Do I have to buy and carry extra charger in the car for long trips?

[paracha3]

I am new Tesla owner. My 2023 MYLR did not come with Mobile connector and i have AUTEL hardwired L2 charger installed at home which is more than enough for my daily commutes. I have not done any long road trip on my Tesla yet. But I mostly take my family/kids on road trips (6~12 hours one way within US) may be 2~3 times a year. I do not have any adapter or mobile charger in my car yet. The J1772 adapter (that came with car) is connected to home AUTEL charger.

Questions:

1. How essential it is that I purchase extra mobile charging solutions and/or adapters (J1772 or CSS) and keep them in car for long road trips? My understanding is if I am traveling between metropolitan cities I should be fine with SC network coverage?
2. Secondly for those who carry spare mobile connector in their car, how often and where do you find NEMA 14-50 connectors to charge your Tesla at reasonable speed? I mean regular 110V wall outlet charging speed (6 miles/hr) is not very practical when you are traveling with family?
3. How do you keep that charger secure (against theft) if you leave it plugged in for several hours to get reasonable juice?

I would appreciate advice from seasoned Tesla owners who have taken many long trips. Don't want to spend money if I don't have to.
Thanks!

 

[UncleCreepy]

1. Depending on the Supercharger situation along your planned route, you likely won't need any extra equipment. If anything, a CCS adapter won't hurt. Personally, I've never used or needed any of the adapters that plug into the Tesla Mobile connector, at least not during a road trip.

2. You might be able to find a 14-50 outlet on campgrounds. If that's where you want to stay overnight, then by all means, get the adapter for the mobile connector.

3. The car locks the adapter in. You can't remove it unless you have yor phone within range or a key card/fob. However, it would theoretically be possible that someone unplugs the mobile connector from the outlet and steals the adapter. That sounds pretty remote to me, though.

If you know where you are going, you can just enter the destination in the navigation and let the car decide where to supercharge. If it finds a route, you're all set and won't need anything else. If you have to stay somewhere overnight I would check plugshare.com for hotels with L2 chargers to recharge overnight.

It worked for me for a trip from Eastern Ontario to BC which was 5,600 miles overall. Charging was a non-issue.

 

[MattM24]

I am new Tesla owner. My 2023 MYLR did not come with Mobile connector and i have AUTEL hardwired L2 charger installed at home which is more than enough for my daily commutes. I have not done any long road trip on my Tesla yet. But I mostly take my family/kids on road trips (6~12 hours one way within US) may be 2~3 times a year. I do not have any adapter or mobile charger in my car yet. The J1772 adapter (that came with car) is connected to home AUTEL charger.

Questions:

1. How essential it is that I purchase extra mobile charging solutions and/or adapters (J1772 or CSS) and keep them in car for long road trips? My understanding is if I am traveling between metropolitan cities I should be fine with SC network coverage?
2. Secondly for those who carry spare mobile connector in their car, how often and where do you find NEMA 14-50 connectors to charge your Tesla at reasonable speed? I mean regular 110V wall outlet charging speed (6 miles/hr) is not very practical when you are traveling with family?
3. How do you keep that charger secure (against theft) if you leave it plugged in for several hours to get reasonable juice?

I would appreciate advice from seasoned Tesla owners who have taken many long trips. Don't want to spend money if I don't have to.
Thanks!

You would be surprised how practical the 5-15 (120V) mobile connector is on road trips.
Assuming you stay at destinations for a few days, you can recharge the whole battery.
I’ve only once used the 14-50 adapter. The 14-30 has been more practical, since dryers are usually closer to the car than stoves.

 

[KJD]

When you travel do you mostly drive on the interstate system ? If so the coverage is pretty good there so not a problem. The map at
supercharge.info
is really good quick reference.

I would buy an extra J1772 adapter and leave it in the car. Small and not very expensive. It will save you forgetting to pack it some time. The J plugs are slow, but if you miss calculate your range or get diverted somewhere then use it long enough to just get you to the nearest supercharger.

Install the plug share app on your phone to find non Tesla charger locations.

I have an extra mobile connector in my trunk and a full NEMA adapter set. I will also say that I have not used either of those things in years. Most of the USA has pretty decent coverage now. Safe travels to you.

 

[doghousePVD]

I always travel with a mobile connector. I camp at RV grounds, stop at friend's houses, hotels, and always want maximum flexibility. I have about a dozen dongles, but I may be an outlier. Do not have/want a CSS adapter, although I have a Chademo I have never used.

Most houses have either an electric stove or electric dryer outlet.

Why wouldn't you carry the J1772 adapter?

The Mobile Charger is locked to the car so it can't be easily stolen. I have driven to Texas, Florida, Western Ontario and Quebec several times from Maine.

