What other Gen 2 NEMA Adapters should I buy

[DCEV]

I notice that Tesla has a long list of additional NEMA Adapters for the Gen 2 charger and I'm wondering which of these adapters are actually worthwhile getting so I can charge the car at camp sites or other locations that might use something other than standard 110V or NEMA 14-50 adapter.

Gen 2 NEMA Adapters

Don't want to buy a bunch of adapters that hardly anyone uses but would not mind buying a couple that could save the day to keep handy in the car.

If anyone thinks the NEMA 14-50 and J1772 adapters are sufficient and these additional adapters are a waste of money, let me know too!

 

[jlv1]

I would suggest waiting until you have need for one, otherwise you'll end up buying something you never use.

My one exception to that is to consider a 5-20 adapter, since that gives you charging at 16A (vs 12A with the 5-15 aka "standard 110V") -- and many outdoor outlets that you think are "standard" really are 5-20.

A good reference is the table at NEMA connector - Wikipedia

In my travels, I've frequent two places, one with a 6-20 outlet and one with a TT-30 outlet (Tesla doesn't sell a TT-30 adapter). However, I only bought the adapters for those two plugs because I knew I would go back to both places each year (and be there for several days, making using the low-power outlet worthwhile).

 

[KG2V]

6-20 is a VERY common outlet for large "wall" airconditioners. You may have to drop the cord out a window, but...

 

[DCEV]

It really seems like there's no other type of "common" connector so I should just stick with what I have...

Any news when Model S will get a CCS charging adapter?

Now THAT would probably be super useful to have...

 

[bmah]

It really seems like there's no other type of "common" connector so I should just stick with what I have...

I would buy the adapters that you need, which might be different from what other people need. For example my parents' house had a NEMA 10-30 dryer outlet, so I bought that adapter just so I could charge there. Particularly useful before there were any Superchargers in the area. But not everybody's going to have that use case.

Bruce.

 

[ewoodrick]

The standard adapters will probably cover 100% of your charging needs.
Since I'm guessing that you are a new user, your most important task is to get over range anxiety. Take a trip, run the car close to 0%.

Sit in the car and let if calculate routes to different locations. See if there is anywhere that you can't make it to.

The 14-50 is going to allow you to charge at campgrounds in case of emergency. It's the same plug that a dual AC camper or motorhome uses.

Plugshare.com will be your friend and lists all of the J-1772 chargers that you can charge at. And don't discount the 120V plug, they are actually great for many vacations. 4 mph for 24 hours is often significantly more than your local driving around would need. On a recent trip to Ft Lauderdale, all that was available was 120V. We did a fair amount of driving during the day, but over a week, the numbers eventually increased to close to full.

 

[DCEV]

The standard adapters will probably cover 100% of your charging needs.
Since I'm guessing that you are a new user, your most important task is to get over range anxiety. Take a trip, run the car close to 0%.

Sit in the car and let if calculate routes to different locations. See if there is anywhere that you can't make it to.

The 14-50 is going to allow you to charge at campgrounds in case of emergency. It's the same plug that a dual AC camper or motorhome uses.

Plugshare.com will be your friend and lists all of the J-1772 chargers that you can charge at. And don't discount the 120V plug, they are actually great for many vacations. 4 mph for 24 hours is often significantly more than your local driving around would need. On a recent trip to Ft Lauderdale, all that was available was 120V. We did a fair amount of driving during the day, but over a week, the numbers eventually increased to close to full.

Good advice! I'm finding out how sure how 4mph adds up! That's what we have now until the Tesla Charger gets installed in 2 weeks.

 

[Ilikestuff]

Why would they even make a 5-15 adapter? Couldn't you just use the 5-20 for any 120v outlet, and if you only get 15a, oh well?

 

[aerodyne]

A 6-50 is very common at airports and shops that have a welder, yet you can pull as much as a 14-50.

For less than 40, easy for piece of mind.

 

[Feathermerchan]

My mother's house has a 6-50 so I bought the adapter. Then I discovered that no EVs use the neutral wire on a 240V receptacle. So I installed a 6-50 in my garage. Saved a bunch of $ on wire and it's easier to wire to the socket because 6 ga wire is stiff.

 

[Droschke]

When I purchased my car early 2015, being cautious, I started to acquire all kind of NEMA and non-NEMA adapters, CHAdeMO, etc. I even bought heavy gauge extension cords in case. Have taken several long distance road trips over 1000 miles each and have carried all that in my frunk, I have never had the need to use any of them, even when the superchargers were scarce. But I know I can charge out of any outlet and available charging station if I need to. That's comforting. Having them to me is like an insurance policy - you hopefully never have to use but it's there if you need to use.

 

[SSedan]

Why would they even make a 5-15 adapter? Couldn't you just use the 5-20 for any 120v outlet, and if you only get 15a, oh well?

Because if someone pulls 16amp continuous from a 15amp circuit and burns down their house that would be bad.

Breakers don't limit current to the max rating, they trip if run over current but are not precise. The adapter is how the car knows what it is plugged into and what it is allowed to pull.

 

[ucmndd]

Why would they even make a 5-15 adapter? Couldn't you just use the 5-20 for any 120v outlet, and if you only get 15a, oh well?

Because 15 amp and 20 amp circuits are not the same.

 

[TexasEV]

Why would they even make a 5-15 adapter? Couldn't you just use the 5-20 for any 120v outlet, and if you only get 15a, oh well?

I suggest you do some more reading. Have you looked at a chart of these plugs and outlets? A 5-20 plug won’t plug into a 5-15 outlet. You need a 5-15 plug to plug into a 5-15 outlet. And it doesn’t draw 15A, it draws 12A. (On the other hand, a 5-15 plug will fit into a 5-20 outlet, but the car will only draw 12A, just as if it’s plugged into a 5-15 outlet. )

 

[bob_p]

We've purchased 3 Tesla (2 S and 1 X) vehicles since early 2013.

The only additional adapter we've used is a 14-30, so that when we visit family overnight, we can use the dryer connection adjacent to the garage for charging. (For older homes, you may need a 10-30).

Otherwise the supplied UMC adapters for a 110 or 14-50 outlet will likely be enough, along with the supplied J1772 adapter.

 

[PhilDavid]

Any idea when the US will get the CSS adapter?

 

[mtoub3]

I suggest you do some more reading. Have you looked at a chart of these plugs and outlets? A 5-20 plug won’t plug into a 5-15 outlet. You need a 5-15 plug to plug into a 5-15 outlet. And it doesn’t draw 15A, it draws 12A. (On the other hand, a 5-15 plug will fit into a 5-20 outlet, but the car will only draw 12A, just as if it’s plugged into a 5-15 outlet. )

As a new Model 3 owner, I’ve using the 110 outlet, 5-15 plug, outlet shows 12a, and volts show from 115 to 118, the miles per hour are from 5 to almost 6, am at fire risk without using the 5-15 gen 2 adapter?

 

[aerodyne]

As a new Model 3 owner, I’ve using the 110 outlet, 5-15 plug, outlet shows 12a, and volts show from 115 to 118, the miles per hour are from 5 to almost 6, am at fire risk without using the 5-15 gen 2 adapter?

Provided the outlet is properly wired and fused, and nothing else is on the same circuit, you are fine.

 

[Bigjohn892]

We recently took a trip to Florida and stayed at an AirBNB that had a 10-30 receptacle in the carport. I ordered an adapter on Amazon and had it the next day. Saved one hour trips to the super charger during our stay and we departed with a full charge.