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SmartElectric
Active Member
I'm taking our Tesla in for service tomorrow, the AC charger is not working. If I had a CHAdeMO adaptor, I could have charged at the local DC quick charger a few km away...thinking about getting the adaptor now as insurance...
Cottonwood
Roadster#433, Model S#S37
Exactly!
Having more charge options is always good. We all have to realize that we are the EV Pioneers, blazing out on the new frontier. Having more charging choices is always good. Higher power (faster) is always better.
Superchargers are the best right now; show up with a low SoC and you can get 300 mph charging for a while, but they are not everywhere. CHAdeMO is right behind Supercharger rates with a full power site providing over 100 mph charging through most of a Tesla charge cycle. That is 5x the rate of the typical 30 Amp L2, and 5x means a lot when you are there waiting...
When you need to charge and are off of the Supercharger Highway, 5x faster charging is a really HUGE deal.
I don't know, I've just seen them on plugshare and driving by. Never got close enough to see or ask. I'd be surprised - does Orange/Durham?
Plugshare is fantastic. Crowd sourcing makes a big difference. Someone not wanting to be a "plugshare police" doesn't realize that we are all in this together. It is a horrible attitude and quite selfish frankly. I check in every time and if everyone did, reliability concerns are lessened dramatically. Just like I would expect supercharger check in's to report if there is a line - something Tesla should know and doesn't tell us. Tesla is far from perfect!
Same here, don't have an adapter so I haven't been checking. Occasionally stop at Sheetz near Mebane when heading west, but that location might be the last one to get a chademo. Doesn't show anything on PlugShare for that area (including known plugs at Tanger).....if I set the filters correctly.
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Hell yeah, unlike you 90D or85D models I have a 60 model. There are places off the beaten road in Virginia still route 3, 15 and upper New York area where a CHaDeMo adapter is really useful. No supercharger to be found nearby. It will be more so valuable when the Model III comes on line.
I saw all those Tesla waiting at some California supercharging site (picture during Thanksgiving). I would have driven to the nearest Chademo adapter than wait an hour screw that. That's my story.
I saw all those Tesla waiting at some California supercharging site (picture during Thanksgiving). I would have driven to the nearest Chademo adapter than wait an hour screw that. That's my story.
Personally I have used my CHAdeMO adapter far more than a Supercharger. But that is due to where I go. Just saying, it depends
It depends on where you drive. Here in the Pacific NW, Washington and Oregon have put together a nice Chademo network called the West Coast Electric Highway. You can effectively drive a Nissan Leaf from Seattle out to the coast and down 101 to the Oregon border with CA using Chademo.
In Oregon, the Superchargers are only along I-5 and I-84. If you live or drive anywhere beyond this, the Chademo adapter is handy.
I'm an architect and I have projects in Hood River. When I drive there from my home in Bend, I can either drive 35 miles east to The Dalles to the Supercharger there, and then return home, or I can use the Chademo charger in downtown Hood River. Its been 50% split for me. The Supercharger is free, but its on the outskirts of a small town with limited food options. The Chademo costs $7.50, but its in downtown Hood River, with probably 20 excellent restaurants within a 3 block radius. Its right across the street from the Full Sail Brewery! Hard to beat that...
In Oregon, the Superchargers are only along I-5 and I-84. If you live or drive anywhere beyond this, the Chademo adapter is handy.
I'm an architect and I have projects in Hood River. When I drive there from my home in Bend, I can either drive 35 miles east to The Dalles to the Supercharger there, and then return home, or I can use the Chademo charger in downtown Hood River. Its been 50% split for me. The Supercharger is free, but its on the outskirts of a small town with limited food options. The Chademo costs $7.50, but its in downtown Hood River, with probably 20 excellent restaurants within a 3 block radius. Its right across the street from the Full Sail Brewery! Hard to beat that...
John Stuckey
Member
I was not going to get one until I found out that the St Charles, MO SC has been up and down since the end of November. We are going from Dayton to ABQ next month and if the St Charles SC is down again we will need a CHAdeMO adapter or spend a long time somewhere else. $450 is a chunk of change but spending hours charging sure puts a damper on a trip. I have also purchased the complete set of adapters and some extra extension cords (240/V50A and 120V/15A). All wasted insurance money I hope!
I live in an apartment building with no opportunity to charge at home so public infrastructure is what i rely on and very fortunate for me there is a chademo station next to a dunkin donuts on my way to work. Even better, there are two chademo stations at a mall 1 mile from my office. I used the chademo constantly when I first got my car. I still use it but now but less so I charge locally overnight with a public J1772. Would rather walk 10 minutes extra than stop 3 times to charge for 30 minutes with the chademo.
