Quick Q. Will my Tesla Wall Charger work on other cars?

[Generator]

Guys. I have a few visitors coming, and can’t find a definitive answer to this question;

Will my UK supplied Gen 2 Tesla Wall Charger work on cars other than Tesla?

I’m pretty sure it does, but since I don’t have a leaf /Zoe/ Niro / iPace etc to hand to test it.

 

[shuhockey]

Yes- its just a standard type 2

 

[Generator]

Yes- its just a standard type 2

Thats what I thought, but there’s an awful lot of conflicting info out there;

 

[VanillaAir_UK]

If it has been left in its default setting. There is an internal DIP switch that restricts the charging to mostly Tesla vehicles only but it is not set by default.

The wall connector is commonly used as a destination charger and I believe it is this switch setting that differentiates the charge point being marked 'Tesla Only' or open for use for other vehicles.

 

[reynirb]

If it has been left in its default setting. There is an internal DIP switch that restricts the charging to mostly Tesla vehicles only but it is not set by default.

The wall connector is commonly used as a destination charger and I believe it is this switch setting that differentiates the charge point being marked 'Tesla Only' or open for use for other vehicles.

I can't find a reference to this DIP switch anywhere. Here is the manual for the UK version and the only dip switches the manual references are for grounding purposes, along with a rotary switch for current.

https://www.tesla.com/sites/default...installation-manual-en-EU-v2.pdf?201612081439

I did however notice that someone on another forum mentioned: "The Gen 2 European model has a switch inside that allows it to work better with non-Tesla vehicles. Tesla doesn't state it clearly in the documentation, but I have read on the forum that it does exactly that."

Haven't been able to find anything definite yet about this mystery switch, and apparently it didn't make it into the manual.

 

[VanillaAir_UK]

I can't find a reference to this DIP switch anywhere. Here is the manual for the UK version and the only dip switches the manual references are for grounding purposes, along with a rotary switch for current.

Its the second DIP switch - normal (the default) or legacy comms. Image from inside a UK Tesla Wall Connector.

 

[Durzel]

If it has been left in its default setting. There is an internal DIP switch that restricts the charging to mostly Tesla vehicles only but it is not set by default.

The wall connector is commonly used as a destination charger and I believe it is this switch setting that differentiates the charge point being marked 'Tesla Only' or open for use for other vehicles.

That's a curious thing. I wonder how it knows? I thought AC was "dumb" in the sense that it doesn't negotiate with the car in the same way DC does (that assumption could be completely wrong).

I wonder how a Type-2 connector "knows" it is connected to a Tesla.

 

[VanillaAir_UK]

Mode 2 (UMC) and Mode 3 (dedicated wall connector) are not dumb. They both communicate with the car over the pilot signal in the Type 2 lead. It may surprise you , but Tesla don't always do things strictly to the regs, so there could well be bits in the Tesla legacy protocol that the wall connector can use to communicate with most Tesla cars that other vehicles wouldn't understand and cause the charge to fail.

 

[Durzel]

Maybe dumb was the wrong word, more that presumably there is a spec for Type-2 charging and as long as the car communicates to that spec whether the charger could know what make/model it was.

 

[LukeUK]

Tesla use CAN over the existing connection pins. This is how superchargers know that it's your car.

The UMC is the same, or similar, at least.

TeslaFi reports a UMC as 'MCSingleWireCAN'.

Luke

 

[VanillaAir_UK]

TeslaFi reports a UMC as 'MCSingleWireCAN'.

I had not noticed the subtleties.

Tesla wall chargers seem to all report 'ACSingleWireCAN' including Tesla Only 3 phase destination chargers and service centre.
Supercharger and InstaVolt DC get 'Combo'
Whilst a Rolec and other third party AC chargers get a blank field

 

[LukeUK]

The Polar charger I used yesterday, and the Ecotricity charger I used a couple of weeks ago are both also listed as 'combo'.

My EO home charger is blank.

 

[Mr Miserable]

The Polar charger I used yesterday, and the Ecotricity charger I used a couple of weeks ago are both also listed as 'combo'.

Where is this working Ecotricity charger?
I have heard rumours of one working but refuse to believe it.

 

[LukeUK]

In a land, far, far, way.....

Joking aside, M4 J47. There are three ecotricity chargers, only one of which has CCS. I had to wait for someone else to finish, and had an MG ZS waiting for me to finish.

So far, the first and last ecotricity charger I've used.

 

[reynirb]

Its the second DIP switch - normal (the default) or legacy comms. Image from inside a UK Tesla Wall Connector.

View attachment 567537

Hmm.. didn't see that listed in any of the manuals. I know in the USA, all the chargers including Tesla follow the SAE J1772 protocols, so any charger can basically charge any car.

So, Tesla has an adapter and you can adapt a Tesla HPWC to charge pretty much any EV over here. I know that Europe and other countries use 3 phase and other types of power, while we use a dual 120V single phase to make 240V.

So, without more information, it would be difficult to figure out exactly what the Legacy and Normal protocols refer to.

 

[VanillaAir_UK]

More info, but some confusion over best setting for switch 2

Destination charger settings

New Wall Connector load sharing protocol

NB 99.9% of domestic properties are 230v single phase here in UK.

 

[reynirb]

More info, but some confusion over best setting for switch 2

Destination charger settings

New Wall Connector load sharing protocol

NB 99.9% of domestic properties are 230v single phase here in UK.

Yeah, we use single phase, but we use two hot wires here, each 120V, vs in Europe it is a single Hot 230V and a single Neutral.

So, although we both use 230V or 240V, the implementation is slightly different, besides Europe being 50Hz and USA 60Hz.

 

[Adopado]

Yeah, we use single phase, but we use two hot wires here, each 120V, vs in Europe it is a single Hot 230V and a single Neutral.

So, although we both use 230V or 240V, the implementation is slightly different, besides Europe being 50Hz and USA 60Hz.

And just to add to the complication our 230v "nominal" is in practice usually above 240v due to legacy grid design which was for 240 but we more recently "standardised" on 230 but in practice it didn't change ... the standardisation agreement allowed a percentage variation above and below to comply with the new standard so the old voltages just carried on unchanged!

 

[Sean.]

UK three phase is a nominal 230/240v line to neutral voltage per phase or 400/415v line to line voltage. Phases are 120 degrees apart. Stateside domestic is 120v per phase, 180 degrees between phases to give 240v line to line. Subtle but important difference.

Tesla wall chargers happily support a multitude of single and three phase amperages. The slight frustration with the onboard AC charger is that it’s limited to around 22A per phase, so even with a Tesla Wall charger wired up to a 3 phase 32A (per phase) service you're still capped by what the on board charger(s) can cope with, the most you’ll get from any AC source is roughly 46 miles/hour.

The alternative for speed is of course DC

 

[Generator]

Well, that got very technical, very quickly...

Happy to report that the TWC is compatible with other marques...

Thanks to all for imparting their wisdom..