Plugless Charging

[JeffK]

How do you know plug less is too slow? Are you talking about the technology of plug less or the company called plugless? Let me carefully say this.

Wireless Charging is not slow. It does indeed depend on which vendor and what equipment that vendor uses for wireless technology. That's all I'm going to say right now. The wireless charging I currently use is not-patented yet so I can't speak much about it, however I do know for sure that it's not slower. It does indeed create a bit of heat.... so as it stands right now....the current version uses more energy ( heat ) than the wired charging.

With dual onboard chargers and using an 240V/80A wall connector a 90 kWh battery can be charged in 5 hours. How long do current wireless implementations take?

 

[Garlan Garner]

With dual onboard chargers and using an 240V/80A wall connector a 90 kWh battery can be charged in 5 hours. How long do current wireless implementations take?

Approx. 2 hours charging after 100 miles. ( from work straight back home ).

Last week, I pulled back the charging rate so that it takes 4 hours of charging after 100 miles. That drastically reduced the heat produced.

 

[JeffK]

Approx. 2 hours charging after 100 miles. ( from work straight back home ).

Last week, I pulled back the charging rate so that it takes 4 hours of charging after 100 miles. That drastically reduced the heat produced.

At 2 hours if you're still using AC then you must have dual onboard chargers since with wireless you're talking a minimum of around 16.5 kW on average (probably more due to losses).

Wired would save you about 20 minutes (if using 33 kWh at the outlet).

 

[Garlan Garner]

At 2 hours if you're still using AC then you must have dual onboard chargers since with wireless you're talking a minimum of around 16.5 kW on average (probably more due to losses).

Wired would save you about 20 minutes (if using 33 kWh at the outlet).

Its more like 11 minutes. I tried it a couple of times.

 

[EaglesPDX]

1) Plugless charging is too slow. Make it almost as bad as just plug into the 110v outlet. Not worth the money.

What is the power level for this charger (how fast does it charge)?


Fast enough to let you forget about charging. As you know, the typical 10kW Tesla corded system charges at a rate of about 25-29 miles per hour, depending on where you are in the charge cycle. Plugless for the Model S is a 7.2kW charger, and charges 20-25 miles of charge per hour.


For most drivers, who average far less than 100 miles a day, the average range-readiness is higher with Plugless automatic charging vs. manually plugging in. We think the future is vehicles that charge themselves. Plugless is the first way to do this.

 

[Super_Popular]

This is awesome....but $2440, come on.

 

[Footer]

@PluglessSteve , I've got a question. In tech specs page, it says 30A breaker. That would mean 24A continuous and at 208V, that yields to 4.9kW. I think to allow 3.3kW charging with 88% efficiency, the power requirement should be:
3300 / 0.88 / 208 / 0.8 = 23A, so 25A breaker would do?

I checked out their website. It says 30A is delivered to the car. At 240V that works out to 7.2 KW. I have the standard NEMA 14-50 circuit at home. 40A is delivered to my car @ 240V, so 9.6 KW. I get 29 miles/hour of charge. Plugless power should deliver about 22 miles/hour.

The inefficiency of the system means that more than 30A is needed going in to achieve 30A going to the car. So you would need at least a 40A breaker. Their website recommends 50A.

For overnight charging there is no practical difference from the corded charger. It will charge the car completely overnight. For people with dual chargers who need to fill up quickly this charger is not for them.

For people without garages but own an electric car this could be great.

I won't be getting one because the cord works fine for me. For future autonomous driving it will come in handy. Just like a Roomba. Clean, recharge, clean some more.

 

[NikeWings]

More insight here PLUGLESS POWER and here Plugless Charging
Do you really think its awesome? I looked into it earlier in the year and wasn't convinced yet. Love the concept though.

 

[Super_Popular]

More insight here PLUGLESS POWER and here Plugless Charging
Do you really think its awesome? I looked into it earlier in the year and wasn't convinced yet. Love the concept though.

It's pretty cool, awesome may be a little overly dramatic though. For $2440 I can us a plug and a cable.

 

[TexasEV]

Anyone who can run the power to a plugless charging apparatus can run the power to an outlet or HPWC, and for a lot less money. Just what problem is this invention trying to solve?

 

[S4WRXTTCS]

The problem is the world is not like Wall-E yet.

So we have to do whatever we can to get there.

Automatic opening doors (like the Model X)
Roomba's (I do have one, and it's actually pretty awesome)
Wireless charging for Electric cars

 

[NikeWings]

Anyone who can run the power to a plugless charging apparatus can run the power to an outlet or HPWC, and for a lot less money. Just what problem is this invention trying to solve?

The disturbing lack of fashionable Tesla accessories.

 

[garsh]

I see one very big, upcoming use case for this type of technology: autonomous charging.

Your Tesla drives you to work, then you decide to add your car to Tesla's "johnnie cab" fleet for the day while you work. It runs down the battery taking people back and forth to the airport for four hours. So it needs to charge itself before it can take you back home. Well, it certainly can't plug itself in, but it could drive to a wireless charging station.

