Ordered my MS60 today, debating if I should get the wall charger

[simplesolid]

I just confirmed my order today and I am debating if I should spend the 500 bucks and get the wall chargers, it would be kind of nice not having to keep taking the cable in and out of the trunk everyday.

Which is better the wall charger or the plug needed to charge at RV places? I think I need some sort of adapter for that, unless I am mistaken it costs the same as the wall adapter.

 

[Hugh Mannity]

I would suggest getting the wall charger. Taking the UMC in/out of the car all the time gets annoying real quick. I did that constantly with the Leaf

 

[theslimshadyist]

I was dead set on getting the wall charger until my electrician talked me out of it. Why? I have no idea as he's one of two certified TSLA installers in my area and could have easily taken my money. Perhaps he was trying to save me a few bucks, I dunno.

 

[HebrHmr]

I intend to leave my UMC on my wall unless I'm going on a vacation. Will you have some sort of daily requirement for the UMC?

 

[pslawing]

My wall connector came today!
My MS coming January
My thought process want to leave mobile Connector in car and the wall connector is the same price as another mobile cord. Plus it looks great!

 

[brkaus]

You really only need to take the mobile connector with you when you travel. No need for it around town. So it really isn't an in/out of the car thing.

You can easily save the $500 and not get the wall charger.

Reasons to get the wall charger
- need longer cord.
- Charge at faster rate (with appropriate wiring, breaker, etc)
(up to 48A w/o car charger upgrade, 72A with car charger upgrade.
- travel frequently and need a spare to keep in the car


If your traveling long distance, superchargers do not need a cord.

If your using charge point, etc... they use an adapter and not the cord set.

 

[kavyboy]

Install a NEMA 14-50 and just leave the UMC connected to it. Unless you have an extreme edge case, that will work fine. There are only two cases I can see where you would need the $500 HPWC:
1. You often need fast recharge at home. This only applies if you have a combination of a big daily usage and don't spend much time at home. However, if you spend about 8 hours a night at home, you'll awaken to a "full tank" with just the UMC. It really is simple for most of us: come home, plug in, forget it. Not too good to be true.
2. You take long trips into the hinterlands where there is no charging infrastructure other than campsites, so you need the UMC. I seriously doubt that applies to many people in Florida. Use plugshare.com and/or destination chargers for long trips. It really isn't nearly as hard as you might think.

I used to put the UMC in the car. I no longer do. Home charging on the 14-50 is more than enough for daily use, and superchargers and destination chargers have been effortless for road trips.

 

[Canuck]

The UMC is really lightweight compared to a HPWC. It's nice to have a backup should it stop working and you won't if it's all you use.

I have a HPWC at my home and cabin. I need the full 80 amps at the cabin so it's hardwired to a 100 amp fuse. I don't need the full 80 amps at home, and I originally bought the car thinking I would only need the UMC at home but that changed fast, when I once forgot it on a trip, so I just put a plug on the HPWC, set the dip switches lower, and plugged it into the 14-50 outlet in my garage. Now the UMC stays in the car, with extension cords and adapters. I was recently at a hotel, on ground level, where you park your vehicle right outside the unit, and I unplugged the air conditioner and ran the cord out the window. It charged it right up by the next morning. It's amazing how many plugs you can find during your travels. Take a look at this pic:

https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/posts/320892/

It beats hanging around a supercharger for an hour if you can get the electrons while you sleep during your travels -- which works better in winter when you don't need air conditioning!

You can pick up 14-50 range cord at Home Depot and wire it into the HPWC -- it's real easy to do -- so you might want to give that a thought.

 

[wesley888]

I don't need fast charging but I would certainly install the $500 HPWC. If I were to buy another cable, it's $500 any way. Might as well get the HPWC. Also, the HPWC looks much better than the cable charger dangling off a NEMA 14-50 socket.

 

[Ojas Ray]

I got the wall connector - here are my reasons...

1. 35 miles per hour - so over the course of say 3-4 hours ... 20 extra miles
2. i park my car outdoors - so i dont want to leave it hanging there - and i dont want to deal with unplugging it and wrapping it up
3. 100K car - 500.00 aint going to break the bank.... plus i got a 21 or 23 the longer wire...

