What do I need for charging on road trips?

[flixden]

Hi all! Trying to be prepared for the first longer trip once we get the car, hence my questions: what equipment (adapters) are recommended, and which charging network memberships (if any) should I get before the first road trip to make it as convenient as possible and reduce the chance of being stranded?

Thanks a lot for any responses!

 

[smogne41]

Totally depends on where you are going and the kind of places you will be staying. With few exceptions you probably don't need the CCS adapter for DC fast charging since the Superchargers have good coverage.

The J1772 adaptor is the one I have by far used the most so I can use non-Tesla Level 2 chargers at hotels and parking garages when on the road. If you will be staying at houses, the mobile connector is very helpful to have. I have not used it a tone, but it has been extremely useful to have about twice a year on average. If you get it, also pick up the 14-30 and 10-30 connectors, since those are the two common clothes dryer plugs used in the US and that will get you significantly faster charging than 120V. But even 120V will fill up the car if you area leaving it parked for the weekend.

In terms of what networks, probably just whichever ones cover Level 2 charging in the places you will be traveling and parking for the night. Though most hotel charging is non-networked. Again, with few exceptions you will not need 3rd party DC fast charging.

 

[Tesery]

A Tesla road trip is all about adventure and exploration. This is your chance to see the world in a new and exciting way, on your own terms!Since you have decided to drive a stylish Tesla on the road, it is important to ensure that you are prepared for any emergency situation.

I have summarized some of the accessories needed for tesla road trips and shared them with you in the hope that they will be of some help, which includes something about charging items.

Tesla Road Trip Plan

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Whether you're travelling across the country or just taking an exciting Tesla road trip, these accessories will help make your journey smooth and enjoyable. So load up the car, hit the road and enjoy everything that Tesla has to offer!

 

[fhteagle]

Just helped a family member prep for their first long trip in the car. Their kit included:

CCS Adapter (Tesla OEM one)
J1772 Adapter
OpenEVSE (which has native 14-30 / 14-50 plug on it)
Adapters to NEMA 5-15 (wall socket), L14-30, and TT-30

Apps / accounts on Electrify America, Chargepoint, EVgo, EVconnect, Plugshare and A Better Route Planner.

And a printed list of all the SC, CCS, Tesla destination, Level 2, and campground charging opportunities on all three legs of their drive.

Oh and of course spare tire, jack plugs, jacks, tire inflator, emergency water food and blankets, etc.

Window washer fluid, scrub stick / squeegee (keep the camera location especially clean), washcloth for wetting and putting over hot supercharger handle.

But 2000 miles in and it's been only superchargers and L2 chargers at their preplanned hotel stops used so far. Then again, they have been following interstate and major US highway routes with good SC coverage.

Be as prepared as you want, or not, it's up to you.

 

[Harriscott]

Beware the moble connector might not reach from the car to the outlet.

For 120V I include a 75 foot extension cord. It is only 16 gauge which is slightly risky so I'm careful to fully uncoil it and check for warmth, but actually the car does a good job backing off the amps so IMO this is pretty safe. If I remember to brighten the contacts with steel wool there is no backing off on amps.

For 14-30 & etc the odds are high the connector won't reach, which means the tesla adapter approach just doesn't work. So years ago I bought a bunch of 14-30/TT-30/... to 14-50 adapters, a 50 foot 10 gauge 14-50 extension cord, and a special 14-50 tesla moble connector adapter that limits to 24 amps. This works, but I've used it only twice. It can be a pain hooking up to the dryer outlet (e.g.), and 50 feet might not be enough.

All this is just to save time at superchargers. If I traveled solo I wouldn't bother.

 

[MattM24]

Beware the moble connector might not reach from the car to the outlet.

For 120V I include a 75 foot extension cord. It is only 16 gauge which is slightly risky so I'm careful to fully uncoil it and check for warmth, but actually the car does a good job backing off the amps so IMO this is pretty safe. If I remember to brighten the contacts with steel wool there is no backing off on amps.

For 14-30 & etc the odds are high the connector won't reach, which means the tesla adapter approach just doesn't work. So years ago I bought a bunch of 14-30/TT-30/... to 14-50 adapters, a 50 foot 10 gauge 14-50 extension cord, and a special 14-50 tesla moble connector adapter that limits to 24 amps. This works, but I've used it only twice. It can be a pain hooking up to the dryer outlet (e.g.), and 50 feet might not be enough.