 

[FastEddieB]

On trips, we‘ve used our mobile charger dozens of times - at friend’s houses (both 120v and 240v), and motels, mainly. Even @ 120 you can pick up about 50 miles overnight, which is not nothing. It’s what we use at our primary TN home, via an L14-30 dongle.

Here recently at a motel in Port St. Joe, FL, in a part of the FL panhandle where Superchargers are few and far between (for now):

The receptacle there was a 5-20 and we have that dongle which ups 120v charging to about 7 mph. Which overnight is not nothing:


Never needed it yet in an emergency, but the 14-50 dongle would let you find a campground if very low on charge, and beg to use one of their RV receptacles while offering to pay for the privilege.
In short, as previously stated, not 100% necessary in most parts of the country. But better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it! (Have no idea why that text is red and somehow linked. Weird!)

 

[howardnj]

I am new Tesla owner. My 2023 MYLR did not come with Mobile connector and i have AUTEL hardwired L2 charger installed at home which is more than enough for my daily commutes. I have not done any long road trip on my Tesla yet. But I mostly take my family/kids on road trips (6~12 hours one way within US) may be 2~3 times a year. I do not have any adapter or mobile charger in my car yet. The J1772 adapter (that came with car) is connected to home AUTEL charger.

Questions:

1. How essential it is that I purchase extra mobile charging solutions and/or adapters (J1772 or CSS) and keep them in car for long road trips? My understanding is if I am traveling between metropolitan cities I should be fine with SC network coverage?
2. Secondly for those who carry spare mobile connector in their car, how often and where do you find NEMA 14-50 connectors to charge your Tesla at reasonable speed? I mean regular 110V wall outlet charging speed (6 miles/hr) is not very practical when you are traveling with family?
3. How do you keep that charger secure (against theft) if you leave it plugged in for several hours to get reasonable juice?

I would appreciate advice from seasoned Tesla owners who have taken many long trips. Don't want to spend money if I don't have to.
Thanks!

I make frequent trips between NJ and Florida a few times per year. Originally I was nervous about taking a long road trip. What I did was use the PlugShare app and compile a list of all Tesla Superchargers along my route. I have a list of over 50 charge stations between NJ and Florida. Most are 120 to 150 miles apart and I stop to eat, pee and charge every hour and a half to two hours. I put the next charge station location into my navigation so the battery is warmed and ready upon my arrival. I also have the CC1 adapter that I use in Florida where the FPL Evolution 350 kWh chargers are cheaper than Tesla

 

[fholbert]

Here recently at a motel in Port St. Joe, FL, in a part of the FL panhandle where Superchargers are few and far between (for now):

Do the little mom and pop hotels have issues with you charging your car? Safety cones, nice touch.

 

[jcanoe]

I am new Tesla owner. My 2023 MYLR did not come with Mobile connector and i have AUTEL hardwired L2 charger installed at home which is more than enough for my daily commutes. I have not done any long road trip on my Tesla yet. But I mostly take my family/kids on road trips (6~12 hours one way within US) may be 2~3 times a year. I do not have any adapter or mobile charger in my car yet. The J1772 adapter (that came with car) is connected to home AUTEL charger.

Questions:

1. How essential it is that I purchase extra mobile charging solutions and/or adapters (J1772 or CSS) and keep them in car for long road trips? My understanding is if I am traveling between metropolitan cities I should be fine with SC network coverage?
2. Secondly for those who carry spare mobile connector in their car, how often and where do you find NEMA 14-50 connectors to charge your Tesla at reasonable speed? I mean regular 110V wall outlet charging speed (6 miles/hr) is not very practical when you are traveling with family?
3. How do you keep that charger secure (against theft) if you leave it plugged in for several hours to get reasonable juice?

I would appreciate advice from seasoned Tesla owners who have taken many long trips. Don't want to spend money if I don't have to.
Thanks!

Mobile charging solutions may be useful. If visiting friends/family then the Tesla Mobile Connector w/5-15 power plug adapter would be the most flexible; plug into any standard receptacle and charge at up to 4 miles per hour added to the battery. The 5-20 power plug adapter would enable faster charging at up to 6 to 7 miles of range added per hour while charging. Any 5-20 receptacle can also be used with the standard 5-15 plug adapter and charge at up to 4 miles per hour. If camping then consider adding the travel trailer 30 (TT-30), 120V/30 amp power plug adapter (available from EVSEAdapters.com and the 14-50 power plug adapter. The TT-30 receptacle is commonly found at campgrounds. RV parks may charge more for a larger parking space with a 14-50 receptacle (on the theory that you would be parking a larger RV motorhome.)

Bring your J1772 adapter with you on trips; additional J1772 adapters are available for $50 from the Tesla online store. The Plugshare app can locate public Level 2 charging stations where you can charge (some are free while parked, at least for a few hours.)