 

[bmah]

I just confirmed my order today and I am debating if I should spend the 500 bucks and get the wall chargers, it would be kind of nice not having to keep taking the cable in and out of the trunk everyday.

Which is better the wall charger or the plug needed to charge at RV places? I think I need some sort of adapter for that, unless I am mistaken it costs the same as the wall adapter.

As you can tell, we Tesla owners have a variety of different ways to charge. You won't get one definitive answer to your questions, particularly since the answers depend somewhat on your driving habits and other factors.

I stuck with the included UMC. I had my electrician put a NEMA 14-50 outlet in the garage, and 99% of the time I leave my UMC with NEMA 14-50 adapter plugged into that. Normally I charge my car overnight at home so that all works fine (40A charging is more than sufficient for my usage). If I go on any trip where I think I'll need to charge before coming back home, I'll bring the UMC plus my collection of adapters along, even if I can theoretically do the whole trip on Superchargers. I do that maybe a half dozen times a year, so not that often. If I traveled more than I do, I'd probably buy a HPWC, put a NEMA 14-50 plug on it and plug it into the outlet, leaving the UMC plus adapters in the car.

If my UMC fails for some reason, the backup plan is to commandeer the connector that normally charges my wife's car on the other side of the garage, with the included J1772 adapter. After asking nicely of course.

Good luck!

Bruce.

 

[SunshineT]

I was told by my DS that I need a VIN to purchase a Wall Connector. Anyone aware of this policy?

 

[GSP]

I was told by my DS that I need a VIN to purchase a Wall Connector. Anyone aware of this policy?

Tesla would not let me buy touch up paint, floor mats, or UMC adapters until after they formally switched ownership of my Model S from the original owner to me. I thought it was a bit much on Tesla's part to require this, but policies like this are part of the Tesla experience, for now at least. It still is a great experience overall, and I expect that Tesla will loosen up on parts sales and third party repairs once they grow a bit more.

GSP

 

[NikeWings]

I was told by my DS that I need a VIN to purchase a Wall Connector. Anyone aware of this policy?

. Yes. I've provided the last 6 digits for both online and phone orders. In some cases, it validates the correct part when it's model dependent, but I think it's also to control distribution, reselling, remanufcaturing etc. Also select items require they be shipped directly to your SvC for TSLA installation. (Pedals, calipers etc.)

 

[davidc18]

We have the hpwc, use it every night.

 

[Ormond]

I just had an outlet added in the garage. I would have needed an upgrade to my electrical panel to handle the additional requirements of the wall charger. I leave my cord and plugs at home. I'll take them on trips.

 

[wesley888]

You can set the HPWC to whatever your electrical panel/wire support.

 

[rypalmer]

If you're on the fence, perhaps you could start with a 14-50R outlet and see if that fits your needs first. It would be a minor change to upgrade to a HPWC on the same 50A circuit at a later time. My suspicion is that you'll prefer to keep the cash in your wallet, but everybody's needs are different.

 

[jldf310]

I want the peace of mind to have the UMC with the car all the time - and don't want to bother putting in / taking out daily. If you're like me then I would definitely suggest the Wall Charger for three reasons.

1 - They're the same price
2 - The wall charger gives you the flexibility. If you have the charger update you need the it to double the charging rate (72A) and if you didn't get the charger update you can charge at a slightly faster rate of 48a. Also, if you didn't update you can install the wall charger with a 90 amp breaker and still dial the charger down to 48a -- then if you decide to go with the charger update (over the air, of course) you can simply change the dip switches and be able to charge at 72a.
3 - I believe it has a slightly longer cord - 24 ft vs. 20 ft.

The Wall Charger provides you with a lot more flexibility for the same price. A no-brainer if you plan on keeping the UMC in the car.

 

[miken79]

I went with the HPWC just for the distance. It was going to cost the same amount to get a 14-50 plug put near my driveway as it would to have the HPWC installed on the side of the house. That damn 4 extra feet. I also found this and am hoping this applies to me. Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment Rebate Program

Haven't done any of the work yet since I don't get my MS till Feb.