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kgb
Member
When I was reading about your clearance problem, I was going to suggest installing the connector in the charge port up-side down (180 deg rotation). I realize that it would look very silly, but that would surely take care of clearance problem. Tom, I see that you explained how the connection is done, and sorry, my eyes glazed over. But most outlets can be installed up-side down. Have you tried that?
Yeah, we did try that. The problem is it leaves the cable pointing straight up, so it's got to fall down somewhere. In the case of the ITT Canon cable, it falls toward the car and seemed far worse than just leaving it resting on the car. I'm also not convinced the locking mechanism is really meant to work upside down as the torque pulling the cable out of the socket is pulling on the non-locking bottom piece and pushing in (instead of pulling out) on the top locking piece.
We took our car in for service on Monday, so to make the whole J1772 conversion seemless for Carl, I replaced the Tesla plug/cable on our RFMC with J1772 parts. Voila, the RFMC-J!
The Seattle Tesla store has a NEMA 14-50 in the shop (presumably so they can use/test the MC240 and UMC), so the J-version mobile connector did the job. When I picked the car up, they had charged it up in standard mode.
Since this could also charge a Leaf/Volt/i-MiEV, it seems like this could be a pretty useful product. I'm guessing we'll soon have a choice in Level 2 J1772 mobile connectors. Hopefully, we'll get something that supports 40A charging and is cheaper than Tesla's low-production UMC.
On Thursday, the local Tesla owners group showed up in force to support the grand opening of charging stations in two Redmond locations. We had five Roadsters and two RAV4-EVs from our group, plus a beautiful Geo Metro conversion, an electric Ford Ranger, and a plug-in Prius from the local EV community. The grand opening at city hall was hectic, and I ended up presenting the charging demo because ours was the only J1772-compatible EV there, so I didn't get any good photos of the city hall chargers, but I did get one while testing the charger at the second Redmond location.
The Seattle Tesla store has a NEMA 14-50 in the shop (presumably so they can use/test the MC240 and UMC), so the J-version mobile connector did the job. When I picked the car up, they had charged it up in standard mode.
Since this could also charge a Leaf/Volt/i-MiEV, it seems like this could be a pretty useful product. I'm guessing we'll soon have a choice in Level 2 J1772 mobile connectors. Hopefully, we'll get something that supports 40A charging and is cheaper than Tesla's low-production UMC.
On Thursday, the local Tesla owners group showed up in force to support the grand opening of charging stations in two Redmond locations. We had five Roadsters and two RAV4-EVs from our group, plus a beautiful Geo Metro conversion, an electric Ford Ranger, and a plug-in Prius from the local EV community. The grand opening at city hall was hectic, and I ended up presenting the charging demo because ours was the only J1772-compatible EV there, so I didn't get any good photos of the city hall chargers, but I did get one while testing the charger at the second Redmond location.
Nice upgrade. I also feel there will be a reasonable market for portable many-to-J EVSEs, as there are likely to be adventurous souls amongst the drivers of all brands of EV.
In Europe there will also be demand for many-to-Mennekes as well, plus J-to-M and M-to-J.
It feela like we'll still be roadtripping with a trunk full of connectors for a while more!
In Europe there will also be demand for many-to-Mennekes as well, plus J-to-M and M-to-J.
It feela like we'll still be roadtripping with a trunk full of connectors for a while more!
I have already come across Roadster / J1772 / Mennekes incompatibility on my road trip. I've seen all 3 of those plugs and a CHAdeMO. Unbelievable!
aminorjourney
presenter, blogger, auto journalist, geek, mom, wo
Insane!
David, do let me know where you saw all these because I'd like to know.
I'm also really interested in the cable: does this mean I could get something similar knocked up for my LEAf, I wonder?
Of course, that would require spoofing the EVSE...
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aminorjourney
presenter, blogger, auto journalist, geek, mom, wo
Andrew,
What I mean is - will the Tesla RFMC-J work with a Nissan LEAF to charge it at 16A? : )
I know Tom says it SHOULD - but has anyone tested it?
Perhaps Tom or someone else could check?
If so, I want one.......
Nikki.
What I mean is - will the Tesla RFMC-J work with a Nissan LEAF to charge it at 16A? : )
I know Tom says it SHOULD - but has anyone tested it?
Perhaps Tom or someone else could check?
If so, I want one.......
Nikki.
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It definitely won't charge the Leaf at 240V/16A, the Leaf's on board charger is limited to 3.3 kW which is only 14A at 240V.
The other issue is that the RFMC (Martin Eberhard's creation, not a Tesla Motors product) doesn't have a relay so it always passes the high voltage through. I don't know if the Leaf will cope with that. I'm also not sure Cathy would let me test it on our (eventual) Leaf.
Not to pick nits but the Leaf does actually charge at 16A. (208/16A=3.3 kw) On the mynissanleaf forum, someone measured the current draw at close to 3.8 kw on 240v.
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=2284&hilit=110+240
You're right, Paul, I had a brain short circuit there. I don't know what I was thinking nitpicking about 14A vs. 16A.
We had a little Roadster owner gathering recently and had a chance to check out a 2010 Roadster. The inlet cable assembly just ends up bolted onto a terminal strip instead of using a $200 Amphenol connector to connect to the PEM. The photo below shows the 2010 PEM with the access cover removed.
The inlet cable is the lower of the three cables that come in on the right hand side of the PEM (not shown). The cable ends are bolted down to terminal lugs in the bottom of the box toward the top of the photo. You can see one of the two big white inlet input fuses in the center of the photo.
So, unless there's something else going on that isn't obvious, it seems like it would be even easier and cheaper to convert a 2010 than to a 2008.
The inlet cable is the lower of the three cables that come in on the right hand side of the PEM (not shown). The cable ends are bolted down to terminal lugs in the bottom of the box toward the top of the photo. You can see one of the two big white inlet input fuses in the center of the photo.
So, unless there's something else going on that isn't obvious, it seems like it would be even easier and cheaper to convert a 2010 than to a 2008.
Would you happen to have a picture of the 2008 connections? I'm curious of the difference.
Here's a photo of the 2008 inlet cable assembly:
The PEM end is a complex Amphenol connector which plugs into a matching connector on the driver side of the 2008 PEM. Both the connector on the cable and the one on the PEM are expensive, in the $200 range for each, which is probably why Tesla switched to a much simpler connection scheme for the 2010s.
not sure if this has been posted before but i ran across a youtube video purportedly showing a Tesla Service Manager demonstrating a J1772-to-Tesla adapter.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_SPFRkXRB8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_SPFRkXRB8
felixtb
RsEU502,Sp+14274,XpEUSig4
DaveD
EVs Kick Gas!
Yes, that is Carl Medlock, Tesla Seattle Store Service Manager. TomSax is the one who took and posted the video. I was also standing there watching Carl do it, at a charging station dedciation ceremony at Bellevue Square Mall in Bellevue, WA.
As a stop-gap measure you can plug a standard J1772-Mennekes cable into the Tesla-J1772 adapter...
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