You can now purchase a CCS Combo 1 adapter from Tesla ($175) and also on Amazon (starting prices are under $100) For under $100 you can charge at Electrify America, Blink, evGO and other DC fastcharge stations (require an account, credit card or debit card on file and may require you to install a separate app on your phone.)

Make sure you have a valid credit card or debit card linked to your Tesla account. Test that you can use a local Supercharger before taking your trip (you can use the Supercharger for a minute or so just to confirm everything is working.)

When the Tesla vehicle is locked then the Tesla charging connector cannot be removed from the Tesla vehicle's charging port.

Although not recommended, if you plan to use the Tesla Mobile Connector you may want to bring an extension cord (nothing smaller than 14 gauge, 14 gauge yes, 12 gauge yes; 16 gauge nope.)

 

[Ostrichsak]

Boy scout in a past life here, I keep one UMC in all of my Tesla's and grab another one whenever we go on road trips. Two is one and one is none, after all. I also have a duffel bag full of adapters that I either bought or made. Rare is the occasion that I need any of this but it's nice to have when you need it and cheap peace of mind.

 

[smogne41]

I have the mobile charger in my trunk, and a wall charger at home. I don't use the mobile charger much, but it is super handy to have for trips. I recommend getting both the NEMA 10-30 and 14-30 adapters for it, since those are the two plugs you will find for cloths dryers. The 14-50 is of more limited use for me, but you might want it if you frequent camp grounds. Always road trip with the J1772 adapter, either take the one you have or buy another to keep in the car. Unless you have poor Supercharger coverage (or they are frequently overcrowded) in your travel areas, don't bother with the CCS adapter.

 

[Ostrichsak]

I have the mobile charger in my trunk, and a wall charger at home. I don't use the mobile charger much, but it is super handy to have for trips. I recommend getting both the NEMA 10-30 and 14-30 adapters for it, since those are the two plugs you will find for cloths dryers. The 14-50 is of more limited use for me, but you might want it if you frequent camp grounds. Always road trip with the J1772 adapter, either take the one you have or buy another to keep in the car. Unless you have poor Supercharger coverage (or they are frequently overcrowded) in your travel areas, don't bother with the CCS adapter.

If you're traveling across the country and can take only one adapter it's the 14-50, easily. Not sure why you'd only be able to take one so take several. They're cheap and don't take up much space. The point is that the 14-50 is going to be the most ubiquitous replacement if you're in lesser populated states with few Superchargers.

 

[jcanoe]

If you're traveling across the country and can take only one adapter it's the 14-50, easily. Not sure why you'd only be able to take one so take several. They're cheap and don't take up much space. The point is that the 14-50 is going to be the most ubiquitous replacement if you're in lesser populated states with few Superchargers.

Where would you find 14-50 receptacles while on the road other than RV campgrounds?

 

[Ciaopec]

I am new Tesla owner. My 2023 MYLR did not come with Mobile connector and i have AUTEL hardwired L2 charger installed at home which is more than enough for my daily commutes. I have not done any long road trip on my Tesla yet. But I mostly take my family/kids on road trips (6~12 hours one way within US) may be 2~3 times a year. I do not have any adapter or mobile charger in my car yet. The J1772 adapter (that came with car) is connected to home AUTEL charger.

Questions:

1. How essential it is that I purchase extra mobile charging solutions and/or adapters (J1772 or CSS) and keep them in car for long road trips? My understanding is if I am traveling between metropolitan cities I should be fine with SC network coverage?
2. Secondly for those who carry spare mobile connector in their car, how often and where do you find NEMA 14-50 connectors to charge your Tesla at reasonable speed? I mean regular 110V wall outlet charging speed (6 miles/hr) is not very practical when you are traveling with family?
3. How do you keep that charger secure (against theft) if you leave it plugged in for several hours to get reasonable juice?

I would appreciate advice from seasoned Tesla owners who have taken many long trips. Don't want to spend money if I don't have to.
Thanks!

In six years I have only carried the J1772 adaptor. I travel in the midwest, northcentral, and southeast US

 

[Darmie]

Yes. It's a good Swiss army knife. Also is the J1772. No public charging without the adapter. Keep in mind public charging is usually free, especially at malls. I would also get the RFID cards from all the aftermarket chargers ie blink, charge point and so on so it's easy to activate the charge which sometimes is free.

Second, every time on a road trip. The ABC of EV ownership is Always Be Charging so therefore the Mobile connector is in order. I also keep an extension cord, approx 20ft for those times a 120v recaptecle is not that close. Even at hotels and by permission, we can charge overnight and receive approx 50 miles. If you are staying with friends and stay a weekend and with permission you can gain a 100 + miles. When the car is locked, the plug is secure. Sure someone can take what ever they want. Any lock only keeps the honest person away. For the J1772 you can always buy one of these that will help keep the car plugged in.

