Tesla Model 3 in Australia

[Priit]

5070 RHD Vins just registered. Wow

Model 3 VINs on Twitter

Awesome, that is the first reasonable size of RHD VIN-s registered. Suspect most of the current AUS placed orders would be in that batch, though they would probably prioritize the dual motor variants as it seems that batch was mostly dual motor batch, but there is hope for us little guys with a single motor in sight also... As out of over 25k VIN-s 82% were dual motor, 70% international and 20% RHD.

 

[DKS1]

Do you know if the controlled load time change be changed remotely on a smart meter? As in adding the 10am-3pm solar sink time? or do they have to come out?

As far as I am aware, by definition, controlled load is remotely controlled by the electricity supplier using a ripple control box. If you have one it will be in your meter box and pretty obvious. It will have an LED showing when the circuit is on. In practice I dont think the times change much. Mine seems to be on quite a lot - never bothered to work out exactly when. If you dont have the ripple control box then it is likely just fixed times in a (sealed) mechanical timer in the meter box. Both are the same 'J' tariff rate.

I have run my own IT Business for 20 years, and always dabbled in electronics too. Would love it if you can't send me some basic details of what you are using, don't need to spend ages on full details.

This is way OT so I put some notes in a Google doc. Raspberry Pi 240V Load Switching (eg for controlled load circuit switching)
Contactor links are in there.

So means monitoring everything properly requires doing it at both locations.

Wifi is handy - an RPI ZeroWH costs $21 plus a bit and can gather local data and share it. One of the benefits of using a general purpose Linux solution. Your Sonoff for example can be controlled by an RPI. This could be a neat and inexpensive solution too.
Control Sonoff From Raspberry Pi "Alexa / Hey Google" charge the car - enjoy your Sunday ;-)

I have not seen a requirement to run a changeover switch, nothing in the SA power docuentnation about it being a requirement, but jsut that you can't run two at once.

Ahh - I got that info from your earlier post! See below I still think that the 32Amp circuit may only be allowed to run at 80% of full load if continuous (ie 25.6Amps). Someone may be able to confirm ...

In SA at least controlled load circuits are legally limited to 32A max per phase. And only one load is allowed to run at one time. So I've put a wifi switch on my hot water so I can monitor it's typical runtime and control when it runs as well as when the car charges to avoid overlap.

The only easy way for most people that I can think of would be to run 3 phase controlled load with HW on one phase, and EV on another (or maybe both of the other two phases, but as I've said before that probably won't work), but that means limiting your EV charging to about 7kw.

That would be excellent, but with talk of the utilities (at least some in Vic and new installs in SA) cutting back on controlled load, I would prefer to not poke the bear and leave my service as it is. (Full electric house including air cond, hot water, and PHEV charging - still a net negative bill each year

I am planning on charging the Tesla at around only 20Amps (5kW) which in general will be enough to top up to 80% or so each day/night. The other benefit of this rate of charge is that I can switch it over to excess solar for a reasonable number of hours during sunny days without exceeding the excess available (from 10kW solar). All a juggling act due to our unfriendly electricity pricing.

 

[DKS1]

DSK1 - I don't suppose you are looking at building a Rasberry Pi TeslaUSB system?
I'm not sure how worthwhile it will be in the end for me, but I'm tempted to just out of interest!
Would prefer to be able to keep all dashcam footage (not that TeslaUSB quite does this yet, but should be hard for it to keep all and not the last 60mins) and sentry footage and sync it to a PC at home automatically.
marcone/teslausb

Cool - thanks. Ill keep an eye on that one. Looks like it allows for copying footage over to your home WiFi so may do what you want. You can also run an SSD on an RPI => lots of storage if you want. Ill leave it for down the track when the 'new car' feeling starts wearing off.

 

[BarnabySydney]

For anyone connected via Endeavour Energy here is their reply to my enquiries regarding off peak.

"
Under the Power of Choice NSW rules which came into effect on 1 December 2017, all newly installed meters must be Smart Meters. Analogue meters are no longer available and cannot be installed.

An off peak hot water tariff is only permitted if there is a hot water system of 250 litres or greater connected at this address.

Other devices can then be connected to share the off peak hot water tariff but only if there is an off peak meter already in place and only during the off peak times which are:- Off Peak 1 = 10:00pm to 6:00am

Off Peak 2 = 10:00pm to 6:00am plus 10:00am to 4:00pm

The off peak meters that you are referring to in the Ausgrid network are the existing analogue meters.

Unfortunately, your situation only allows the Smart meter time of use rates option.


Hope this helps.

If you have any further enquiries please reply to this email or contact 131003.
"

 

[Didaho]

Cool - thanks. Ill keep an eye on that one. Looks like it allows for copying footage over to your home WiFi so may do what you want. You can also run an SSD on an RPI => lots of storage if you want. Ill leave it for down the track when the 'new car' feeling starts wearing off.

