Will the J1772 Tesla Wall Charger charge both my 2023 Model Y and my wife's 2021 BMW 330e J1772 equipped car?

[lencap]

Greetings!

Over the last few days my 2014 manufactured Clipper Creek (CC) HCS-40 AMP wall mounted EVSE began malfunctioning. I've used that EVSE to charge a Nissan Leaf, 2 BMW i3s, a 2018 Tesla Model 3, and a 2023 BOLT EUV in the past without incident. I now own a 2023 Model Y AWD (4680 battery, Austin Build), and a 2021 BMW 330e Plug in Hybrid. Late last week the BMW illuminated both RED warning lights on the CC - indicating Power Fault and Charging Fault. The car immediately stopped charging. I disconnected the charger, reset the circuit breaker and called BMW Driver Assist Service. They told me that the car registered a charging fault, and suggested that I bring it to the BMW service center, where it currently is and will be examined tomorrow.

Tonight I connected my 2023 Model Y to the same charger and within 10 minutes of beginning a projected 5 hour charging cycle, the Tesla app notified me that the car stopped charging. I went to the garage and the RED Tesla charing symbol was lit, but there were no warning lights lit on the CC charger. I opened the car, went to the charging section of the main display, pressed STOP CHARGING, followed by OPEN PORT. The port unlocked, but rapidly relocked. I tried again, and was able to get the Tesla port to turn WHITE, and then disconnected the CC J1772 plug and the attached Tesla J1772 connector that comes with the car. (I have two and rotate them often).

At that point I called CC customer service (surprisingly they are available at 7:30PM EDT) and the tech said that the unit typically lasts 5-8 years before it needs replacing. He said that the cable itself can become damaged if it's not handled carefully, or is wound too tight on the integrated cable holder. He also said that within the J1772 connector there is a relatively fragile wire that essentially is a wear item. Over time it begins to lose continuity and eventually fails. He further stated that most EVSE have similar connectors and all are subject to wear. He also suggested that despite my hiring a certified electrician to install the CC EVSE initially, from the way I described the box and attachment to the wall he believes that the electrician direct wired it to the unit, without installing a "connector box" which is part of the UL certification requirement. Needless to say that isn't the news I wanted to hear, and I now have little confidence in a over 8 year old CC EVSE and repeated error codes on two separate EVs.

The final issue is that the 2021 BMW uses a pretty primitive 3.7KwH on board charger system, which takes 3 hours on a 40AMP circuit to fully charge the BMW to its 22 mile range. So, to still be able to charge both my NACS equipped Tesla and my wife's J1772 BMW, I'm considering ordering the J1772 version of the Tesla Wall Connector on my existing 40 amp circuit, using the supplied Tesla J1772 adapter when charging the Model Y, and the standard J1772 when charging her car.

My questions - finally - are simple:

• Is buying and installing the J1772 Tesla Wall Connector my best option to address charging both cars? (Thinking a simple remove CC, install Tesla, use adapter)
• Would you upgrade the wiring to a 60 AMP circuit instead of keeping the 40 AMP wiring (adding extra cost and likely masonry/wall board repair)?
• Would you just replace the CC EVSE with a Tesla Wall Connector designed for the Model Y? Doing that would require that my wife use the BMW supplied 120V wall connector to an existing 20 amp circuit. The BMW will take 8+ hours to charge fully on a standard 120 volt 20 AMP circuit versus 3 hours on the CC EVSE 40 AMP.
• All work will be done by a certified electrician. If I just remove the CC and replace it with a Tesla unit on the existing 40AMP circuit, is it as simple as removing the CC and installing the Tesla Wall Connector in the same location using the existing wiring adapted for the Tesla mount?

Final consideration: I live 20 minutes from a SuperCharger location, and can easily use it if I need a rapid fill-up. There are also many SC on local Interstates - easy to use. For that reason I'm reluctant to upgrade to a 60AMP circuit and incur the added expense of upgraded wiring, opening up the garage wall to install new wires, and then hire a carpenter/painter to repair everything. I also don't want to penalize my wife by having her take 8 hours to charge her car, which is why I'm leaning to the J1772 Tesla wall connector. I don't know if I'll lose any functionality with my Tesla if I connect using the J1772 plug. That would be challenging since the Tesla is the primary EV for my needs. Frankly, I didn't realize that the EVSE was a "wear item" and needed periodic replacement/upgrades.

 

[smogne41]

Honestly a better solution might be the Wall Connector with the Tesla plug instead and a Tesla Tap (or similar passive) Tesla to J1772 adapter to charge the BMW. With most of the industry moving over to NACS it is a more future-proof connector. And you can use the Tesla to J1772 adapter for destination charging if you plan to ever road trip with the BMW.

