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Tesla/J1772 adapter available from Tesla's website

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What a horrible implementation.... I don't think there is any major problem with the adapter approach, but why couldn't it just be a single solid unit maybe 10 inches in total length rather than two separate parts with a 4 foot cable stuck in the middle of it? Is there any reason at all for that???
 
What a horrible implementation.... I don't think there is any major problem with the adapter approach, but why couldn't it just be a single solid unit maybe 10 inches in total length rather than two separate parts with a 4 foot cable stuck in the middle of it? Is there any reason at all for that???

I agree completely. Trying to be like Apple...I don't think so, not with this "solution". Looks amateurish at best.
 
why couldn't it just be a single solid unit maybe 10 inches in total length rather than two separate parts with a 4 foot cable stuck in the middle of it? Is there any reason at all for that???

I agree entirely, solid adapters would be far easier to store/use - but it would be one more thing to design and test (to meet appropriate legislation). AFAIK the industry just makes connectors and everyone sticks bits of cable between them as required.

Tesla might only be tempted to go down the solid adapter route if it was part of their plan to keep some sort of proprietory Tesla connector on the next few generations of vehicles. Probably not worth it just for Model S.
 
...why couldn't it just be a single solid unit maybe 10 inches in total length...

One of our forum members made such a thing.
David Wegmuller's homepage :: J1772 Adapter
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I recall hearing someone (Tomsax?) mention that the Tesla connector is effectively glued to the carbon fiber body, so if the adapter tube got bumped or pulled on too much it could have enough leverage to possibly break the connector off of the car. Dwegmull : how is yours working out?
 
...if the adapter tube got bumped or pulled on too much it could have enough leverage to possibly break the connector off of the car

I was thinking that too... I guess that's got to be the reason Tesla stuck 4 feet of cable in between the two ends. But even with the standard Roadster adapters there is probably some risk of breaking them off as they still have 1/2 the length as David Wegmuller's masterpiece. Sure is a shame though -- I guess now we have to worry about breaking off the side rear view mirror! Something perhaps 60% of the length of David's might be perfect.
 
I'm sure the reason the adapter cable is so long is to avoid putting too much stress/torque on the inlet mounting cup. If that gets popped off the body panel, it's a real pain to get a replacement glued back on in the right spot. Even the ones that come from the factory aren't always aligned perfectly. That's why I gave up on the idea of hacking or replacing the cup to improve the cable clearance of the J1772 conversion.
 
I haven't ordered one yet, because I'm hoping Tom will have a kit available to convert my 2008 Roadster to J1772. I can wait, because I can count on one hand minus a couple of fingers how many public J1772s there are in Atlanta at this time. Also with the Roadster's range, I really don't need charging in Atlanta and J1772s are going to be even later in Georgia for charging outside of the metro Atlanta area. I want my Roadster converted to J1772 so that my S sedan and Roadster can utilize the same equipment without adapters.
 
So who in the US is NOT buying one? And if not, is it because you don't like the design, the cost, or because you've converted your Roadster (or plan to convert your Roadster)?

Since I already have a J1772 to 14-50 and the UMC, I'm thinking maybe just the new firmware will work for me for awhile at least. So few J1772 places are over 40A it's not clear it's worth it since I have a cable solution already.
I would prefer to convert the Roadster, but that would wait until my car isn't under warrantee and/or Tesla service approves and it's certain that the Model S will use the J1772. (When the car is in for service I want Tesla to be able to charge it! - Tesla will have to convert itself with the Model S...)
 
Since I already have a J1772 to 14-50 and the UMC, I'm thinking maybe just the new firmware will work for me for awhile at least. So few J1772 places are over 40A it's not clear it's worth it since I have a cable solution already.
I would prefer to convert the Roadster, but that would wait until my car isn't under warrantee and/or Tesla service approves and it's certain that the Model S will use the J1772. (When the car is in for service I want Tesla to be able to charge it! - Tesla will have to convert itself with the Model S...)

With the J1772 to 14-50 adapter, you lose the pilot signal so the car doesn't know what the charging limit is. Using the 14-50 pigtail on the UMC, the car thinks it can pull 40A, so you have to set the current limit manually. Since 32A is too high for a 30A station, you have to choose 24A. With a J1772-to-Tesla adapter (or conversion) that passes the pilot signal through, the car can charge at the full 30A.

As for charging at the Tesla store, I also converted my RFMC to J1772 and left that in the trunk. The service guys had no problem charging the car from their NEMA 14-50 outlet using the RFMC-J. Another solution for those who choose conversion is to make a Tesla-to-J adapter using the Tesla inlet removed from the car, which allows full 70A charging.
 
With the J1772 to 14-50 adapter, you lose the pilot signal so the car doesn't know what the charging limit is. Using the 14-50 pigtail on the UMC, the car thinks it can pull 40A, so you have to set the current limit manually. Since 32A is too high for a 30A station, you have to choose 24A...

Yes, and please be careful not to trip the breakers or burn out the wiring on the public J1772s. A Leaf will come along later wanting only 16A, but find that the station is out of commission because a UMC->14-50->J1772 contraption overloaded it. Sometimes it is quite hard to get someone to come and do maintenance to get a public charging station going again (even if it is just a tripped breaker, it can be tough to find the right person who knows where it is, has the right key to get to it, and has the authority to turn it back on again!)

Another reason why the cable with the pilot signal pass-through is a good idea, to avoid having someone make a "mistake" with the manual method.
 
Doug, look at the rear view mirror shadow in that image - if it really were draped, the shadow would change. I call BS. That's 'shopped. (Hehe, now that I don't work on it anymore, I can use the term that way :).

Went I sent email to Tesla, I said I would be ordering the adapter, but that I still wanted a socket replacement, gave them a no-brainer and think-about price, and stated that I thought it would be goofy to have a state-of-the-art car with a legacy connector.
 
Doug, look at the rear view mirror shadow in that image - if it really were draped, the shadow would change. I call BS. That's 'shopped.
I didn't mean to imply that it's actually hanging from the mirror, just facetiously that they seem to be suggesting to use it that way. The connecter is too close to the camera to be actually in contact with the car. Rather than a Photoshop, someone is holding the cable just out of frame (see his reflection and the window). They probably just wanted a shot of it with the car without a $750 part looking lame lying on the ground.

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