Tesla Korea raises price of CHAdeMO adapter to 620 KRW ($470)

[bradtem]

I noticed that on the Tesla Korea store, the CHAdeMO adapter is listed in stock but the price has gone up. Unlike the CCS adapter, which can only be bought with Korean credit cards and shipped to Korean addresses, I don't think you need that card for the CHAdeMO. Harumio used to offer both but lists them both as unavailable now.

My car doesn't have the CCS controller, so I am starting to worry that it will be a long wait to be able to get the CCS adapter and the controller upgrade. I know people have done the controller upgrade manually so I may consider that though it seems like a pile of work and minor risk. Obviously the CCS adapter is vastly superior in every way if you can get it to work. CHAdeMO adapters remain expensive on eBay, even during the period when Harumio was getting them for $450 -- not quite sure why. SETEC just doesn't seem a good choice, not when Tesla actively likes to disable it. One should still be able to get the CHAdeMO out of Korea for a bit over $500 when done.

Or is the appearance in the store misleading?

 

[cajoro]

I noticed that on the Tesla Korea store, the CHAdeMO adapter is listed in stock but the price has gone up. Unlike the CCS adapter, which can only be bought with Korean credit cards and shipped to Korean addresses, I don't think you need that card for the CHAdeMO. Harumio used to offer both but lists them both as unavailable now.

My car doesn't have the CCS controller, so I am starting to worry that it will be a long wait to be able to get the CCS adapter and the controller upgrade. I know people have done the controller upgrade manually so I may consider that though it seems like a pile of work and minor risk. Obviously the CCS adapter is vastly superior in every way if you can get it to work. CHAdeMO adapters remain expensive on eBay, even during the period when Harumio was getting them for $450 -- not quite sure why. SETEC just doesn't seem a good choice, not when Tesla actively likes to disable it. One should still be able to get the CHAdeMO out of Korea for a bit over $500 when done.

Or is the appearance in the store misleading?

I bought a '13 S with a 90 battery last October (buying used was the only way I could get into EV) My state only has superchargers on the interstate but has a few other kinds in more remote areas. I purchased a CCS adaptor, which worked for a while and then stopped. That's when I learned that my car isn't compatible with CCS, although it evidently was for a while. So, I'm stuck. But, is my car compatible with Chademo? If so, I could use those on the more remote chargers (like Chargepoint). I can't seem to get a definitive answer, even from Tesla, about using Chademo on my '13. It's all very confusing and frustrating.

What's your car year and are you using Chademo?

 

[RayK]

Not sure about why your CCS adapter worked and then didn't, but I can tell you that a CHAdeMO adapter will work on your S. They are pricey given that the normal way to get one now would be to search them out on eBay. Just make sure that you buy one intended for use in North America; there are CHAdeMO adapters on eBay that are for the EU and those will not work here.

edit: As for my own use of the CHAdeMO adapter, I have a 2018 Model 3 and it's my main charging solution. I don't have home charging but there's a ChargePoint station close to my house and I've been using that for the majority of my charges. It's also cheaper than my home electricity rate ($0.19/kWh).

 

[Randy-12]

Is this the type of CCS adapter you had? Setec?

Tesla CCS Adapter - SETEC POWER

The Tesla ccs adapter allows your Tesla to connect to all ccs charging stations and fast charging. You don't have to wait in line for a Tesla Supercharger.

www.setec-power.com

If so they are playing cat and mouse with Tesa.
They are not a true CCS but It is more like CCS to CHAdeMO To Tesla adapter.
The reason it may have worked is that the car treated it as a kinda CHAdeMO.
But now Tesla and some power companies are knocking them off the networks as I have heard they claim that they are unsafe somehow.

 

[bradtem]

I bought a '13 S with a 90 battery last October (buying used was the only way I could get into EV) My state only has superchargers on the interstate but has a few other kinds in more remote areas. I purchased a CCS adaptor, which worked for a while and then stopped. That's when I learned that my car isn't compatible with CCS, although it evidently was for a while. So, I'm stuck. But, is my car compatible with Chademo? If so, I could use those on the more remote chargers (like Chargepoint). I can't seem to get a definitive answer, even from Tesla, about using Chademo on my '13. It's all very confusing and frustrating.

What's your car year and are you using Chademo?