I have an old seagate wireless plus (3.5" portable wifi NAS that also does internet passthru) that I was considering stashing in the car somewhere and uploading from the Pi on a frequent basis - then at least noone could just take the evidence from the end of the USB cable. Just for the exercise really ... we usually pay close to no attention to security where we live.

 

[meowsers]

Just stumbled on this Red/White interior thread from the USA with long wait times.

Hope it doesn't affect me! I want my car!!!

Waiting for m3 red exterior white interior

Apparently they are making some now is what the thread says, so what are the remote chances that I still get mine in August? Wonder if they are making RHD versions.

 

[Homer]

Are you sure your delivery date is still August? As soon as I changed my red/black M3 to a red/white, the delivery date changed to September and every other post I’ve read on the topic of updating to the white interior in Australia also refers to the delivery date changing to September.

 

[daparrot]

I don't know, I am sure there are 3 phase meters available that do 3 phase controlled load, but SA Power just seems to do it with a separate meter. Couldn't tell you why.



To to be clear - 32A per phase, so you can run 3 phase and draw only about 15A per phase to charge a Model 3 at full rate.
Do you know if the controlled load time change be changed remotely on a smart meter? As in adding the 10am-3pm solar sink time? or do they have to come out?



I have run my own IT Business for 20 years, and always dabbled in electronics too. Would love it if you can't send me some basic details of what you are using, don't need to spend ages on full details.
I'm not sure in the end if it is worth it for me. I'll be able to charge the car at full 11kw 11pm-7am and 10am-3pm, so more than half to the day. And I don't do long trips much. So I doubt I'll ever really need to charge from peak power. But I'm interested anyway in what you've got and what else it does with monitoring. I've got some potential issues though with things like this because my meter box is away from my house, about to be mounted on a shed and the car will be in there. But the house is separate with its own circuit box. So means monitoring everything properly requires doing it at both locations.



I have not seen a requirement to run a changeover switch, nothing in the SA power docuentnation about it being a requirement, but jsut that you can't run two at once. I have just install a 16A sonoff wifi switch on my hot water, to schedule it and monitor usage. I am probably thinking I'll run it during the day in the 10am-3pm controlled load time only, and charge the car at night. Or maybe even car from 11pm-4am would probably be plenty 99% of the time, and HW from 4am-7am.
But yes, you are right that without getting a little tricky like this it is hard for most people to run a EV and HW on controlled load. Even getting a Australian certified wifi switch that will cope with a HW heater is hard, sonoff was the only one I could find.

The only easy way for most people that I can think of would be to run 3 phase controlled load with HW on one phase, and EV on another (or maybe both of the other two phases, but as I've said before that probably won't work), but that means limiting your EV charging to about 7kw.

Just a warning re using items such as the Sonoff POW which they rate at 16Amp
I have been using one for the last couple of years to charge a Leaf each night and the problem is when you pull 16Amps for a number of hours it does give the technology a bit of a hard time as its running at its limits ( the first SonOff lasted 12 months before the magic smoke escaped, the 2nd one is a V2 one and seems to be holding ) I have mine located outside away from the house incase..

With the Tesla I'm still looking for something capable of 32Amp switching, any ideas anyone?

 

[meowsers]

Are you sure your delivery date is still August? As soon as I changed my red/black M3 to a red/white, the delivery date changed to September and every other post I’ve read on the topic of updating to the white interior in Australia also refers to the delivery date changing to September.

Oh my delivery date is in September too, but when I spoke to the Tesla people on the phone last week (for what it's worth) they said it would push the delivery back by a few days to a week or so. She also said I should start hearing from the delivery team this week. I am very dubious of Tesla timelines so I'm not expecting much.

But secretly I hope that they see my order and because they are running red/white happen to make one for me.

 

[one4spl]

Just a warning re using items such as the Sonoff POW which they rate at 16Amp
I have been using one for the last couple of years to charge a Leaf each night and the problem is when you pull 16Amps for a number of hours it does give the technology a bit of a hard time as its running at its limits ( the first SonOff lasted 12 months before the magic smoke escaped, the 2nd one is a V2 one and seems to be holding ) I have mine located outside away from the house incase..

With the Tesla I'm still looking for something capable of 32Amp switching, any ideas anyone?

Buy an OpenEVSE and control it over MQTT?

 

[meowsers]

With the Tesla I'm still looking for something capable of 32Amp switching, any ideas anyone?

Easy, you just need a 40Amp contactor (not a relay). Because you are doing 32A continuous just rate 125% of the load which = 40A. I would use this in conjunction with an optoisolator.

 

[Homer]

Oh my delivery date is in September too, but when I spoke to the Tesla people on the phone last week (for what it's worth) they said it would push the delivery back by a few days to a week or so. She also said I should start hearing from the delivery team this week. I am very dubious of Tesla timelines so I'm not expecting much

Wow I hope that’s right. Fingers firmly crossed!

