the car is the owner's choice. So I would assume you can pick from the 6-50, 14-50, or whatever.

I agree that's what the website says; however, by default they give you the NEMA 14-50 adapter at delivery. I assume you can tell your delivery specialist ahead of time that you want a different adapter, but I didn't try this since I installed a 14-50 outlet in my garage.

 

[GlennAlanBerry]

Unless you talk to them ahead of time, you will get a NEMA 14-50 by default. I think a NEMA 14-50 is a good default choice because it is so common at RV campgrounds.

 

[Gear]

Unless you talk to them ahead of time, you will get a NEMA 14-50 by default. I think a NEMA 14-50 is a good default choice because it is so common at RV campgrounds.

Interesting to know. I better make sure I tell them I want 6-50 as that's the plan so far for my garage. I want both adapters though.

 

[Gear]

Well the electrician is coming tomorrow to put my NEMA 6-50 in my garage. He's going to be using #8 wiring for it, but I thought I remembered seeing people here saying they were using #6. Is that going to be enough to carry the 40a? I'm sure he knows what he's talking about, but I always try to be informed so I'm not surprised later on.

 

[NuclearPowered]

Well the electrician is coming tomorrow to put my NEMA 6-50 in my garage. He's going to be using #8 wiring for it, but I thought I remembered seeing people here saying they were using #6. Is that going to be enough to carry the 40a? I'm sure he knows what he's talking about, but I always try to be informed so I'm not surprised later on.

As long as it is #8 copper and not aluminum.

 

[Gear]

Ok, and I'm not sure whether or not it matters, but it's roughly 60-75ft from my breaker box to the place the outlet will be installed.

 

[adiggs]

Can someone simplify the adapters that we should own to do cross country road trips to include waypoints off the beaten path? Much of this information is going right over my head, I've got a MS on order so I was under the assumption Tesla provided all the adapters that would be needed. Please help, thanks in advance.

In my Roadster (not as many options as the Model S), I was completely successful and comfortable making use of the J1772 plugs, native Roadster, and 14-50 plugs. For an MS, the variation for you here in the NW and along I5 (until the SC's proliferate and make it irrelevant), you might want to the MS to Roadster adapter, so you can make use of the native 70A Roadster chargers.

Considering that those chargers will tend to be in areas where SC's will also cover, I would probably skip the Roadster adapter. That leaves you with the UMC with 14-50 and J1772 plugs. That really was all that I needed (plus the 110v cord, just because and in case) for 3300 miles on the road over 3 weeks, up and down the west coast.


Going cross country, I expect you'll use more 14-50 and less J1772 until the SC's get built out. You'll be faced with a choice - learn all this electrical stuff that many come by already, or rely on the most common stuff (14-50, J1772), and just live with RV parks plus public charging infrastructure. I got by fine with that approach. I've also met people with bags of adapters and the ability to rewire, or plug in multiple plugs simultaneously; not for me thanks

 

[mitch672]

Ok, and I'm not sure whether or not it matters, but it's roughly 60-75ft from my breaker box to the place the outlet will be installed.

I used #6 THHN copper, and my run is only 20 feet away. I would recommend #6 for that distance... The continuous draw of 40A is ok for #8, but you will have less voltage drop with #6, and if you ever want to run a welder, you'll be all set

 

[FlasherZ]

Well the electrician is coming tomorrow to put my NEMA 6-50 in my garage. He's going to be using #8 wiring for it, but I thought I remembered seeing people here saying they were using #6. Is that going to be enough to carry the 40a? I'm sure he knows what he's talking about, but I always try to be informed so I'm not surprised later on.

#6 is required if NM-B (Romex) is used because of the requirement to use it at the 60 degree rating.
#8 can be used if you are doing THHN or THWN in conduit, 50-55A ampacity

Make sure the electrician knows that it's not for a welder but rather charging a car. There are special considerations that can be used for welders.

#8 will keep you to less than 5% voltage drop with distances of up to 200 feet from the service panel - #6 will preserve that to 340 ft.

 

[Gear]

I'm not sure what Romex is. I did make sure to tell him it was for an electric car, but he didn't seem like he ever did that before. Should I have told him I needed 50a instead of 40a to account for the drop off?

 

[Carlos Danger]

I need to install a 240v outlet for my new 85P. I have no desire or need to charge anywhere other than at home. My fusebox is on the opposite side of the house away from the garage. What type of outlet should I ask the electrician for? My house is 17 years old.

 

[FlasherZ]

I need to install a 240v outlet for my new 85P. I have no desire or need to charge anywhere other than at home. My fusebox is on the opposite side of the house away from the garage. What type of outlet should I ask the electrician for? My house is 17 years old.

Hey Anthony... good to hear from you here, although I thought you lived in New York, not Chicago.

NEMA 14-50 (RV / range outlet) on a 50A circuit is what you should ask for.

 

[Gear]

Hey Anthony... good to hear from you here, although I thought you lived in New York, not Chicago.

NEMA 14-50 (RV / range outlet) on a 50A circuit is what you should ask for.

That answers my question too. Thanks a bunch! I'll ask him to change it to a 50a circuit.

 

[FlasherZ]

I'm not sure what Romex is. I did make sure to tell him it was for an electric car, but he didn't seem like he ever did that before. Should I have told him I needed 50a instead of 40a to account for the drop off?

NM-B/Romex cable is non-metallic sheathed cable, the typical yellow stuff you see inside home improvements nowadays for normal circuits. It consists of conductors jacketed together in an outer PVC insulation. It comes in a few different wire sizes. Most new homes (outside of Chicagoland, where it is banned) use it for the interior wiring. The alternative is running individual wires in various types of conduit - flexible, rigid, metallic, non-metallic, etc. If you use that type of cable on a 50A circuit, you cannot use #8 thickness wire, you must use #6. You may use #8 thickness wire if you're running individual conductors in a conduit.

 

[montgom626]

Hey Anthony... good to hear from you here, although I thought you lived in New York, not Chicago.

Very funny! I love it!

 

[Gear]

Well I got my 240v/50a NEMA 6-50 installed today. I didn't see any yellow wiring in my crawlspace under the house, so I don't think he used Romex. He did specify that it was copper and not aluminum though. All said and done, it ended up costing me $800, which was a good surprise since his initial quote was $950. From what I've seen on here, that seems to be the going rate for a run as long as mine, but I could be wrong. Now just two more weeks and I'll have my car and be able to use the new outlet.

PS, which side should ideally be up so that the curve on the UMC is turned down rather than up? Right now it has the single hole on the bottom like the normal 110v outlets. He said he can come over and switch it the other way if I need him to.

Thanks for all the help!