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Charging on 110 outlet

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Question. I will be taking a road trip to wonderful Maine. The place we'll stay at doesn't have any fast charging. After filling up at Hookset, I should arrive at my destination with a 40% battery. I plan on recharging it on the 110 outlet there just enough to get back to Hookset for the return trip with some buffer. At any rate, my question is, I will need an extension cord to reach the 110 outlet of the cottage we rented. Is that problematic? I there a specific type of extension cord I should buy? Thanks.
 
Have you read the home charging FAQ here?
FAQ: Home Tesla charging infrastructure QA

From the FAQ:
For 120V, to keep the voltage drop within range, you can use a 14 AWG cord if your TOTAL one-way circuit length from the car to the breaker panel is < 50 ft., 12 AWG if your total is < 100 ft., and you'd need to go to 10 AWG if you're at 150 ft. or greater.

Get the shortest cord that will work for you.
 
Charging on 120v has been hit or miss for me. Sometimes it works and sometimes I get a red ring around the charge port. I would not rely that being your only source.

I hear you. Charged on a hotel's 120v outlet last weekend. First night it gave me 6 km per hour of charge (roughly 4 miles). Second night, it would never charge. Dashboard showed I was getting 100v. Ditto at my mother in law's. Car wouldn't charge while her oven was on. The moment she turned it off, it gave me 7 km per hour of charge.

And nope, not my only plan. There is another resort in Kennebunk not too far with HWPCs. Non guests can use them if you eat at they restaurant. Or I could drive to Portland where I'm told there's a CHAdeMO charger.

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Have you read the home charging FAQ here?
FAQ: Home Tesla charging infrastructure QA

From the FAQ:
For 120V, to keep the voltage drop within range, you can use a 14 AWG cord if your TOTAL one-way circuit length from the car to the breaker panel is < 50 ft., 12 AWG if your total is < 100 ft., and you'd need to go to 10 AWG if you're at 150 ft. or greater.

Get the shortest cord that will work for you.

I hadn't read them, no. So thanks. That is helpful. Not sur of the distance until I get there but I will buy a 10 AWG to be on the safe side.
 
I've used 110 charging a few times while at hotels, all day in a parking garage, etc... if you've done the math and that's all you need to get back to your next charging stop, then it's great to let the car sip juice for a number of hours while you do other things.

I do agree that 110 outlets can be problematic...I've had a few where grounding or hot/neutral problems prevented the car form charging (aka red-ringing the charge port). I've also blown breakers with the car pulling a continuous 12A, and have had the car reduce current because it wasn't happy with the voltage drop it saw.

Fortunately in just about all those cases, there were a few other 110V oultets around, and I was able to make it work.

One thing that has come in handy are these... it lets you find a good outlet candidate without having to jockey the car all around:

Outlet Tester

Voltage Sniffer
 
110V, I'd plan for no more than 2mi/hr to be safe, especially if you are using an extension cord. Are there no J1722's in the area you are going to? 17mi over an hour of lunch might just patch you to some real charging.
 
yeah check your phone/car every once in a while to make sure it is still charging, and if you run into problems then dial down the amperage.
True that means you'll be charging at 2mph instead of 3, but if you are not moving the car for a couple of days then it can add up to something useful.
 
Have you read the home charging FAQ here?
FAQ: Home Tesla charging infrastructure QA

From the FAQ:
For 120V, to keep the voltage drop within range, you can use a 14 AWG cord if your TOTAL one-way circuit length from the car to the breaker panel is < 50 ft., 12 AWG if your total is < 100 ft., and you'd need to go to 10 AWG if you're at 150 ft. or greater.

Get the shortest cord that will work for you.

I would also say use the thickest and shortest cord you have available. Remember that even if your cord is only 50 feet long there could be a lot of wire in the wall between the outlet and the panel. It doesn't hurt to go with a heavier cord except that it is more weight to lug around.
I have a 10 AWG 50' cord I take with me on roadtrips.
 
