Charging M3 SR+ 2021 at home

[CrunchyInMilk]

Hello everyone,

I'm looking into options on how to charge my 2021 M3 SR+ at home, i'm very new to this so please pardon my very limited understanding. However I believe my best options are between;

1. Installing a TWC - I understand the M3 SR+ can only charge at max 32A

2. Installing a 32A circuit breaker (or higher) and charging using the UMC at 32A

I understand option 2 will charge the SR+ at a slower rate, but I think it maybe enough for what I need (does anyone know how fast it will charge with an option 2 setup?).
The car will be parked in the driveway at the front of the house, not undercover and will be exposed to the weather and because of this I am concerned that the UMC may not be weatherproof. If the charging rate of option 2 is suitable, i prefer this to option 1 as the TWC may conflict with the facade of the house and it will take up more space where space is limited.

 

[moa999]

1. The Tesla wall charger can do 11kW on three phase (effectively 3ph 16A) or 7.5kW single phase (32A) in Australia on the TM3.

2. You can buy 3rd party tails for the UMC that can also do 7.5kW - the UMC can only use a single phase (just note the difference between 3 pin and 5pin)

Tesla EV Charging Products | EVSE | Supply & Installation | Australia Wide

Tesla Charging Stations & Cables EVSE Australia is the leading supplier of Tesla Charging Stations and Cables, by providing Tesla drivers with flexibility and confidence through our large product range, industry leading warranties and on-going customer support. Backed by our price beat...

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The UMC with the car only comes with 10A and 15A tails which charge at 2kW and 3kW respectively.

 

[pts260]

So there are 2 main questions you should ask.
How much do you regularly require to recharge each night. (then do the sums in terms of added range while parked)
Is price more important than convenience. (leaving the UMC in the car for emergencies vs risk not taking vs packing up each day)
Bear in mind that you will only achieve the max 11kW with 3 phase. Other than that, in single phase, the HPWC will provide 7kW, the same as the maximum from the UMC.
Personally I had a HPWC at home (single phase) 7kW, gave this to my mum who bought a kona (could use older model in legacy mode) Bought a 2nd Gen 2 UMC with a 7kw Tail and use this charging off peak.

 

[cafz]

At 32A single phase (whether using the HPWC or the UMC), the SR+ adds about 13% an hour. At 16A per phase 3-phase (HPWC only), the SR+ adds about 20% an hour.

The HPWC is definitely weatherproof. The UMC probably less so - I mean it seems to be fine in light rain but I wouldn't want flowing water near it. You might want to create some kind of waterproof box to house it, but then you might as well just go with the HPWC (honestly it looks pretty good).

 

[CrunchyInMilk]

1. The Tesla wall charger can do 11kW on three phase (effectively 3ph 16A) or 7.5kW single phase (32A) in Australia on the TM3.

2. You can buy 3rd party tails for the UMC that can also do 7.5kW - the UMC can only use a single phase (just note the difference between 3 pin and 5pin)

Tesla EV Charging Products | EVSE | Supply & Installation | Australia Wide

Tesla Charging Stations & Cables EVSE Australia is the leading supplier of Tesla Charging Stations and Cables, by providing Tesla drivers with flexibility and confidence through our large product range, industry leading warranties and on-going customer support. Backed by our price beat...

evse.com.au

The UMC with the car only comes with 10A and 15A tails which charge at 2kW and 3kW respectively.

Thanks, i didn't realise i needed to purchase a 3rd party tail for the UMC to get to 7.5kW, as I thought the UMC that comes with the car could already do this. Great to know!

 

[CrunchyInMilk]

So there are 2 main questions you should ask.
How much do you regularly require to recharge each night. (then do the sums in terms of added range while parked)
Is price more important than convenience. (leaving the UMC in the car for emergencies vs risk not taking vs packing up each day)
Bear in mind that you will only achieve the max 11kW with 3 phase. Other than that, in single phase, the HPWC will provide 7kW, the same as the maximum from the UMC.
Personally I had a HPWC at home (single phase) 7kW, gave this to my mum who bought a kona (could use older model in legacy mode) Bought a 2nd Gen 2 UMC with a 7kw Tail and use this charging off peak.

