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Do I have to buy and carry extra charger in the car for long trips?
- Thread starter paracha3
- Start date
Yes. I carry a Mobile Connector and have the 10-30 and 14-50 adapters. I've used the 3 prong 10-30 with the dryer receptacle at my parents house numerous times. I've never used the 14-50 adapter and probably never will.
I always carry the J1772 and have used it at hotels. I recently used it at a pay ChargePoint station located in the parking lot of a hotel. Worked great.
Normally I use Superchargers on road trips, but one of my frequent destinations is either 70 miles or 90 miles (depending on my route) from the nearest Supercharger.
Ostrichsak
Well-Known Member
Why the disqualifier? That's a massive network that also happens to be where Superchargers aren't. It would be like saying "where can I find a windshield squeegee other than gas stations?" when gas stations are ubiquitous and have them. RV parks & camp grounds are dotted all over the country and, in our experience, can be some of the most fun and cheapest stops. When traveling in years past, we easily used our 14-50 adapters 2nd most only to Supercharging. As Supercharger #'s increase this will be less and less the case but it also makes for the best adapter option for all types of adapters. Most of my homemade adapters use a 14-50 somehow.
We just made our first long road trip in our MY and the SC network was fine. Out hotel had a DC fast charger and they provided a J adaptor, although I had one in the car. I’m using the 110V mobile connector at my parents’ house in rural WY and getting 5mi/hr of charge which is fine since we are just hanging out here. We did get a notification about two hours after charging at the Evanston charger that we were no longer within range of any SC and we should evaluate our situation. The routing system had planned for us to arrive at our destination with 23% and that’s what we had upon arrival so it was fine.
So…I like having the J adaptor and mobile connector for peace of mind, but I think they are unnecessary for most trips unless you know you are venturing far from major roadways.
So…I like having the J adaptor and mobile connector for peace of mind, but I think they are unnecessary for most trips unless you know you are venturing far from major roadways.
FastEddieB
Member
The handful of times we’ve asked, in our Tesla and our Clarity before, they’ve said no problem. I’m prepared to tell them that we’d probably use no more than $2 or $3 of electricity, and offer them $5 for the privilege.
I carry several of those cones in the frunk to help avoid end trip hazard, along with a heavy duty extension cord, along with all my dongles and adapters.
After traveling the east cost for 7 months, use results:
MCU never
CCS once, but only because I did not want to drive 15 min to a TSC, note the EVGO was so bad it cost me extra 20 min to charge
J1772 once and it is extra for me as my home charger is a Tesla gen 3
The advice to buy a 2nd J1772 is agreed as most hotels that offer charging need the adapter
TSC network makes road trips un eventful
Happy travels
MCU never
CCS once, but only because I did not want to drive 15 min to a TSC, note the EVGO was so bad it cost me extra 20 min to charge
J1772 once and it is extra for me as my home charger is a Tesla gen 3
The advice to buy a 2nd J1772 is agreed as most hotels that offer charging need the adapter
TSC network makes road trips un eventful
Happy travels
Bobbo8
Member
I have owned a Tesla since 2017 and made 5 trips from western NY to south Florida. Taken trips to Maine and the mid west and never had a problem finding a Tesla SC. Just put a little thought into your route and you will find a SC. They are roughly every 40 miles apart on interstates.
The mobile charger is often great for destinations. You can get somewhere and plug into 120V 15A socket. That charges at about 60miles in 12 hours, and can often represent your local "drive around" needs.
I was in a Ft Lauderdale hotel and the valets were kind enough to give us a spot next to a plug, we plugged in as we arrived and would drive around during the day and plug back in during the times we were in the hotel. Made travelling cheap and easy. It was so much easier than spending time at the Supercharger only 7 miles away.
If you are visiting someone overnight, it can help.
It can just keep you from having to do that Supercharger stop and it does show your host a better vision of EVs.
I was in a Ft Lauderdale hotel and the valets were kind enough to give us a spot next to a plug, we plugged in as we arrived and would drive around during the day and plug back in during the times we were in the hotel. Made travelling cheap and easy. It was so much easier than spending time at the Supercharger only 7 miles away.
If you are visiting someone overnight, it can help.
It can just keep you from having to do that Supercharger stop and it does show your host a better vision of EVs.
davewill
Active Member
I've been driving electric for going on a dozen years. During the first 5-6, I used a mobile EVSE maybe half a dozen times. Since then I've used it on the road zero times. In my mind, unless you know you are going to want to use it at specific locations (friends and family houses, RV sites, work, etc...) don't bother to get a mobile connector.
Now, if we're talking about an already existing mobile connector, then sure, buy the 14-50 adapter, if you don't already have one.
I strongly echo buying a second J1772 adapter if you use the existing one at home. Way too easy to forget to put it back in the car on the day you turn out to really need it.
In a couple of years, may this all be moot with most third party stations having NACS plugs!
Now, if we're talking about an already existing mobile connector, then sure, buy the 14-50 adapter, if you don't already have one.
I strongly echo buying a second J1772 adapter if you use the existing one at home. Way too easy to forget to put it back in the car on the day you turn out to really need it.
In a couple of years, may this all be moot with most third party stations having NACS plugs!
