What additional adapters to buy?

[eprosenx]

So this building adapters stuff isn't really needed anymore.

Thanks for all the great insight! This all makes sense to me. I have already purchased four of the gen 2 adapters to go with the two that come with the car. I may just order the other two they offer so I have "the whole set". ;-)

I still want Tesla to make a factory TT-30 for $35! It just seems SO logical...

Question: Did I hear something about the new charging adapters having temperature probes in them so Tesla can further reduce risk of overheated receptacles? If so, would that make 3rd party ones or additional adapters we custom build slightly more dangerous that factory ones?

P.S. Back in late 2012 (or very early 2013) when my first friend got his Tesla I built an "Emergency Tesla Charging Station" out of some parts I salvaged from a UPS installation we took out of our office. I salvaged some 6/4 SOOW with strain relief on the ends and I bought a NEMA 14-50 outdoor rated receptacle box at Home Depot plus a 50a breaker (for the model panel I knew I would be connecting to). I used that in a couple of extremely temp installations with the electrical panel cover off. I still have it! I figure worst case scenario I can *always* find power if folks are willing to let me wire direct into their panels. ;-) Since I am new to the forums I am not allowed to post pictures I don't think. but it was (is) pretty cool. Maybe it will get more use now that my Model 3 is on its way!

 

[P85_DA]

When I got my first S in 2013 ..I carried a frunk full of adaptors and extension cord ..even driving across multiple states and with a limited SC network I only used my ChaDemo adaptor 3times ..IMO 14-30 is only adaptor i would get

 

[eprosenx]

Oh hey, I can upload photos now!

So here is a picture of the "Emergency Tesla Charging Station" I built back in 2012 for a buddy of mine so he could come down to a construction site in the middle of nowhere in the woods and help a some other friends wire up a new house with network cable. I installed a 50a breaker just for the day of use and then took it home with me...

I had most of these parts laying around in my garage. I ran to Home Depot to buy the NEMA 14-50 receptacle / box though.

 

[Rocky_H]

When I got my first S in 2013 ..I carried a frunk full of adaptors and extension cord ..even driving across multiple states and with a limited SC network I only used my ChaDemo adaptor 3times ..IMO 14-30 is only adaptor i would get

I think my personal recommendation would be close to this. The real use cases that I would see commonly used would be if you charge at someone's house and would use their dryer outlet, since that is frequently in the garage or in a utility room nearly inside the garage door. For that case, you want to cover both types. The older houses would have 10-30 and newer houses have 14-30.
Then the TT-30 if a campsite doesn't have 14-50 or doesn't have an open spot of that available.
And then 5-20 is a given if you're using a regular outdoor outlet that is a 20 amp type.

For extension, I would recommend against getting a full camping equipment 14-50 extension cord. Those are made with three really thick conductors and a thinner ground, but one of those conductors is for Neutral, which isn't even connected to anything on the Tesla plug end, so it's just useless dead weight and makes the cable unnecessarily bulky, stiff, heavy, and hard to work with. EVSEAdapters makes a good extension that leaves out that unused wire, making it lighter and more flexible. They have 20 foot and 50 foot sizes.
Heavy-duty NEMA 14-50R extension cord for Tesla, 20 ft.

 

[eprosenx]

I still want Tesla to make a factory TT-30 for $35! It just seems SO logical...

Interesting. I just discovered last night NEC 625 in the 2017 electrical code which covers electric vehicle charging.

625.44 (A) covers "Portable" EVSE units such as the Tesla UMC. I don't understand why, but they call out the specific plug types they are allowed to have. For AC units (as opposed to DC charger units) they allow 15a and 20a plugs at both 120v and 240v, plus then 30a and 50a specific plug types but only at 240v.

So for whatever reason, there is no approved 30 amp 120v plug allowed on something like a Tesla UMC.

I am super curious why that is... I wonder if the TT-30 is a special use plug for camp trailers and RV parks are not wired with EV's in mind and so if a bunch of EV's charge there they will overload things and so they have excluded it from the code?

Though you can still charge with NEMA 14-50 plugs which are WAY worse I guess since they are 50a, so I have no idea...

 

[Rocky_H]

So for whatever reason, there is no approved 30 amp 120v plug allowed on something like a Tesla UMC.

Wow, that is equal parts informative, weird, and inconvenient. That just sounds like a case where whoever was writing the code decided to take the tactic of only listing the specific things that are allowed, which excludes all else, but happened to not realize or remember that this other less common possibility existed or was important.

I am super curious why that is... I wonder if the TT-30 is a special use plug for camp trailers and RV parks are not wired with EV's in mind and so if a bunch of EV's charge there they will overload things and so they have excluded it from the code?

But "wired with EVs in mind" isn't a thing. A code-compliant electrical circuit just is what it is. If it is a properly built circuit of 120V and 30A, then it must be able to support loads of 30A intermittent or 24A continuous, no matter what type of device it is--EV or anything else.