Now, this is also the scenario that Tesla's "charging snake" would solve. And it would result in more efficient charging, as well as looking much more sci-fi, so I'll go with that solution winning.

 

[22522]

I see one very big, upcoming use case for this type of technology: autonomous charging.

Your Tesla drives you to work, then you decide to add your car to Tesla's "johnnie cab" fleet for the day while you work. It runs down the battery taking people back and forth to the airport for four hours. So it needs to charge itself before it can take you back home. Well, it certainly can't plug itself in, but it could drive to a wireless charging station.

Now, this is also the scenario that Tesla's "charging snake" would solve. And it would result in more efficient charging, as well as looking much more sci-fi, so I'll go with that solution winning.

Since the car is now a robot, a robot charger is not needed. Just have the car drive into a docking station. A short post that engages just below the rear bumper - in the diffuser area of the car... Where the exhaust pipe is on ICE cars. Way less moving parts. The car contains all the robot functions. Way lower cost. More reliable. There are questions about, "What if the dog pees on it?" Those environmental are also addressed.

 

[JeffK]

I see one very big, upcoming use case for this type of technology: autonomous charging.

Your Tesla drives you to work, then you decide to add your car to Tesla's "johnnie cab" fleet for the day while you work. It runs down the battery taking people back and forth to the airport for four hours. So it needs to charge itself before it can take you back home. Well, it certainly can't plug itself in, but it could drive to a wireless charging station.

Now, this is also the scenario that Tesla's "charging snake" would solve. And it would result in more efficient charging, as well as looking much more sci-fi, so I'll go with that solution winning.

Although Tesla doesn't do advertisements, they do make short videos. With all this talk about Johnny Cab in the forums and in the news, I think Tesla should get Robert Picardo to sit in front of an autonomous Model 3 and say some lines!

 

[garsh]

Since the car is now a robot, a robot charger is not needed. Just have the car drive into a docking station. A short post that engages just below the rear bumper - in the diffuser area of the car... Where the exhaust pipe is on ICE cars. Way less moving parts. The car contains all the robot functions. Way lower cost. More reliable. There are questions about, "What if the dog pees on it?" Those environmental are also addressed.

First, that requires the port to be relocated. If you make it convenient for docking, it becomes less convenient for a human to plug it in since it's lower on the car.

Second, given that the ground inevitably shifts (see those cracks in your house's foundation?), the port will stop lining up very well after a few years (unless you also require adjustable shocks on all Teslas). So some amount of "snake" will be needed for these adjustments.

Third, having the charge port located at a bumper means that it's more likely to get damaged when some non-autopilot, texting fool rear-ends you.

Fourth, I really, really want to see charging snakes dancing around at all the supercharging stations, so begone with your simplified, non-distopian-future solution!

 

[Model 3]

I think Tesla should get Robert Picardo to sit in front of an autonomous Model 3 and say some lines!

Absolutely not! Everybody will just think he is a hologram and conclude that no one will actually take the chance to sit in an autonomous Tesla while it is driving

Edit: Wish it hadn't bin to late, but the one that should be sitting there was Spoke...

 

[Model 3]

as well as looking much more sci-fi,

But who will see this sci-fi snake when the car drives alone all by it self into the charging station?

 

[hiroshiy]

I checked out their website. It says 30A is delivered to the car. At 240V that works out to 7.2 KW. I have the standard NEMA 14-50 circuit at home. 40A is delivered to my car @ 240V, so 9.6 KW. I get 29 miles/hour of charge. Plugless power should deliver about 22 miles/hour.

The inefficiency of the system means that more than 30A is needed going in to achieve 30A going to the car. So you would need at least a 40A breaker. Their website recommends 50A.

For overnight charging there is no practical difference from the corded charger. It will charge the car completely overnight. For people with dual chargers who need to fill up quickly this charger is not for them.

For people without garages but own an electric car this could be great.

I won't be getting one because the cord works fine for me. For future autonomous driving it will come in handy. Just like a Roomba. Clean, recharge, clean some more.

Thanks, that looks like approx 75% efficiency.

These could work for some short-term shopping such as supermarket, Starbucks, fast food etc, because it is easier and loss is negligible. On the other hand, if used at home, my wife will be angry when she sees the wasted money ;-)

 

[hiroshiy]

First, that requires the port to be relocated. If you make it convenient for docking, it becomes less convenient for a human to plug it in since it's lower on the car.

Second, given that the ground inevitably shifts (see those cracks in your house's foundation?), the port will stop lining up very well after a few years (unless you also require adjustable shocks on all Teslas). So some amount of "snake" will be needed for these adjustments.

Third, having the charge port located at a bumper means that it's more likely to get damaged when some non-autopilot, texting fool rear-ends you.

Fourth, I really, really want to see charging snakes dancing around at all the supercharging stations, so begone with your simplified, non-distopian-future solution!

You can always have two ports, and place one port under the car in a recessed space. Just saying.