I got my money's worth via warm-fuzzies. This Tesla is my frist EV and I don't have home charging. Still, having the chademo adapter gives me a very valuable option when I *need* charge and I'm near my office or for quick miles to just get me close to home or somewhere with destination charging.
With home charging I think I would need it less and it would be a nice-to-have purchase.
I got my money's worth via warm-fuzzies. This Tesla is my frist EV and I don't have home charging. Still, having the chademo adapter gives me a very valuable option when I *need* charge and I'm near my office or for quick miles to just get me close to home or somewhere with destination charging.
With home charging I think I would need it less and it would be a nice-to-have purchase.
That is a nice sentiment.
FWIW, I bought the CHADEMO adapter to "complete" the car so I can drive to places too far or too inconvenient for an SC.
And I ended up using it for the first time on I-5 itself, on the drive from Seattle to Portland, when I realized that the enthusiast friends test driving my car had drained it too much to let me reach the Centralia SC.
Those test drives were not part of the plan when we left SC going up to Seattle.
IMO, the $450 is already worth the peace of mind it provides me when I am planning a trip.
Blu Zap
Grinning member
@jborak
I am faced with a situation similar to yours. I am moving from my townhouse where I have a nice 80A HPWC. Between that and Superchargers I have been fine for the 17 months of P85+ ownership. Now I'm moving to an apartment with no charging capabilities. A few miles away there are free public J1772 chargers, but nothing around to enjoy. Across the freeway is a NRG eVgo Chademo charger right by a shopping mall. Checking into it, the NRG eVgo is expensive with monthly fees and rates per minute. Plus a 30 minute charging time limit. So not only the $450 adapter, but also the cost of the charging. Not sure how workable that is?
I am faced with a situation similar to yours. I am moving from my townhouse where I have a nice 80A HPWC. Between that and Superchargers I have been fine for the 17 months of P85+ ownership. Now I'm moving to an apartment with no charging capabilities. A few miles away there are free public J1772 chargers, but nothing around to enjoy. Across the freeway is a NRG eVgo Chademo charger right by a shopping mall. Checking into it, the NRG eVgo is expensive with monthly fees and rates per minute. Plus a 30 minute charging time limit. So not only the $450 adapter, but also the cost of the charging. Not sure how workable that is?
I'd scout around your apartment complex, I'd be willing to bet there's a 120v plug somewhere within extension cord reach of your car. With that, you've got a conservative daily use range of 50-60 miles.
My parents live in a condo complex in Larkspur. Whenever we drive down to visit them, we use the free Chargepoint chargers at the Twin Cities Police station/Piper Park before we leave, but otherwise, I just park by their building and run an extension cord to a 120v outlet. I've also used the HPWCs at the Village where the Tesla Store is, but because we're just visiting, I think they're ok with us doing that. I've always called the Tesla Store in advance.
Given all the charging options in Marin, I'm sure you could get something to work (there's a total of 10 charging stations in the Bend area on Plugshare, compared to 55 in Marin at the same level of zoom).
My parents live in a condo complex in Larkspur. Whenever we drive down to visit them, we use the free Chargepoint chargers at the Twin Cities Police station/Piper Park before we leave, but otherwise, I just park by their building and run an extension cord to a 120v outlet. I've also used the HPWCs at the Village where the Tesla Store is, but because we're just visiting, I think they're ok with us doing that. I've always called the Tesla Store in advance.
Given all the charging options in Marin, I'm sure you could get something to work (there's a total of 10 charging stations in the Bend area on Plugshare, compared to 55 in Marin at the same level of zoom).
Its a good quality, "hefty" 120v extension cord. I forget where we got it, we've had it for years. Its like the bright orange extension cords you get for home improvement, but its beige instead of orange. On the side of the wire casing, its stamped UL 16/3, which I'm assuming is 16 gauge, 3 conductor wire.
Weatherproof? Well, officially, probably not. Usually if its wet out, I'll plug the outlet in first, then plug in the UMC, coil up all the excess cordage and stick it all under the Model S, taking care to make sure the cord, connections and UMC are away from any standing water.
Honestly, I'm not too worried about plugging in the car in the wet, particularly if its fresh water. My house has been flooded twice by storm water (snow, rain): the first time our entire electrical panel was fully submerged for 8 hours and we never lost power. After rebuilding and renovating, including all new electrical meter, service, house panel and wiring in the basement, we got a fluke flood again and ended up with 14" of water in our now finished basement. All of the wall outlets down there were under water, as well as the lower heating element of our 240v hot water heater. No circuits tripped and there were no short circuits.
