UK Cables, Plugs and Supercharging

[mottster]

Hello, I'm new here, just sent off my details to a leasing company to get my order underway, and wanted to check a few things re charging, and thought you guys might be able to help.

I see form the Tesla support page (http://www.teslamotors.com/en_GB/models-charging/#outlet) that is says "Two outlet adapters are included: one for a standard domestic outlet and a second adapter for a utility outlet.". Does standard domestic outlet just refer to a normal plug? So for example if I'm visiting a friend for the weekend and they don't have anything other than normal plug sockets, I can still charge while I'm there?



And the other adapter for a utility outlet, is that a Red, a Blue or a Type 2 adapter?



And my last question (for now, I'm sure I'll have more!), I see on that same page "All Model S vehicles with the 85 kWh battery can use Superchargers as can properly equipped 70 kWh battery vehicles". Does anyone know what they mean by "properly equipped'? I see on this page - http://www.teslamotors.com/en_GB/supercharger - that it says "Every new Model S includes Supercharging". So I guess my question really is "can a 70 kWh single motor Model S use a Supercharger, and what rate does it charge at? There is also mention of Dual Chargers, which I can't work out a) how to add that to my car when configuring it on the Tesla site or b) whether that affects the charge rate I can get from a Supercharger.


Thanks

Mottster

 

[robin_]

Domestic outlet means a normal plug, yes. It will work but will be very slow (think a whole weekend to charge from flat).

The utility outlet means either a 32A single phase commando outlet (using a blue plug adaptor) or a 16A three phase commando outlet (using a red plug adaptor).

Type 2 is what you need to use most public charging points and to use most home EV charging points.

I think there used to be 70kWh model that did not include supercharging access as standard but this isn't the case for new cars.

I think dual chargers can only be fitted by the showroom now; not by the factory. It doesn't affect your supercharging rate at all (which uses external chargers effectively). It just means you can charge at a max of 22kW (using a 32A three phase supply on a Type 2 cable) instead of the normal 11kW.

 

[arg]

So I guess my question really is "can a 70 kWh single motor Model S use a Supercharger, and what rate does it charge at? There is also mention of Dual Chargers, which I can't work out a) how to add that to my car when configuring it on the Tesla site or b) whether that affects the charge rate I can get from a Supercharger.

Dual/single chargers don't affect the charge rate at Superchargers, but the 70-battery cars charge slower than 85- and 90- batteries. Supercharger charging rates vary due to a lot of factors, but in general the 70 will be about 70/90 = 78% of whatever rate you would have got under the same circumstances in a 90.

Domestic outlet means a normal plug, yes. It will work but will be very slow (think a whole weekend to charge from flat).

Completely true, but don't knock it - charging overnight from a 13A plug can often get that moderate amount of extra charge that means you don't need to stop elsewhere on the way home.

 

[robin_]

Completely true, but don't knock it - charging overnight from a 13A plug can often get that moderate amount of extra charge that means you don't need to stop elsewhere on the way home.

Absolutely. I've ended up using the 13A charger way more than I thought I would, for exactly the reason you state. I just wouldn't want to use it as my primary charging source!

 

[Derosa]

Type 2 is what you need to use most public charging points and to use most home EV charging points.

Just worth mentioning that the Tesla installation subsidy doesn't cover a Type 2 home charging point, only Blue Commando. The OLEV subsidy covers only Type 2.

 

[WannabeOwner]

I'm not an owner yet, but from helpful discussions with existing owners in the UK I have taken the view to also get a CHAdeMO adaptor, and register for Ecotricity (and maybe others) to give me more charging options than just Superchargers and 13AMP home/friend/family locations.

However, until Googling it, I had no idea how big the CHAdeMO adaptor is. It also looks quite "hefty" when attaching, e.g. for my wife to do. Best thing I found was Bjørn Nyland's video about CHAdeMO:

Tesla CHAdeMO adapter (EU) review - YouTube

I find that Bjørn's videos have an excellent level of detail, and his diction is plenty clear enough that I can watch them at 1.5x - which gets them down to an acceptable time spent : benefit received ratio - for me

 

[martinwinlow]

robin_: "I just wouldn't want to use it as my primary charging source!"
Why not? Sure you can opt for a government funded 16/32A EVSE but when you consider 95% of cars only do 30 miles a day (don't know about Teslas, specifically - be interesting to know!), using a 13A (actually limited to 10A) is a perfectly acceptable way of charging day-to-day. I know because that's what I do! Wouldn't we rather have HMG spend this money on improving the rapid charging infrastructure? If you can afford a Tesla, you can afford to have your own EVSE installed if you really need one. They only cost a few hundred pounds nowadays. MW

 

[gdavison]

However, until Googling it, I had no idea how big the CHAdeMO adaptor is. It also looks quite "hefty" when attaching, e.g. for my wife to do. Best thing I found was Bjørn Nyland's video about CHAdeMO:

Best advice I ever received on the CHAdeMO adaptor was "unless you have 3 hands, plug it into the car first, then play around with the stupidly large CHAdeMP socket/plug"