I use just the UMC. I don't even get close to using up the range of the car in a day unless I'm going out of town on a trip, so it stays hanging up on a wall hook in the garage. I go on trips maybe 4 or 5 times a year, so then I'll pack it up and bring it with me. I also use less than 40A for charging. Hank Lloyd Wright was rather hot under the collar to tell people in bold that 40A is perfectly fine all the time, but he was focusing on if the circuit is properly wired. The concern I have is on the other side. If a piece of electrical equipment (the UMC) is listed to handle a maximum of 40A and is a bit warm at that level, why push it to the maximum it's rated for all the time? I use 31A, so I'm not constantly pushing on the maximum capability of what it's rated for.
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HankLloydRight
No Roads
It's "Right".. for a reason.
Anyway, I just don't see the need to anthropomorphize inanimate electronic devices 25% or more below their rated specs so they're "not too stressed". I know few other people have had problems with defective UMCs, but as I said, I run my UMC at the full 40 amps (on a properly wired 50 amp circuit) all the time, and nothing ever gets warmer than a dog sitting on my lap.
It's "Right".. for a reason.
Anyway, I just don't see the need to anthropomorphize inanimate electronic devices 25% or more below their rated specs so they're "not too stressed". I know few other people have had problems with defective UMCs, but as I said, I run my UMC at the full 40 amps (on a properly wired 50 amp circuit) all the time, and nothing ever gets warmer than a dog sitting on my lap.
Sorry about not noticing the spelling difference on your name. Hah, not anthropomorphizing. Heat is a stressor of metal connections and circuitry and accelerates the degradation of their lifetimes. So, if I have no need for the extra charging speed, I don't see a reason to contribute to the lessening of the lifespan of the equipment.
I've charged at many of them and a goodly number should have been replaced a long time ago. I agree there are some 14-50 receptacles that are good for many thousands of cycles. There are also some that aren't so good, and a few hundred cycles is all you can expect. The point was that if you use it the way I do, regardless of the quality of the receptacle, it will last many years.
Khatsalano
Member
HPWC all the way. Here's why:
(1) It's sexy looking.
(2) The convenience of being able to just reach for the plug, put it in, and go.
(3) The convenience of being able to leave your UMC in your car at all times. This is great for reducing range anxiety and for safety in the field.
(4) ... lastly, it's for people who have dual chargers (I do have them). I rarely charge above 40A really, but it's nice that the capability is there.
... at $750, it's the best EVSE on the market. I am not sure if the majority of owners now use the UMC daily or some kind of EVSE.
- K
(1) It's sexy looking.
(2) The convenience of being able to just reach for the plug, put it in, and go.
(3) The convenience of being able to leave your UMC in your car at all times. This is great for reducing range anxiety and for safety in the field.
(4) ... lastly, it's for people who have dual chargers (I do have them). I rarely charge above 40A really, but it's nice that the capability is there.
... at $750, it's the best EVSE on the market. I am not sure if the majority of owners now use the UMC daily or some kind of EVSE.
- K
I charge frequently at my hunting lodge and machine shop, and find that keeping the UMC with the car makes a lot of sense for me. I didn't want to unpackage and repackage the UMC in the bag each time I left the house, so I wanted something in the garage. At $100 difference, I'd go with the HPWC today.
Originally I thought I might need the HPWC for charging needs when I return from the airport and zoom off to my in-laws', but superchargers and chargers at the airport have fixed that. I, too, have found that 80A charging isn't really needed for my drives. Despite the $750 difference it once was, this is the reason I chose the HPWC.
So, bottom line, I'd still pick the wall connector today - it's beefier, it has a longer cord, and it's only $100 for that.
Originally I thought I might need the HPWC for charging needs when I return from the airport and zoom off to my in-laws', but superchargers and chargers at the airport have fixed that. I, too, have found that 80A charging isn't really needed for my drives. Despite the $750 difference it once was, this is the reason I chose the HPWC.
So, bottom line, I'd still pick the wall connector today - it's beefier, it has a longer cord, and it's only $100 for that.
HankLloydRight
No Roads
Just to clarify, the original question was:
So the difference is ~$800 more to use the HPWC over the supplied UMC. Now if the OP wants to always keep one UMC in the car, and is deciding between an additional UMC or HPWC, then yeah, I'd say the extra $100 is a no-brainer. But if he's deciding between using the UMC he already has, or buying a HPWC, I'd say no, it's not necessary unless you really like the cool look of it.
So the difference is ~$800 more to use the HPWC over the supplied UMC. Now if the OP wants to always keep one UMC in the car, and is deciding between an additional UMC or HPWC, then yeah, I'd say the extra $100 is a no-brainer. But if he's deciding between using the UMC he already has, or buying a HPWC, I'd say no, it's not necessary unless you really like the cool look of it.