All this is just to save time at superchargers. If I traveled solo I wouldn't bother.

Why wouldn’t use use a 12awg extension cord? 16awg is asking for trouble.

 

[FastEddieB]

I like carrying a 14-50 adapter. If I ever found myself in an area of thin Supercharger coverage (FL panhandle comes to mind) and very low on charge I would be looking for an RV campground where I could beg the owner to let me plug in for an hour or so, offering to pay for the privilege. I did not buy it for that reason*, but because I personally have RV pedestals with 14-50 receptacles at both of our properties.

*Thinking back, I did not buy it at all - a Tesla-owning friend had a spare and gave it to me.

 

[ATPMSD]

I suggest you start here:

ABRP

ABetterRouteplanner is the world's most popular consumer EV routeplanner - both for beginner and experienced EV drivers. And of course for anyone curious about EVs.

abetterrouteplanner.com

Using this page, and / or the ABRP app you can plan out the route(s) and see if there are sufficient SuperChargers, if not you can look into the CCS adapter. Then the question becomes how will you charge at your destination? In most cases you will find public L2 chargers, such as ChargePoint, or the hotels will have them. All you will need is the J1772 adapter that came with the car. And in many cases the destination may not too far from an SuperCharger.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[flixden]

Thanks to all of you, really appreciate the responses and ideas that I got!

 

[smogne41]

Thanks to all of you, really appreciate the responses and ideas that I got!

Just for some perspective though, I have had the car for 5 years and done lots of road trips. I just keep the mobile charger and J1772 in the car. For the most part though I just get in and go. It is very easy to overthink it, but you will quickly get comfortable about charging and relax a lot!

If it is a trip where I will be staying in hotels I will look for ones with charging for a free fill-up, but if I can't find a convenient one I don't sweat it and just supercharge. I also have a look at my destination region to see how much charging is available nearby (if any). If there is no convenient charging, I just try and arrive with enough SOC to cover my driving while there and to be able to get to a Supercharger on my way back.

Plugshare.com is my preferred way to search for charging for a trip. Set your plugs first to see all available charging. The Lodging filter is the real killer feature though, since this shows you the hotels with charging!

 

[Mark Lederer]

Just helped a family member prep for their first long trip in the car. Their kit included:

CCS Adapter (Tesla OEM one)
J1772 Adapter
OpenEVSE (which has native 14-30 / 14-50 plug on it)
Adapters to NEMA 5-15 (wall socket), L14-30, and TT-30

Apps / accounts on Electrify America, Chargepoint, EVgo, EVconnect, Plugshare and A Better Route Planner.

And a printed list of all the SC, CCS, Tesla destination, Level 2, and campground charging opportunities on all three legs of their drive.

Oh and of course spare tire, jack plugs, jacks, tire inflator, emergency water food and blankets, etc.

Window washer fluid, scrub stick / squeegee (keep the camera location especially clean), washcloth for wetting and putting over hot supercharger handle.

But 2000 miles in and it's been only superchargers and L2 chargers at their preplanned hotel stops used so far. Then again, they have been following interstate and major US highway routes with good SC coverage.

Be as prepared as you want, or not, it's up to you.

I also brought a 25 ft 120v high-quality extension cord.

 

[Grabthar]

I've had mine for 4 years and have done multiple cross country trips (East to West and North to South). Just took my mobile charger and the J1772. Only used the J1772 twice at Chargepoint and my mobile charger at friend's house. Other than that, there were plenty of superchargers and used the Tesla network.

 

[FastEddieB]

I also brought a 25 ft 120v high-quality extension cord.

I also carry a couple small (12”?) traffic cones to avoid any possible trip hazard.

 

[CaseyL]

Hi all! Trying to be prepared for the first longer trip once we get the car, hence my questions: what equipment (adapters) are recommended, and which charging network memberships (if any) should I get before the first road trip to make it as convenient as possible and reduce the chance of being stranded?

Thanks a lot for any responses!

Honestly, you can probably do fine with just Superchargers, especially if there is one near your destination.