LORK
Member
Great advice already shared above. If spending the money on a mobile connector isn't an issue, I'd spring for it. While you can probably get around most road trips with relying just on Superchargers, it's really convenient when you get to an AirBNB where you can charge up. Our family drove from here in NYC to Atlanta then to Charleston. Charging along the way isn't an issue at all. As mentioned above, the on-board trip planner maps out your route (though I really wish Tesla would add a filter to help me get to a SC stop under 10%). The headache might come in where you're staying. The airbab we were staying at in Charleston was about 20 minutes away from the nearest SCs. Not a problem, but it was much more convenient to come home from whatever we were doing and just plug the mobile connector (which was connected to a normal household outlet at the airbnb). The J1772 adapter is also a nice (but increasingly rare) convenience when I pull into a parking lot or garage and there are chargers in there. Invariably, they are J1772 chargers.
73Bruin
Member
I have a wall charger at home and carry the UMC with the standard 120/15 adapter and an extension cord in our MY. Its come in handy at hotels that have destination chargers but they aren't ever available due to other Tesla owners that treat them as "theirs". It also works at friends homes that are off the beaten path. Getting 40 to 50 miles overnight is great when the there's no charging infrastrucure nearby.
dhrivnak
Active Member
YES a spare mobile connector is simple insurance. I keep a NEMA 5-15, NEMA 5-20 and NEMA 14-50 plugs and even use a second mobile connector for home charging on a NEMA 14-50 plug. I take frequent trips and use the charger often, hotels, in-laws, state parks........ 110,000 miles and growing.
Yes--this.
I am seeing a ton of people recommending you to get one because "it might come in handy". Well, that is different from "necessary". Sure, there might be some possible chance to plug into an outlet somewhere, and that might be useful, but as long as you don't mind just taking the stops at Superchargers, then you really don't need that cord for traveling. This isn't 10 years ago anymore.
73Bruin
Member
I wish this was true. I am sure it is largely true for driving on the interstates between metropolitan areas, however, this still isn't true for rural areas or trips into the National Parks in the west. In National parks and surrounding areas, the charging infrastructure is more likely to be J1772 than anything else.
Personally, I was very happy, I could use my UMC (even at 120/15 and a 4 mph charging rate) at my cousin's home outside Eagle Point OR over driving 15 miles (one way) to get to Medford which has the only supercharger in southern Oregon.
ucmndd
Well-Known Member
I’ve driven 170,000 miles all over the western US in the past 7 years. It’s been years since I’ve used anything other than the J1772 adapter, which I keep in the car at all times.
The UMC is nice on occasion for opportunistic charging, but now that it doesn’t come with the car any more I seriously doubt I’d pay $200 for the privilege.
The UMC is nice on occasion for opportunistic charging, but now that it doesn’t come with the car any more I seriously doubt I’d pay $200 for the privilege.
...which was the exact caveat spelled out in the original post that I was specifically responding to and affirming as the use case:
thefisch
Member
Just got back from a 1,189 road trip with the UMC and J1772 adaptor along for the ride. Arrived at a relatives house with 13% SOC and plugged into their 110v 10-15 garage outlet with their permission. That was my main source as I charged mostly overnight for 5 days. I also used the J1772 adapter for some free charging while parked at a lunch spot.
There are superchargers about 10 miles from their house but I only hit it up once for a short 10 minute session when it was convenient. Also to show them how that works and that is it possible to charge quickly - with the UMC on 110v 10-15 they were suprised how slowly the car charged so I wanted to show them how quickly these can charge for road trips.
I could have gone without either the UMC or J1772 thanks to the abundant superchargers. But it was nice to have options and charge when convenient.
There are superchargers about 10 miles from their house but I only hit it up once for a short 10 minute session when it was convenient. Also to show them how that works and that is it possible to charge quickly - with the UMC on 110v 10-15 they were suprised how slowly the car charged so I wanted to show them how quickly these can charge for road trips.
I could have gone without either the UMC or J1772 thanks to the abundant superchargers. But it was nice to have options and charge when convenient.
gtae07
Member
Disclaimer: I've only had the car a month...
I have a Tesla wall charger at home but also got the mobile charger with 14-50, 5-15, and 5-20 adapters, because I'm that person that likes to have lots of options (it's why I bought a spare, too). On my first trip to Mom & Dad's I installed a 14-50 and can now charge normally while visiting. Might give 120V charging (and maybe the J1772, at the only nearby public station) a try when visiting the in-laws--the nearest SCs to them are a good 20-30 minutes away.
We also tend to stay at Airbnbs and other rentals in less populated areas on our vacations, so "just use a supercharger" is sort of out of the picture, and public L2 chargers tend to be rare, and usually located at oddball places or hotels (which if you're not staying there... good luck). Going to Edisto or the north Georgia mountains, for example, our only realistic option will be L1 at the rental.
I have a Tesla wall charger at home but also got the mobile charger with 14-50, 5-15, and 5-20 adapters, because I'm that person that likes to have lots of options (it's why I bought a spare, too). On my first trip to Mom & Dad's I installed a 14-50 and can now charge normally while visiting. Might give 120V charging (and maybe the J1772, at the only nearby public station) a try when visiting the in-laws--the nearest SCs to them are a good 20-30 minutes away.
We also tend to stay at Airbnbs and other rentals in less populated areas on our vacations, so "just use a supercharger" is sort of out of the picture, and public L2 chargers tend to be rare, and usually located at oddball places or hotels (which if you're not staying there... good luck). Going to Edisto or the north Georgia mountains, for example, our only realistic option will be L1 at the rental.
Really depends. There are parts of rural North America that don't have a dense SC network even along US routes, especially western USA. An alternate to a SC is almost a must, I carry the J1772 and a mobile connector. If you only drive along major interstates then you probably can get by with just the SC network. Hoping a few more SC start popping up in rural areas along US routes.
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