(In the heat of the emergency, I had to cut a sheet of plywood to cover the basement window the flood broke. I had to dig my skilsaw out of the mud in my basement with a shovel. I didn't have any other options, and I needed it then, so I stuck the skilsaw in the kitchen sink and blasted water through it until all of the mud and grit was gone. And because I knew I couldn't wait for it to dry, I shrugged, and plugged it into the GFCI protected outlet next to my kitchen sink and pulled the trigger. The saw ran fine. I proceeded to cut my plywood, which additionally warmed up the saw so when I was done, the window was closed up and protected, and my skilsaw was clean and dry. Go figure...)
Fresh water isn't much of a conductor. Sure, put enough voltage and amperage in it and you can do some damage, but generally its not as catastrophic as its made out to be. I think the biggest issue with immersion in fresh water is the potential corrosion of conductors and connections. (Salt water is an entirely different story!)
Weatherproof? Well, officially, probably not. Usually if its wet out, I'll plug the outlet in first, then plug in the UMC, coil up all the excess cordage and stick it all under the Model S, taking care to make sure the cord, connections and UMC are away from any standing water.
Honestly, I'm not too worried about plugging in the car in the wet, particularly if its fresh water. My house has been flooded twice by storm water (snow, rain): the first time our entire electrical panel was fully submerged for 8 hours and we never lost power. After rebuilding and renovating, including all new electrical meter, service, house panel and wiring in the basement, we got a fluke flood again and ended up with 14" of water in our now finished basement. All of the wall outlets down there were under water, as well as the lower heating element of our 240v hot water heater. No circuits tripped and there were no short circuits.
(In the heat of the emergency, I had to cut a sheet of plywood to cover the basement window the flood broke. I had to dig my skilsaw out of the mud in my basement with a shovel. I didn't have any other options, and I needed it then, so I stuck the skilsaw in the kitchen sink and blasted water through it until all of the mud and grit was gone. And because I knew I couldn't wait for it to dry, I shrugged, and plugged it into the GFCI protected outlet next to my kitchen sink and pulled the trigger. The saw ran fine. I proceeded to cut my plywood, which additionally warmed up the saw so when I was done, the window was closed up and protected, and my skilsaw was clean and dry. Go figure...)
Fresh water isn't much of a conductor. Sure, put enough voltage and amperage in it and you can do some damage, but generally its not as catastrophic as its made out to be. I think the biggest issue with immersion in fresh water is the potential corrosion of conductors and connections. (Salt water is an entirely different story!)
AndreSF
Member
Yeah, I've checked eVgo rates and they are expensive! That, plus $450 for the adapter pushed me to conclude it won't be much use to me. You might have done so, but I would check to see if building allows installation of the EVSE in the garage (not sure it's an option) or even ability to get a parking spot close to a conventional outlet.
Good luck!
reddy
Active Member
Like you, I asked myself whether a Chademo was really worth the expense. All my trips were based around supercharger locations, and most Chademo sites are at extra expense.
On my first really long road trip, I pulled into the Weatherford, OK supercharger, only to find out the system was down. And I did NOT have enough battery remaining to make it to my next stop at Ardmore, OK. The OKC supercharger wasn't built yet.
I was bailed out by a Chademo, owned by a private company in OKC, that was found on Plugshare for free. The Tesla service people were great, and offered to have a flatbed take me to Ardmore. That would have led to hours of delay, and my wife and I riding with a truck driver in a flatbed for 3 hours. Not my idea of a fun time for sure.
I ended up using a Chademo again at a Cracker Barrel eVGO south of Houston on the same trip, just because it was on my way and more convenient.
If you plan trips to areas without complete supercharger coverage, I'd get the Chademo.
On my first really long road trip, I pulled into the Weatherford, OK supercharger, only to find out the system was down. And I did NOT have enough battery remaining to make it to my next stop at Ardmore, OK. The OKC supercharger wasn't built yet.
I was bailed out by a Chademo, owned by a private company in OKC, that was found on Plugshare for free. The Tesla service people were great, and offered to have a flatbed take me to Ardmore. That would have led to hours of delay, and my wife and I riding with a truck driver in a flatbed for 3 hours. Not my idea of a fun time for sure.
I ended up using a Chademo again at a Cracker Barrel eVGO south of Houston on the same trip, just because it was on my way and more convenient.
If you plan trips to areas without complete supercharger coverage, I'd get the Chademo.
Wow, I'm actually a little concerned... I'm planning a road trip this summer and definitely planning my route through superchargers. U mentioned that you encountered a supercharger that was down? Does this happen frequently? Is there a way for us to know beforehand if the ones we will passby are operational?
It's extremely uncommon for an entire site to be down, maybe 4 or 5 instances over the past three years when there was a problem with power. Occasionally there is a problem with one paired stall and if so you can move to another one. With a recent firmware update the nav system will tell you if a supercharger site is offline.
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