Wall vs Mobile vs @#$%

[adamek]

My wife bought a used 2019 Nissan Leaf last year. I just bought a new Model Y earlier this week. We've been using the mobil charger that came with her Nissan to charge the Leaf from a NEMA 14-50 on the wall of our carport.

I ordered a mobile charger along with my Model Y, but it hasn't arrived yet (UPS says Monday). I planned to charge my Model Y with her mobile charger and the J1772 to NACS adapter that came with the Model Y.

This morning I went to unplug my Model Y. The adapter came out of the Model Y fine, but it was stuck on the end the Leaf 1772 mobile charger cable. Wrestled with it for a few minutes and even tried prying with a screwdriver, stuck (@#$%). Did a little web research and was worried that it might be fused at the electrical connections. Went back this afternoon gave it a few more pulls and it came free. (Whew). It was about 60F when plugged in yesterday, 40F this morning and 70F this afternoon.

I've also used the J1772 adapter with no problems at my local Hannaford grocery store in Manchester, NH. Free charging

• Continue using my wife's 2019 Leaf mobile charger for both cars.
  • Worrying about the adapter getting stuck permanently.
• Use current 14-50 outlet and switch between mobile chargers depending on which car needs charging.
  • Worry about wear on outlet and frequent strain on charger connectors.
• Buy a 14-50 splitter. Amazon, and use both mobile chargers.
  • Cons: $319, Right up there with cost of another charger.
  • Pros: Smart switching. Won't overload main panel in the house.
• Install new 14-50 and use both mobile chargers. Set Model Y to limit current to 20 amps so I won't overload house if both cars are charging at the same time.
• Buy and install new wall mounted charger.

One last data point. My most frequent long trips are up to see my Dad in northern Maine. No public charger near his place, but he has a NEMA 6-50 plug in his garage for his welder. I plan to charge overnight from that when visiting him (I've ordered the 6-50 plug for the Tesla mobile charger).

Any recommendations?

 

[jjrandorin]

since you have a semi need to take the mobile charger to go see your dad in Maine (and use it with the 6-50 adapter you ordered), if I was in your shoes I would probably buy a tesla universal wall connector (charger) and connect it where that 14-50 outlet is (in place of the outlet), and use it to charge both cars when they need charge.

The lowest cost thing to me would be to see what type of outlet that 14-50 is, and if its not a high grade one (that is made for multiple plug / unplug sessions), I would get one that is. People always talk about Hubbell and I have one of those (Hubbell) myself, but you could get a bryant or cooper brand for less money and it would still be good.

So, you could replace the outlet if needed with one that has known high quality blades etc, and then just swap mobile adapters when you need to charge each car.

 

[3sr+buyer]

If you do not anticipate needing to charge both cars at the same time, then maybe replace the current outlet with a Tesla Universal Wall Connector (which can charge either a J3400/Tesla/NACS or J1772 car)?

However, if you need to plug the Leaf in every night due to its shorter range, that may not be ideal on nights you want to charge the Model Y, in which case you may want to add a second charging line, either a 14-50 outlet (be sure it has full size contacts to the plug blades) or a Tesla Wall Connector.

 

[adamek]

since you have a semi need to take the mobile charger to go see your dad in Maine (and use it with the 6-50 adapter you ordered), if I was in your shoes I would probably buy a tesla universal wall connector (charger) and connect it where that 14-50 outlet is (in place of the outlet), and use it to charge both cars when they need charge.

I'm leaning towards the Tesla Universal Wall Connector. Longer cable than the mobile connectors and it would work with either car. But it won't work with the current 14-50 connector. I'd need new wiring, or maybe this extension cord.

 

[jjrandorin]

I'm leaning towards the Tesla Universal Wall Connector. Longer cable than the mobile connectors and it would work with either car. But it won't work with the current 14-50 connector. I'd need new wiring, or maybe this extension cord.

It wouldnt work with the 14-50 connector, no, but you could remove the 14-50 connector and use the wiring thats there for it to connect the Tesla universal wall connector (or get an electrician if you are not comfortable doing that).

I wouldnt recommend purchasing the wall connector then putting an 14-50 connector on it, since Tesla does not sell it that way. It would invalidate any warranty on it, for one.

 

[cbdream99]

I used to have a clipper creek HCS-40 plugged in to a 6-50 outlet (still working after 10 years), now they are owned by Enphase, they also have plugged in wall charger 14-50. I used to have a Leaf 10 years ago and have been using the J1772 charger with the adapter for my Tesla for years without any problem, they are solid but not as sleek looking as TWC. Last year I upgraded to Tesla WC (seeing the wide adoption of NACS and can open charge door with the wand) but it malfunctioned after 6 months, Tesla replaced it - probably just an unlucky incident.

 

[ewoodrick]

My wife bought a used 2019 Nissan Leaf last year. I just bought a new Model Y earlier this week. We've been using the mobil charger that came with her Nissan to charge the Leaf from a NEMA 14-50 on the wall of our carport.