Yes, the question about the SETEC is important. I seems very unlikely the Tesla CCS adapter would work on a 2013 model S! But the SETEC might. The SETEC pretends to be like the CHAdeMO adapter, and the CHAdeMO adapter should work for you, also limited to 50kw even at the rare 100kw CdM stations.

 

[SteelClouds]

I use both Teslas Chad adapter and the Setec CCS on my 2019 M3. In the past four months I have charged over 800kw through the two of them on BMG, EA, EVgo and charge point DCFC. I’ve pretty much switched exclusively to these vs paying .54 kw at the. Supercharger when I can pay .24kw or free. I have the luxury of a free DCFC at 70kw about 2 miles from my home.

 

[Rocky_H]

I can't seem to get a definitive answer, even from Tesla, about using Chademo on my '13. It's all very confusing and frustrating.

Well yeah, because this is getting into non-standard stuff that a lot of Tesla sales and service people wouldn't know about. This forum is going to be a better source of information. So here we go:

But, is my car compatible with Chademo?

Yes, absolutely, without question. ALL Tesla cars can use CHAdeMO with the Tesla CHAdeMO adapter. (Some exceptions for totaled cars that have rebuilt titles, but that's not what you're asking about.) I do have an old 2014 Model S and a CHAdeMO adapter and use it occasionally or lend it to people around here.

I purchased a CCS adaptor, which worked for a while and then stopped. That's when I learned that my car isn't compatible with CCS, although it evidently was for a while.

No, it never was really compatible with CCS. As @Randy-12 explained well, that was the adapter that Setec came up with, which is adapting from a CCS plug into emulating CHAdeMO into the car, so the Tesla will accept it. And the reason why it has sometimes worked and sometimes hasn't is because of that contention where Tesla is trying to detect and disable those, while Setec continues to try to work around that with firmware updates that can be applied into the adapter with a USB cable to get it to work again. It's a hassle, and I haven't kept up with which side is winning at the moment.

 

[cajoro]

Thank you everyone! This is all very interesting. I'm going to find a ChAdeMO adapter somewhere so I can at least do some charging in the more remote areas of my state. Now I have a Setec CCS adapter I'd like to sell to someone who can benefit from that. I've tried the firmware update, but that's problematic too. I just want a simple solution, and, for now, it seems CHAdeMO is that solution.

 

[bradtem]

Thank you everyone! This is all very interesting. I'm going to find a ChAdeMO adapter somewhere so I can at least do some charging in the more remote areas of my state. Now I have a Setec CCS adapter I'd like to sell to someone who can benefit from that. I've tried the firmware update, but that's problematic too. I just want a simple solution, and, for now, it seems CHAdeMO is that solution.

The cheapest way to get a CdM adapter is to order it from the Tesla Korea store. I am told that unlike the CCS adapter you don't need to jump through the hoops, and they might send it to you directly, or at least not demand a Korean credit card.

 

[cajoro]

The cheapest way to get a CdM adapter is to order it from the Tesla Korea store. I am told that unlike the CCS adapter you don't need to jump through the hoops, and they might send it to you directly, or at least not demand a Korean credit card.

I tried to do that today without success. I got as far as payment and it said there is a problem with the payment. I tried to use my CC and there were no other options offered.

 

[Rocky_H]

I've tried the firmware update, but that's problematic too. I just want a simple solution, and, for now, it seems CHAdeMO is that solution.

If you want to try further to get that Setec CCS adapter working, it sounds like the version 166 firmware is their latest that should get it working again. Also, remember that their CCS adapter does have an internal battery, so did you remember to recharge that up? Here's a link to the v 166 firmware update files:

CCS Adapter Firmware Update - SETEC POWER

Do you already have a SETEC Tesla CCS Adapter? Check our upgrade log for the latest firmware updates and content updates.

www.setec-power.com

 

[RayK]

Thank you everyone! This is all very interesting. I'm going to find a ChAdeMO adapter somewhere so I can at least do some charging in the more remote areas of my state. Now I have a Setec CCS adapter I'd like to sell to someone who can benefit from that. I've tried the firmware update, but that's problematic too. I just want a simple solution, and, for now, it seems CHAdeMO is that solution.