 

[eprosenx]

But "wired with EVs in mind" isn't a thing. A code-compliant electrical circuit just is what it is. If it is a properly built circuit of 120V and 30A, then it must be able to support loads of 30A intermittent or 24A continuous, no matter what type of device it is--EV or anything else.

I agree from the standpoint of overload and short circuit protection, but I think the issue comes in from the standpoint of "load calculations".

NEC 551.73 covers load calculations for RV parks. The issue is that each 50a 240v site is calculated as 12,000 volt amperes, 3,600 va for 30a 120v sites, 2400 va for 20 amp 120v sites, and only 600 va for tent sites. While those numbers seem pretty high, there is then a large demand factor derate for site feeders and service entrance conductors. The more "sites" in the park you have the further the derate. If you have 36 or more sites in the park the demand factor is calculated as 41% of the total.

So yeah, hard to say. Modern RV parks may be fine as long as not too many people have EV's.

I have also seen a lot of RV parks on really tiny transformers since the power company does not care about NEC and they have their own processes around service sizing. The last park I stayed at had a single 15kw transformer for the entire park. My Tesla could suck 2/3'rds of that by itself! (though you can also beat transformers to crud - they can operate beyond their rated load for a while) ;-)

 

[Rocky_H]

Wow, you've got citations for everything. I didn't even know RV parks would have their own section. Did you get an NEC book for your birthday?

 

[eprosenx]

Wow, you've got citations for everything. I didn't even know RV parks would have their own section. Did you get an NEC book for your birthday?

Hah, that is a good idea! My birthday is coming up! (actually seriously considering putting this on my list)

So actually, I just recently discovered that you can now get free access to the code on the NFPA web site if you register. So I have been diving in to read the actual rules. I find that the Internet has a lot of old and incorrect information and so I have decided to go direct to the source and to make an effort to quote the actual sections for others to be able to reference.

 

[yuhong]

NEMA 5-20 will probably be very useful in Canada given the CEC code requires it for EV charging.

 

[pavankp]

I am coming to the Model 3 from an electric car with a 100 mile range. Experience has taught me that it is good to have several charging options, so I got all six adapters that didn't come with the car. If they enable Chademo I will get that too. Just in case.

 

[TexasEV]

You will find that your experience isn’t relevant to driving a 310 mile range car.

 

[P85_DA]

I am coming to the Model 3 from an electric car with a 100 mile range. Experience has taught me that it is good to have several charging options, so I got all six adapters that didn't come with the car. If they enable Chademo I will get that too. Just in case.

Come back in few months let us know how many you actually used

 

[eprosenx]

I am coming to the Model 3 from an electric car with a 100 mile range. Experience has taught me that it is good to have several charging options, so I got all six adapters that didn't come with the car. If they enable Chademo I will get that too. Just in case.

Yeah, I have bought four of the eight and two will come with the car. I am considering buying the other two as well.

Though I have since realized that the more versatile option may have been to buy a 20 foot extension cord from EVSEAdapters that has no neutral and then a number of different "tips" to adapt the end of the extension cable.

I too will heavily consider the CHAdeMO connector for the Model 3 if they make it available. While I doubt I would nearly ever use it, I would like the option of using it... Here in Oregon there are quite a number of CHAdeMO stations as part of the "west coast green highway" project. Most of my trips will be covered by destination charging at the places I commonly stay, but I just like the peace of mind and convenience of being able to charge anywhere I want. I was just in Hood River for instance and they had a CHAdeMO charging station I would have used had I had my Model 3 already.

West Coast Green Highway: West Coast Electric Highway

 

[pavankp]

You will find that your experience isn’t relevant to driving a 310 mile range car.

I definitely hope so. In a month with the car, I have never used anything other than my home charger. If I never use any of the adapters, I will count that as a win.

 

[pavankp]

Yeah, I have bought four of the eight and two will come with the car. I am considering buying the other two as well.

Though I have since realized that the more versatile option may have been to buy a 20 foot extension cord from EVSEAdapters that has no neutral and then a number of different "tips" to adapt the end of the extension cable.

I too will heavily consider the CHAdeMO connector for the Model 3 if they make it available. While I doubt I would nearly ever use it, I would like the option of using it... Here in Oregon there are quite a number of CHAdeMO stations as part of the "west coast green highway" project. Most of my trips will be covered by destination charging at the places I commonly stay, but I just like the peace of mind and convenience of being able to charge anywhere I want. I was just in Hood River for instance and they had a CHAdeMO charging station I would have used had I had my Model 3 already.

West Coast Green Highway: West Coast Electric Highway

I didn't know about this project, looks great! We need this kind of network to drive up EV adoption, especially non-Tesla EVs.

 

[NeverFollow]

I also noticed from an other thread a recommendation to carry a GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) tester

allowing to diagnostic (typically neutral and ground wiring) issues when connecting a Tesla adapter.

The following model is UL and CSA listed: Amprobe ST-102B Socket Tester with GFCI