 

[smogne41]

To answer your questions though:
1) Wall connector will charge both cars, either the J1772 or the Tesla, just depends on which you want an adapter for.
2) No, 40 Amp will fully fully charge the car overnight anyway most of the time, and the Y is limited to 48 Amp charging anyway.
3) Yes I would, but I would either get the Tesla tap, or just charge on the 120V if 8 hours overnight fits your schedule and time-of-use rates (if any).
4) If you want to go by-the-book you would have to check with your local code office about if homeowner electrical repairs are permitted. But yes, swapping a hard-wired EVSE is a very DIY friendly job. Just be sure to de-energize the circuit before working on it, and (very important) adequately torque the terminal blocks you put the wiring into. And correctly configure the current limit in the Tesla Wall Connector after installation.

 

[lencap]

Smogne41 - Thanks for the help. I'm a bit concerned about a third party NACS to J1772 adapter instead of a Tesla branded UL compliant product, but I agree that the dedicated NACS Tesla connector is a better choice for the Model Y. It will also allow me to open/close the charge port without waking the car or having to be concerned about disconnecting the combined J1772/Tesla adapter when the charge is complete. I'll see if I can find a quality Tesla to J1772 adapter - so far I've not found one that I'm satisfied with.

My desire to choose the J1772 wall connector is that my wife uses her car on 10-15 mile trips routinely, often several times a day. Having a quicker way to restore power in her car would allow her to use her preferred EV drive for most local driving. Relying on an 8 hour charge cycle is limiting for her use profile.

 

[Cosmacelf]

I would buy the Tesla J1772 Wall Connector. The Tesla manufactured J1772 adapter is rugged and has been used for many, many years over hundreds of thousands of customers. It is much more likely to be reliable than the other way around. Besides, that gives the wife no adapter which is probably the most important decision factor!

I would keep the 40A circuit, most people don't need anything more than that.

And sure, EVSEs are indeed wear items. 5-7 years is about their useful life. Maybe the newer Tesla EVSEs will last longer (they are on their 3rd generation design now), but older ones were like v1.0 products, so lots of unintentional corner cutting was done.

 

[jjrandorin]

The answer to the question posed in the thread title, which is:

Will the J1772 Tesla Wall Charger charge both my 2023 Model Y and my wife's 2021 BMW 330e J1772 equipped car?​

Is "Unequivocally, Yes"

I also dont particularly agree with @smogne41 's take that it would be better to buy a regular Tesla wall connector and use a third party "Tesla to J1772" adapter.

I think that the best course of action would be the Tesla J1772 wall connector, and use the J1772 to Tesla adapter that comes standard with every Tesla still. One is a fully supported by the manufacturer solution, and actually comes with the car (Tesla to J1772), the other is only available from third parties, and costs a lot more money.

I might also shop around to see if any other J1772 wall connectors, to see what the cost was. Most (decent ones) cost about the same as the Tesla one, though, at least in the US where we are.

 

[E90alex]

There was another post that Tesla denied warranty on a wall connector because it was used with an unsupported third party Tesla to J1772 adapter.

So the solution “by the book” to retain full warranty coverage for the wall connector according to Tesla is to buy the J1772 wall connector and use the Tesla made J1772 to Tesla adapter included with your car to charge the Tesla.

 

[davewill]

You could also consider replacing the cord and plug on the Clipper Creek. I've done that twice on my two EVSEs over the last 12 years. CCs are so bulletproof, I'd do it.

 

[jcanoe]

Your CC HCS-40 lasted almost 10 years. CC is now part of Enphase. Enphase sells the HCS series of EVSE on their web site so you could purchase a replacement for the HCS-40.

Store | Enphase

The HCS-40 comes ready to be hard wired. Usually there is a service disconnect (a junction box with a cutoff off switch for the circuit.) Depending on local code a service disconnect may not be required provided the equipment is installed within visual line of sight of the electrical service panel or sub panel as might be the case in a home garage. (Photos of your current CC EVSE installation would help.)

 

[lencap]

Thanks for the comments - much appreciated. In case I wasn't clear in my initial post, the CC is hard wired to my primary 200 AMP service panel.

I'm reluctant to replace the cord/plug on the original CC unit largely due to age. That unit always makes a loud "crack" sound when turning on/off. It's likely to internal connector switch cycling on/off, but it has always bothered me. I'm not suggesting it's unsafe, but I would hope that after nearly 10 years technology has improved. Frankly the $550 cost for the Tesla J1772 Wall Connector seems very reasonable, nearly $200 less than an Enphase replacement for my CC, and I already have 2 Tesla J1772 connectors.