I bought the HPWC because I don't want forget bringing the UMC when we take frequent trips to our vacation home. However, I only have it on a 40amp circuit and actually have it plugped into a 14-50 with a pigtail. Since we plan to retire soon and don't won't be living much longer in our current home , I didn't want to incur the $2500-$3000 cost to run heavy gauge wiring across the ceiling of my garage to the far side where I like to park the S. This way when we move I can easily take my HPWC.
Say......is that some kinda toe gauge measuring/alignment tool in the corner between the floor jack and creeper?
btw, I am a fan of the 6awg 14-50 oven cable fed HPWC dipped to 50a (pushing 40a) for redundancy (can deploy a UMC if needed), flexibility (other tools), and it will certainly run cooler than the (4) maxed out 12's in a UMC
btw, I am a fan of the 6awg 14-50 oven cable fed HPWC dipped to 50a (pushing 40a) for redundancy (can deploy a UMC if needed), flexibility (other tools), and it will certainly run cooler than the (4) maxed out 12's in a UMC
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Just wondering...is there any reason you didn't rotate the 14-50 outlet 180 degrees and install the HPWC right above it?
Canuck
Well-Known Member
What do you say to all the people who have had their UMC fail from everyday charging, some people having it happen more than once? Is their concern of having to have it replaced, sometimes repeatedly, not "added concern"? It certainly seems to be an added concern to me.
In my opinion, the UMC seems far too lightweight for daily charging, especially in comparison to the HPWC and my Clipper Creek CS-60 that charges up to 48 amps. I'd rather keep my UMC in the trunk for occasional use, and use a HPWC for daily use. That way, I don't risk my UMC failing after the warranty expires, when I would have to buy another. Best to buy an HPWC and always have two.
I have only used my one and only UMC to charge my car. 52k miles in 14 months and no issues even in hot days. If you don't have a dual charger I don't see a reason to use the HPWC. The UMC's cable is thinner and more flexible and easier to deal with on a daily basis. I hate the fat HPWC cable.
HankLloydRight
No Roads
I would say the UMCs failed from either being misused or being defective. I (and many other people I'm sure) use their UMC for everyday charging and haven't had a single problem. On a forum like this, you generally only hear from people with problems, not the majority who haven't had issues.
Edit: Except for David who just posted before I did.
Edit2: If the UMCs were really that bad, and not to be used for everyday/daily charging, don't you think that Tesla would (a) re-design them to be more robust, and/or (2) issue a recall of the potentially defective units*, and/or (iii) issue a TSB telling people to either buy an HPWC for everyday charging and only use the UMC for occasional use? So far, they haven't done any of these.
*Yes, I know they recalled one of the adapter plugs. Doesn't count.
Canuck
Well-Known Member
I would say the UMCs failed from either being misused or being defective. I (and many other people I'm sure) use their UMC for everyday charging and haven't had a single problem. On a forum like this, you generally only hear from people with problems, not the majority who haven't had issues.
Edit: Except for David who just posted before I did.
Edit2: If the UMCs were really that bad, and not to be used for everyday/daily charging, don't you think that Tesla would (a) re-design them to be more robust, and/or (2) issue a recall of the potentially defective units*, and/or (iii) issue a TSB telling people to either buy an HPWC for everyday charging and only use the UMC for occasional use? So far, they haven't done any of these.
*Yes, I know they recalled one of the adapter plugs. Doesn't count.
Just because you and others haven't had a problem with your UMC's doesn't discount all the problems other people have had (some multiple times). The fact that people post problems and not trouble free issues, doesn't discount the problems. Where's all the problems with the glove box hinge breaking, or wiper motor burning out? Well, there are none, so no concerns. We see many concerns with the UMC. My point was, you saying that there are "no added concerns" with the UMC over the HPWC is simply not true.
Your second argument missed this very important software change made to attempt to avoid future UMC problems and answers that question...
Very frustrated with software limited charging
mknox
Well-Known Member
My UMCs have all failed because the handle that goes in to the car's charge port would fail to make a reliable connection with the car. It would come on gradually with me having to fiddle with it, unplug and re-plug several times etc. until it simply would no longer connect to the car and the port would just stay white. Tesla has replaced them for me no questions asked, but I'm on my third now. Because of this, I've wondered if the HPWC is any more reliable. The handle that goes in to the car looks the same to my eye.
What do you say to all the people who have had their HPWCs fail? Search this forum and the one at TeslaMotors.com. There are plenty of reports of that, too. People talk about the HPWC being so much more robust, but from the reports of both the UMCs and HPWCs failing, I don't really see evidence that it's so much better.
HankLloydRight
No Roads
Maybe it's the charge port on your car that's defective, causing the UMC handles to break? I plug/unplug my UMC every day for over a year now and haven't had any problems.