 

[meowsers]

Wow I hope that’s right. Fingers firmly crossed!

I'm not expecting much TBH though!

 

[m4rtin]

Is the estimated delivery date only visible in the configurator? After ordering is it visible anywhere else?

 

[thomasw]

As far as I am aware, by definition, controlled load is remotely controlled by the electricity supplier using a ripple control box. If you have one it will be in your meter box and pretty obvious. It will have an LED showing when the circuit is on. In practice I don't think the times change much. Mine seems to be on quite a lot - never bothered to work out exactly when. If you don't have the ripple control box then it is likely just fixed times in a (sealed) mechanical timer in the meter box. Both are the same 'J' tariff rate.

My current controlled load meter is a old digital one, it definitely runs at 11pm-7am via a inbuilt clock. And when we change to daylight saving it ends up being 12am to 8am I believe, it doesn't know the change and it doesn't get external signals to change. I have heard of them being remotely controlled, but I am pretty certain mine isn't. Anyway the SA Power documentation is clear, it isn't when they want to turn it on, it is a set 11pm-7am, but with a possible random delay start up to 12am to spread load, though I think mine just goes on at 11pm. Stupidly too my current one (though likely not my new smart one) only has one count on it, so it you go and hit the boost button any time it still charges an off peak rate.

I still think that the 32Amp circuit may only be allowed to run at 80% of full load if continuous (ie 25.6Amps). Someone may be able to confirm ...

Well the SA Power documentation is clear that you can draw up to 32A on each phase. I'm no electrician but I'd guess if you told one that you are going to draw the full 32A off it then they'd put in a 40A breaker. I see nothing in the SA Power documentation I've read that says you can't have a 40A breaker on it, just that you can't legally draw more than 32A. You could draw 40A+ if your wiring etc was up to it, and they wouldn't really know either, though these days may show with a smart meter, but it just isn't allowed and I assume legally an electrician shouldn't wire something that would do it.

have been using one for the last couple of years to charge a Leaf each night and the problem is when you pull 16Amps for a number of hours it does give the technology a bit of a hard time as its running at its limits

I'm not surprised pulling the max 16A from it would be pushing it. Not a really high quality device either I think. I'm doing about 13A on the hot water so a bit below that and hopefully it will last....

With the Tesla I'm still looking for something capable of 32Amp switching, any ideas anyone?

I did a LOT of searching for various z wave type and other wifi remotely controlled hard wired switches and cannot find anything (that is Aus certified) except the sonnof which does more than 10A, and most don't even do that much. Seems either high end industrial, or use a custom setup with contactors as per DKS1's link to a good doc about his solution, quoted below.

This is way OT so I put some notes in a Google doc. Raspberry Pi 240V Load Switching (eg for controlled load circuit switching)
Contactor links are in there.

Thanks for that!

 

[Novatec]

After reading the above, checked my order and now also says ‘September’, and I haven’t changed anything since first ordering on day 1 (black/black) - so it’s not the white interior - it’s just when they will now arrive in Oz.

 

[m4rtin]

After reading the above, checked my order and now also says ‘September’, and I haven’t changed anything since first ordering on day 1 (black/black) - so it’s not the white interior - it’s just when they will now arrive in Oz.

Where do you check that?

 

[paulp]

Cool - thanks. Ill keep an eye on that one. Looks like it allows for copying footage over to your home WiFi so may do what you want. You can also run an SSD on an RPI => lots of storage if you want. Ill leave it for down the track when the 'new car' feeling starts wearing off.

With the model S I cant get anything larger than a 16mb usb to save dashcam footage. I’m not overly computer literate, but your plans possibly may not work. But if you have a solution for more than 16mb I’m interested, as the sentry mode seems to store every passing vehicle and pedestrian, and it doesnt self delete, so I have to take it to the pc weekly and clear the drive to make dashcam work

 

[technerdx6000]

After reading the above, checked my order and now also says ‘September’, and I haven’t changed anything since first ordering on day 1 (black/black) - so it’s not the white interior - it’s just when they will now arrive in Oz.

Where do you check that?

Interested to know this as well. Can't find my estimated delivery date on my account page.

 

[JayTee]

With the model S I cant get anything larger than a 16mb usb to save dashcam footage. I’m not overly computer literate, but your plans possibly may not work. But if you have a solution for more than 16mb I’m interested, as the sentry mode seems to store every passing vehicle and pedestrian, and it doesnt self delete, so I have to take it to the pc weekly and clear the drive to make dashcam work

I take it you mean 16gb not 16mb?

Larger usb's are normally not formatted for FAT32. I downloaded a program to format for FAT32 and it now works fine with my 64gb Samsumg usb.