As others have mentioned using branded Tesla products also keeps the warranty active, and gives me added peace of mind for having a UL certified product backed by Tesla.

I also lean toward getting the Tesla J1772 to keep my wife's recharging options as easy to use as possible. It's also possible that other friends may visit and the ability to charge their cars on more familiar J1772 connectors should make for easy use. I will lose the ability to open/close the charge port without waking the Model Y when using the Tesla J1772 adapter, but that's not a major issue.

So, with your helpful comments, it seems that getting the Tesla branded J1772 wall connector allows:

• Easy charging for any J1772 equipped vehicle without an adapter;
• Allows me to charge my Model Y at the same pace that the current 40AMP CC unit provides (about 30/miles hour);
• Provides a OEM solution from end to end, preserving warranty and avoiding any unexpected incompatibility issues;
• Despite not needing a faster charging solution the J1772 Tesla connector can be upgraded to 60 Amps, potentially useful if I get a CT;
• WiFi connectivity to provide updates as needed;
• 24' Cord for easy access in my 2 car garage, or even for a guest parking in the driveway;
• All of this for $550 plus installation, which shouldn't be extreme if I use existing wiring and mounting location.

Pictures shows current CC charging Model Y - I coiled the J1772 cord on top of the handle. The CC rep suggested that might help stabilize the connection. It seems to be working - car has been charging for 3+ hours without interruption. The BMW is at the dealership and I should have a better idea of what caused it to stop charging before the week is out. My guess is that the CC J1772 connection isn't working as it should - as evidenced by the coiled cord in the picture allowing the Model Y to charge as intended by taking some pressure off the connection to the port. I'm planning a 200+ miles drive tomorrow, and I'm charging to 90% tonight.

 

[jcanoe]

The last time I checked the Tesla J1772 Wall Connector was available at BestBuy.com

 

[Cosmacelf]

The last time I checked the Tesla J1772 Wall Connector was available at BestBuy.com

Oh cool, I didn't know that. I just checked Bestbuy.com and sure enough there are units (both J1772 and Tesla connectors) in stock at a store within driving distance from me.

 

[dafish]

Everybody's different, but I upgraded from a 30 amp circuit to a 60 amp and am pleased that I did. My "hang on, we need to charge up" window is a lot shorter and I don't need to deal w/supercharger fees, congestion, or rates. This also gave me my 30 amp circuit back and I can now let another car charge using that receptable.

BTW, a 60 amp circuit is run at 48 amps by code, so a Y takes full advantage.

Thinking long term I'd rather go NAC plus adapter, 6:1, half dozen....

 

[lencap]

Dafish - You make a very good point. Since I have to pay an electrician to install the new unit it may be well worth the added cost to upgrade to a 60AMP circuit while he's doing the work.

 

[dafish]

Lens:

most electricians can’t get this price, most would let you provide it.

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[davewill]

...

Pictures shows current CC charging Model Y - I coiled the J1772 cord on top of the handle. The CC rep suggested that might help stabilize the connection. It seems to be working - car has been charging for 3+ hours without interruption. The BMW is at the dealership and I should have a better idea of what caused it to stop charging before the week is out. My guess is that the CC J1772 connection isn't working as it should - as evidenced by the coiled cord in the picture allowing the Model Y to charge as intended by taking some pressure off the connection to the port. I'm planning a 200+ miles drive tomorrow, and I'm charging to 90% tonight.

Sounds like exactly what I saw with the original cable on my Blink EVSE. It would charge as long as I supported the cable at the plug end. I concluded that one of small signal wires (like the pilot) had a break near the handle. That point probably has the most stress on it, so it makes sense. I replaced it in 2014, and it's been going strong ever since. Yes, the CCs (and my Blink) have big clunky relays in them, but I've always considered that a plus. Best I've been able to determine, the J1772 standard either doesn't allow solid state relays, or it's hard to meet the specs using them. Either way, every EVSE I've used seems to use mechanical relays.

When the Blink finally blows up, I'm tempted to rebuild the internals with OpenEVSE parts...but I'll probably go Wall Connector.

 

[Rocky_H]

Is buying and installing the J1772 Tesla Wall Connector my best option to address charging both cars? (Thinking a simple remove CC, install Tesla, use adapter)

That's certainly what I would do. I'm glad that Tesla finally started offering a J1772 wall connector version to support this kind of multi-car household situation.

And yes, I would do it this way instead of the Tesla plug adapted with some third party thing to J1772. I've been in some discussion in another thread where someone's Chevy Volt is doing some really weird behavior using one of those third party adapters, where it overrides its own charge schedule setting, which the owner is very frustrated with. So using something like that may have issues. I'd rather stick with the official products.