I have seen some reports here that people's CHAdeMO adapter had required a firmware update. Supposedly those firmware updates were needed in order for the adapter to work with some CHAdeMO chargers. I have never updated my own adapter, purchased directly from Tesla in September 2019 for just under $500, as it has worked with ChargePoint, EA, EVCS stations both here and in Oregon. Connection sequence does seem to make a difference as plugging in the CHAdeMO adapter into the car's charge port first, then plug the CHAdeMO handle into the adapter, seems to work more reliably than the other way around.

Also note that I have seen other reports here that said that some Tesla Service Centers did not know how to update the CHAdeMO adapter. You may want to enquire at your local service center and see what experience they have had with supporting the CHAdeMO adapter.

 

[bradtem]

I tried to do that today without success. I got as far as payment and it said there is a problem with the payment. I tried to use my CC and there were no other options offered.

Then you may need to use a company like harum.io which does the whole thing using your tesla account. (Scary but many have had success) However, you might be able to with this use a different company. With CCS adapters you must order with your tesla account, one order per account, must use korean card and address. For CdM adapter you may not need the account, though it sounds like it needs the Korean card or address. There are many companies who will give you an address in Korea and then ship it to you. It is much cheaper than to use ebay

 

[The Other Dan]

Then you may need to use a company like harum.io which does the whole thing using your tesla account. (Scary but many have had success) However, you might be able to with this use a different company. With CCS adapters you must order with your tesla account, one order per account, must use korean card and address. For CdM adapter you may not need the account, though it sounds like it needs the Korean card or address. There are many companies who will give you an address in Korea and then ship it to you. It is much cheaper than to use ebay

That's not how it works for Harum.io anymore. Back in May it was already just place order and it ships directly to you. You didn't give them any other info. That how I did it. Before that, yes, what you described is how it worked. Now I understand Harum.io doesn't even offer them anymore.
So it's back to using a proxy shipper if you want one.

 

[bradtem]

That's not how it works for Harum.io anymore. Back in May it was already just place order and it ships directly to you. You didn't give them any other info. That how I did it. Before that, yes, what you described is how it worked. Now I understand Harum.io doesn't even offer them anymore.
So it's back to using a proxy shipper if you want one.

A proxy shipper works if you either have a Korean credit card or it doesn't demand a Korean credit card. The situation was that ordering a CCS adapter required a Tesla account (and car), a Korean address, and a Korean card. That is what harum.io did that you could not do with an ordinary forwarder. If it no longer requires a Korean card, you can use regular forwarders. If it no longer requires a Korean address, you don't need a forwarder. If it no longer requires a Tesla account, but does require the other things, you can also use the other forwarders. Right now I have a pending order with harum.io but because Tesla doesn't think my car (2018 with the Gen 4 charge controller added) can use the CCS, I don't know if it will work for ordering. In theory with the new charge controller and wire bundle it should work for charging.

 

[The Other Dan]

Well aware of what a proxy shipper does. I got a Korean "address", found which of my CC would work, and was going down that path till I found Harum.io. When I ordered, it was just like ordering off Amazon. NO extra info was needed. No Tesla info, nothing. From what I've seen lately, Tesla changed how they sell the adapters in Korea so they can see where they are going and shut off US/NA imports. That has made things more difficult for Harum.io. that might be what you're caught up in.

 

[cajoro]

For what it's worth, I got the firmware update from Setec and loaded it onto the CCS adapter. I used both the 166-1 and the 166 versions. Went to an Electrify America charging site where I was recently rejected, and it worked! Around 60A.

 

[cajoro]

Well yeah, because this is getting into non-standard stuff that a lot of Tesla sales and service people wouldn't know about. This forum is going to be a better source of information. So here we go:


Yes, absolutely, without question. ALL Tesla cars can use CHAdeMO with the Tesla CHAdeMO adapter. (Some exceptions for totaled cars that have rebuilt titles, but that's not what you're asking about.) I do have an old 2014 Model S and a CHAdeMO adapter and use it occasionally or lend it to people around here.


No, it never was really compatible with CCS. As @Randy-12 explained well, that was the adapter that Setec came up with, which is adapting from a CCS plug into emulating CHAdeMO into the car, so the Tesla will accept it. And the reason why it has sometimes worked and sometimes hasn't is because of that contention where Tesla is trying to detect and disable those, while Setec continues to try to work around that with firmware updates that can be applied into the adapter with a USB cable to get it to work again. It's a hassle, and I haven't kept up with which side is winning at the moment.

Today, Setec won. With the firmware update, it worked. We'll see how long that lasts.