Amazon.com

CCS is not really needed. There are Super Chargers near most CCS chargers anyway.
You can always look in the used market and or on your local Tesla Facebook group for a used Mobile connector. It will also come in handy with the future purchase of another Tesla.

Hope this helps. We have approx 200k shared road trip miles between an S, X and MY. PM if you have any other questions.

 

[RichNot]

I am new Tesla owner. My 2023 MYLR did not come with Mobile connector and i have AUTEL hardwired L2 charger installed at home which is more than enough for my daily commutes. I have not done any long road trip on my Tesla yet. But I mostly take my family/kids on road trips (6~12 hours one way within US) may be 2~3 times a year. I do not have any adapter or mobile charger in my car yet. The J1772 adapter (that came with car) is connected to home AUTEL charger.

Questions:

1. How essential it is that I purchase extra mobile charging solutions and/or adapters (J1772 or CSS) and keep them in car for long road trips? My understanding is if I am traveling between metropolitan cities I should be fine with SC network coverage?
2. Secondly for those who carry spare mobile connector in their car, how often and where do you find NEMA 14-50 connectors to charge your Tesla at reasonable speed? I mean regular 110V wall outlet charging speed (6 miles/hr) is not very practical when you are traveling with family?
3. How do you keep that charger secure (against theft) if you leave it plugged in for several hours to get reasonable juice?

I would appreciate advice from seasoned Tesla owners who have taken many long trips. Don't want to spend money if I don't have to.
Thanks!

I bought my 2919 M3 Dual Motor new and have made several long trips, including returning last week to Charlotte from Dallas. We used Tesla chargers all the way by simply entering our destination to the in-car GPS before leaving home and charging when recommended. We only drove about 350 miles each day (we like to explore), so I used the Tesla Go Anywhere map to find hotels with Tesla Level Two chargers, then reentered my ultimate destination each morning with 100% charge. We've also made several 8 hour trips to the beach and stayed in a rented house with no Tesla Level Two chargers nearby. So we charged up to 100% on arrival at the nearest Supercharger (50 miles away) and plugged in the onboard charger whenever the car was in the carport of our rental. Can you still say "Happy Motoring"?

 

[EdJack]

I have a Wall Connector used for daily charging.

I also have the Mobile Connector that I bought when I first bought the Tesla, for range anxiety to keep in the trunk. I've never used it.

Every road trip has had plenty of Superchargers. I also only stay in large hotels or resorts that always have had Destination chargers. But I guess if maybe you stay in Airbnb, then it might be worth having to charge up.

Also have a CCS adapter, again never used it. Supercharger much better.

The only adapter I've ever used is the J1772, because some places I park have free J1772 chargers.

Since you are a new Tesla owner, I'd say wait to determine your needs.

When I was a new Tesla owner (with range anxiety like many) I bought everything; Wall Connector, Mobile Connector, various pigtails for Mobile Connector, CCS combo adapter, even a heavy gauge 25 foot extension cord in the trunk for the Mobile Connector. For fear of getting stuck somewhere.

In the end, I only use the Wall Connector at Home, the Supercharger on the road, and Destination chargers at Hotels. All the other devices have basically never been used.

 

[legendsk]

My Y came with a mobile connector and included a Nema 5-15 adapter for 110v. I added:
A {sort of expensive, but what can you do} J1772 adapter for chargers other than Tesla
An {expensive} mobile connector Nema 14-50P adapter from Tesla for use at RV parks, camp grounds and current code dryer connections
An {inexpensive} Nema 14-50R to Nema 10-30P for camp grounds, old style dryer plugs, etc.
An {inexpensive} Nema 10-30R to Nema 5-20R (just in case one is available, lots faster than the 5-15)

Threw them all into the front storage under the trunk.
Basically I'm covered for anything I will encounter in the USA. There are so many places where there simply isn't an EV charging station for 100 miles and this collection gives me more fuel security than my ICE ever had.

 

[Cosmacelf]

If you can charge at your destination, it’ll save you a supercharger stop. So, I recommend buying the J1772 adapter and the Mobile Connector with 5-15 and 5-20 adapters. Others are optional. But this is all optional. The SC network works fine.

 

[EdJack]

The J1772 adapter (that came with car) is connected to home AUTEL charger.

The J1772 adapter is the only adapter I've ever used (and I have all of them; Mobile charger, bunch of pigtails, CCS combo, etc.)

The only cautionary tale I would offer is that by having the J1772 connected to the home AUTEL charger, you are probably not going to be diligent at removing it from the AUTEL charger and putting it in your Tesla every time you drive away, and then putting it back when you return home.

The one time you "forget" to move the J1772 from your AUTEL charger to your Tesla is going to be the one time you need it on the road.

Since J1772 adapter is cheap, I'd get another J1772 adapter to keep one permanently in your Tesla and one permanently on the AUTEL charger so you don't have to worry about it and swap it back-and-forth every time you drive away and return home.