And I wouldn't think it's worth it to do an upgrade to the 60A circuit. The 40A serves fine, and swapping the connectors will be easy and cheap using the same wire run.

 

[lencap]

Davewill - I spoke again with Clipper Creek/Enphase and they did confirm that the pilot wire is the likely culprit, and that if it does fail it's likely to do so near the handle. Thanks for the help.

That leads to another question. The CC team said that the pilot wire does fail from use, but if supported it can continue working for an indefinite time. Since I was able to charge the Tesla when I supported the J1772 handle, I wonder if it's necessary to replace the CC ESVE or wait for the unit to fail totally? The risk is having an unreliable home charging unit, and that's a significant risk.

In terms of upgrading to 60AMP from 40AMP circuits, will it be safe to upgrade the breaker using existing wire? I don't know what gauge the electrician used when installing the original 40 AMP connection. As you can see from the pictures the ESVE is less than 10' from the main panel.

I don't want to do anything dangerous, obviously, but I also don't want to have unreliable charging at home. Up until last week I had no problems. The idea of replacing the CC with the Tesla 1772 Wall connector also leads me to think that upgrading to the faster charging speed may be useful in some circumstances - especially winter months when I often pre-condition the car by connecting to the ESVE, or for topping off on longer drives. It won't affect my wife's car with the slower on-board charger, but it will potentially help the Model Y. I'm 50-50 on whether or not I'll get a CT, at which point I'd probably want a charger with more juice than what I currently have.

Thoughts?

 

[davewill]

Davewill - I spoke again with Clipper Creek/Enphase and they did confirm that the pilot wire is the likely culprit, and that if it does fail it's likely to do so near the handle. Thanks for the help.

That leads to another question. The CC team said that the pilot wire does fail from use, but if supported it can continue working for an indefinite time. Since I was able to charge the Tesla when I supported the J1772 handle, I wonder if it's necessary to replace the CC ESVE or wait for the unit to fail totally? The risk is having an unreliable home charging unit, and that's a significant risk.

In terms of upgrading to 60AMP from 40AMP circuits, will it be safe to upgrade the breaker using existing wire? I don't know what gauge the electrician used when installing the original 40 AMP connection. As you can see from the pictures the ESVE is less than 10' from the main panel.

I don't want to do anything dangerous, obviously, but I also don't want to have unreliable charging at home. Up until last week I had no problems. The idea of replacing the CC with the Tesla 1772 Wall connector also leads me to think that upgrading to the faster charging speed may be useful in some circumstances - especially winter months when I often pre-condition the car by connecting to the ESVE, or for topping off on longer drives. It won't affect my wife's car with the slower on-board charger, but it will potentially help the Model Y. I'm 50-50 on whether or not I'll get a CT, at which point I'd probably want a charger with more juice than what I currently have.

Thoughts?

it's probably not dangerous to use, but it may simply stop working entirely at any time. In fact, I'll go one step further and say that it WILL stop working at some point. The wire is broken, you're just kind of jamming the two ends together and getting it to work. Consider the workaround your chance to either get the parts and repair it, or get a new unit in and install it.

There's no point in nursing it along until it fails hard, THEN getting started with a replacement.

 

[Cosmacelf]

Davewill - I spoke again with Clipper Creek/Enphase and they did confirm that the pilot wire is the likely culprit, and that if it does fail it's likely to do so near the handle. Thanks for the help.

That leads to another question. The CC team said that the pilot wire does fail from use, but if supported it can continue working for an indefinite time. Since I was able to charge the Tesla when I supported the J1772 handle, I wonder if it's necessary to replace the CC ESVE or wait for the unit to fail totally? The risk is having an unreliable home charging unit, and that's a significant risk.

In terms of upgrading to 60AMP from 40AMP circuits, will it be safe to upgrade the breaker using existing wire? I don't know what gauge the electrician used when installing the original 40 AMP connection. As you can see from the pictures the ESVE is less than 10' from the main panel.

I don't want to do anything dangerous, obviously, but I also don't want to have unreliable charging at home. Up until last week I had no problems. The idea of replacing the CC with the Tesla 1772 Wall connector also leads me to think that upgrading to the faster charging speed may be useful in some circumstances - especially winter months when I often pre-condition the car by connecting to the ESVE, or for topping off on longer drives. It won't affect my wife's car with the slower on-board charger, but it will potentially help the Model Y. I'm 50-50 on whether or not I'll get a CT, at which point I'd probably want a charger with more juice than what I currently have.

Thoughts?

You’ll definitely need rewiring to go from 40A to 60A. But with a 10’ section it doesn’t need to be too expensive.