Why did you opt to get rid of the HPWC (besides being a really nice son!) and use the UMC with the 7kW tail? I'm assuming you got the same charge with the HPWC and the UMC with the 7kW tail?

 

[paulp]

Hello everyone,

I'm looking into options on how to charge my 2021 M3 SR+ at home, i'm very new to this so please pardon my very limited understanding. However I believe my best options are between;

1. Installing a TWC - I understand the M3 SR+ can only charge at max 32A

2. Installing a 32A circuit breaker (or higher) and charging using the UMC at 32A

I understand option 2 will charge the SR+ at a slower rate, but I think it maybe enough for what I need (does anyone know how fast it will charge with an option 2 setup?).
The car will be parked in the driveway at the front of the house, not undercover and will be exposed to the weather and because of this I am concerned that the UMC may not be weatherproof. If the charging rate of option 2 is suitable, i prefer this to option 1 as the TWC may conflict with the facade of the house and it will take up more space where space is limited.

As a basic and simple rule of thumb, each amp of single phase charge is 1km of range in 1 hour. So if you plug into a 10amp power point it will add 10km of range per hour if set at 10 amps(just a guide, voltage fluctuations also impacts this). You’ll likely get slightly above 10km of range in reality. So your 32a single phase connection should get you around 32-35km per hour of charge.
So if you do 20km per day thats two hours of power point charging, or you might just wait til the weekend and do 10 hours in one hit, especially if you have solar.
If you arent doing a load of long day trips and dont mind the packup, maybe try the UMC with a standard power point (gpo) for a while until you work it out based on your lifestyle And you’ve gotten past the usual range anxiety…..which shouldnt take long.

 

[bay74]

I just had installed a 15A powerpoint on the side of the house, and charge using the mobile connector with the 15A tail. It's in a relatively sheltered position and off the ground but still receives a few splashed drips. Year and a half no issues so far but of course no guarantees.

Charges at 3kW, which is 6% per hour on my 50kWh SR+, which is also (approx') 20km/hr. That's been enough for us.

We're also parking on the driveway since this is the daily driver (wife's; mine's a bike). I recently put a 'temporary' Bunnings shade awning thing over it because the felt (? material) in the windows goes green (algae) here in the miserable Melbourne winter. Hoping a bit less moisture on the car will prevent or reduce the problem.

Cheese.

 

[moa999]

A very useful guide that got published on another forum today.
Pdf via dropbox

Dropbox - File Deleted - Simplify your life

bit.ly

 

[CrunchyInMilk]

A very useful guide that got published on another forum today.
Pdf via dropbox

Dropbox - File Deleted - Simplify your life

bit.ly

Thank you so much, i found this to be a very useful read.

 

[Nickdp]

2. You can buy 3rd party tails for the UMC that can also do 7.5kW - the UMC can only use a single phase (just note the difference between 3 pin and 5pin)

(emphasis mine). The 5-pin version is the better buy as you could take the UMC+Adaptor with you into the bush where 32A 3phase outlets are plentiful.

However, if you wanted to take your UMC for country travel and be able to plug into all charging outlets (not just 32A), take a look at the Gen2 UMC adaptor + Tails Bundle, and together with the DIY home charging kit, you'd have every need covered including home.

 

[Onshore]

In your case with an outdoor parking spot, I'd suggest installing a wall charger. These are designed for permanent outdoor use and are fully weather rated. And unlike the portable charger, it can't be disconnected during charging by drunks, vandals etc walking past your driveway.

That way, you can leave your portable charger in the car so you always have it.

 

[Nickdp]

A ..... guide that got published on another forum today.

good find - thanks for sharing.
Could you quote the source? the author asks for comment but does add contact details.

 

[pts260]

One further note that I learned only recently. The GEN1 (original Model S and X supplied) UMC can charge up to 11kW 3 phase with the right adapter (Red Euro tail + adapter. This seems perfectly matched to the AC charger in the Model 3.
You can find them on Ebay 2nd hand

 

[moa999]

good find - thanks for sharing.
Could you quote the source? the author asks for comment but does add contact details.

Was posted by Rudi C on the TM3AU Facebook group.

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