I do carry the Mobile Connector and the J1772 that came with it.

I have a 10-30 adapter for the Mobile Conector that I use at my Mom's house. Her dryer plug is near a back door. I do this only because the nearest (convenient) Supercharger is over 70 miles away.

I have used the J1772 a few times at hotels.

 

[cpa]

This is just from a belt-and-suspenders sorta guy:

Plan your trip in advance. You can dial in your ultimate destination into the Tesla navigation system. The system will then suggest a route for you based upon your current state of charge and the time of day. Keep in mind that when you depart those variables might be completely different, so the suggested superchargers might easily change from your original plan.

Not all Supercharger stops are the same. Not all travelers are the same. Maybe you are going solo. Maybe with a companion. Maybe with small or adolescent children. You are from Oregon. Let me assume you are in the Portland area and are heading to San Diego on I5. Some of the Superchargers are not at locations with much to do. The restrooms at Harrisburg are from an abandoned gas station and are pretty crummy. Myrtle Creek is at a Mickey D's. The Springfield Supercharger(s) are a slight ways from the freeway but a 3-minute walk to a decent brewpub (take your growler and an ice chest!) Grants Pass is behind a Black Bear Diner. Yreka is in a grocery store shopping center. Mt. Shasta City is at a real nice motel with good food.

And so on and so forth. In other words, take some time after you have the basic routing and then drill down with PlugShare to see what is available at various stops along the way for bathroom breaks, food breaks, or just the atmosphere.

The navigation system will tell you to stop at X for 15 minutes, then at Y for 25 minutes, etc. This may be the most efficient way to manage your charging stops, but ignores external factors. Granzella's in Williams is across the street from the Superchargers. Personally, I make it a habit to stop there and have a late breakfast or lunch and wind up charging for 45 minutes to 90% instead of another, more efficient charging pattern.

With that in mind, I then break down my navigation to daily legs while traveling, instead of having a 2,000-mile trip displayed on the screen.

Lastly, try to depart in the mornings with 90% or so. If the SC is at or nearby the motel, charge when you arrive rather than in the morning. The battery will be warmer, and charging speeds will be faster.

For me, the planning and execution is half the fun!

 

[804son]

I usually carry the J1772, mobile connector w/ 14-50 adapter, and the CCS1 Adapter. One of our usual traveling stops is in a location where there are some EA stations, but no close by Supercharges. the CCS1 adapter comes in very handy and avoids having to travel 40 miles to the nearest supercharger.

 

[Chris55555]

Good God, you don't need any of that stuff and you certainly don't need to plan ahead, assuming you will be on interstate highways. Third party DC chargers are so slow and unreliable, that I would never put myself in a position where I needed to use one. Doesn't hurt to have the J1772 adapter that came with the car (for hotels), but I wouldn't waste money on a CCS adapter unless you're really off the beaten path. We've taken six trips totaling 15,000 miles and never needed anything but the Tesla navigation telling us where to stop.

 

[MattM24]

Hi all! Trying to be prepared for the first longer trip once we get the car, hence my questions: what equipment (adapters) are recommended, and which charging network memberships (if any) should I get before the first road trip to make it as convenient as possible and reduce the chance of being stranded?

Thanks a lot for any responses!

Not sure if this was mentioned, but you should definitely tie a credit card to your Tesla account for Supercharging.

Other than that, YouTube video road trips are fun.

 

[tampaboyt]

I suggest you start here:

ABRP

ABetterRouteplanner is the world's most popular consumer EV routeplanner - both for beginner and experienced EV drivers. And of course for anyone curious about EVs.

abetterrouteplanner.com

Using this page, and / or the ABRP app you can plan out the route(s) and see if there are sufficient SuperChargers, if not you can look into the CCS adapter. Then the question becomes how will you charge at your destination? In most cases you will find public L2 chargers, such as ChargePoint, or the hotels will have them. All you will need is the J1772 adapter that came with the car. And in many cases the destination may not too far from an SuperCharger.

Enjoy your trip!

Will we get J1772 adapter with the car?? I didn't

 

[flixden]

Will we get J1772 adapter with the car?? I dodn't

It's supposed to be included. I will make very sure that it's there.