Question. I will be taking a road trip to wonderful Maine. The place we'll stay at doesn't have any fast charging. After filling up at Hookset, I should arrive at my destination with a 40% battery. I plan on recharging it on the 110 outlet there just enough to get back to Hookset for the return trip with some buffer. At any rate, my question is, I will need an extension cord to reach the 110 outlet of the cottage we rented. Is that problematic? I there a specific type of extension cord I should buy? Thanks.

Along with an extension cord, it is worth getting the NEMA 5-20 adapter. If you can find a 20A 110V outlet it can be a big help over a long charge session.
 
EVSEAdapters.com have an array of adapters and extension cords, many specifically for the Model S. You may find this one useful while staying at hotels/motels as it would allow you to tap into a 240V 20A circuit often used for air conditioners: NEMA 14-50R to 6-20P Adapter

Also as Santana338 mentioned with 20A commercial outlets a NEMA 5-20 adapter will allow you to charge at 16 amps instead of 12, and get an extra kilometer or two per hour. Apparently the Tesla stores and service centers carry many of the UMC adapters and they may be the fastest way to get one.
 
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EVSEAdapters.com have an array of adapters and extension cords, many specifically for the Model S. You may find this one useful while staying at hotels/motels as it would allow you to tap into a 240V 20A circuit often used for air conditioners: NEMA 14-50R to 6-20P Adapter

Also as Santana338 mentioned with 20A commercial outlets a NEMA 5-20 adapter will allow you to charge at 16 amps instead of 12, and get an extra kilometer or two per hour. Apparently the Tesla stores and service centers carry many of the UMC adapters and they may be the fastest way to get one.
Even better than the 14-50R to 6-20P adapter, at my suggestion EVSEadapters.com now makes a 5-20R to 6-20P adapter of any length you want. Use the UMC 5-20 adapter to plug into this adapter, and it will automatically draw 16A rather than having to manually dial down from 40 to 16A when using the 14-50 to 6-20. (The 5-20 adapter doesn't care if it gets 120 or 240V, it just sees the amperage.) Just make sure you don't try to use this adapter for anything other than Tesla charging!
 
Just a word of caution. I stayed at a resort hotel that had lots of 120V outdoor plugs - used to charge the golf carts. You would think that would be a pretty good outlet. Not all worked - bad ground probably. It was a little bit older resort - circa 1995 I think - so not old just not new. These outlets charged the golf carts just fine.

Modern code certainly requires a ground and 12G wire but when you use the word "cottage" I just thought you should at least be prepared for the possiblity that the 120Vs might not be reliable.
 
I tried several cords and found that a 50ft 14 gauge gave me 9 amps and a 10 gauge 50 ft also gave me 9 amps. I don't think it's the plug because my volt can charge at 12 amps to the same socket it my garage (no extension cord). Although, I never tried backing in my 85D and plugging in directly.

Anyway, my 2 cents is get at least a 10 or 12 gauge to be on the safe side.

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Also, don't count on charging at a location just because someone says you can plugin. I went to a hotel and over the phone they said I could plug in when I got there and when I got there I found no plugs in reach of my 50 foot cable.
 
I would not recommend using any extension cord less than 10 AWG, regardless of length, and keep the length at 50-feet or less. The Model S can detect resistance in the cord and will not allow a charge if the voltage drop is significant.

Incidentally, did you look into Destination Chargers (HPWCs) in Maine? A number of hotels and resorts have them. Some may require that you stay there, but others might allow you to charge while stopping for an extended lunch.
 
I've done the wall outlet routine before and it's worked ... about 3-4 miles an hour. I am planning on getting the 5-20 adapter at some point.

I am in a hotel tonight where there will only be a 120V outlet. They did talk about supplying me with an extension cord which is highly worrisome. Luckily, it's not mission critical, but it would be nice to add 24-32 miles of buffer overnight since I will be in a remote area.

- K