I ordered a mobile charger along with my Model Y, but it hasn't arrived yet (UPS says Monday). I planned to charge my Model Y with her mobile charger and the J1772 to NACS adapter that came with the Model Y.

This morning I went to unplug my Model Y. The adapter came out of the Model Y fine, but it was stuck on the end the Leaf 1772 mobile charger cable. Wrestled with it for a few minutes and even tried prying with a screwdriver, stuck (@#$%). Did a little web research and was worried that it might be fused at the electrical connections. Went back this afternoon gave it a few more pulls and it came free. (Whew). It was about 60F when plugged in yesterday, 40F this morning and 70F this afternoon.

I've also used the J1772 adapter with no problems at my local Hannaford grocery store in Manchester, NH. Free charging

• Continue using my wife's 2019 Leaf mobile charger for both cars.
  • Worrying about the adapter getting stuck permanently.
• Use current 14-50 outlet and switch between mobile chargers depending on which car needs charging.
  • Worry about wear on outlet and frequent strain on charger connectors.
• Buy a 14-50 splitter. Amazon, and use both mobile chargers.
  • Cons: $319, Right up there with cost of another charger.
  • Pros: Smart switching. Won't overload main panel in the house.
• Install new 14-50 and use both mobile chargers. Set Model Y to limit current to 20 amps so I won't overload house if both cars are charging at the same time.
• Buy and install new wall mounted charger.

One last data point. My most frequent long trips are up to see my Dad in northern Maine. No public charger near his place, but he has a NEMA 6-50 plug in his garage for his welder. I plan to charge overnight from that when visiting him (I've ordered the 6-50 plug for the Tesla mobile charger).

Any recommendations?

I'm going to lay odds that the problem is way to simple. You aren't pressing the release on the J-1772 handle.

If you want a "little" more leverage (but certainly don't pull hard) place the unit back in the car plug and don't unlock the charge port, just push the J-1772 release and pull straight. You can then unlock the Tesla port and remove adapter by hand.

 

[adamek]

I'm going to lay odds that the problem is way to simple. You aren't pressing the release on the J-1772 handle.

If you want a "little" more leverage (but certainly don't pull hard) place the unit back in the car plug and don't unlock the charge port, just push the J-1772 release and pull straight. You can then unlock the Tesla port and remove adapter by hand.

I'd take that bet. I was pressing the release and also used a feeler gauge to make sure that the catch was clear. I'm a mechanical engineer with over twenty years of experience designing electrical connections for semiconductor test equipment.

I briefly considered using the Tesla's port to hold the adapter while I pulled on the J1772 handle, but I didn't want to strain a brand new expensive car port to free a much cheaper adapter.

 

[adamek]

My wife's Leaf Mobile Connector is five years old. I've done a little more testing with the adapter. It has much more friction with that connector than with the couple of other J1772 plugs I've used.

I'm going to buy a Grizzl-E Smart EV Charger.

• $395.99 somewhat cheaper than the Tesla Wall Connector and much cheaper than the Universal Connector.
• Energy-star certified, I can get a tax rebate.
• 14-50 plug and adjustable amperage. I already have a 14-50 outlet in my garage on a 30A circuit. I don't have to get 60A circuit breaker and wiring installed. (Big cost savings!)

Charging at 240V, 24A will be fine for overnight charging. I have a 2 mile commute.

If I ever find that I need more charging capacity, I'll pay for an electrician to install the circuit and a Universal Connector, then I'll move the Grizzl-E to my Dad's house up in Maine or to his camp.

 

[jjrandorin]

My wife's Leaf Mobile Connector is five years old. I've done a little more testing with the adapter. It has much more friction with that connector than with the couple of other J1772 plugs I've used.

I'm going to buy a Grizzl-E Smart EV Charger.

• $395.99 somewhat cheaper than the Tesla Wall Connector and much cheaper than the Universal Connector.
• Energy-star certified, I can get a tax rebate.
• 14-50 plug and adjustable amperage. I already have a 14-50 outlet in my garage on a 30A circuit. I don't have to get 60A circuit breaker and wiring installed. (Big cost savings!)

Charging at 240V, 24A will be fine for overnight charging. I have a 2 mile commute.

If I ever find that I need more charging capacity, I'll pay for an electrician to install the circuit and a Universal Connector, then I'll move the Grizzl-E to my Dad's house up in Maine or to his camp.

Grizzl-E also makes a wall connector with 2 cables on it, in case you wanted to be able to charge both vehicles at the same time (just as a FYI). Its pretty expensive though.

 

[adamek]

Grizzl-E also makes a wall connector with 2 cables on it, in case you wanted to be able to charge both vehicles at the same time (just as a FYI). Its pretty expensive though.

My wife doesn't drive very much. One charger (with the appropriate adapters) should be sufficient for both cars.

 

[wws]

You can set the Tesla Wall Connector for various max amperages from 12 to 48 amps. So if I were in your shoes, I'd get it, pull out the 14-50 receptacle, and reuse the wiring for the TWC. You can then set the max amperage as appropriate for your wiring/breaker via an app on your phone.

I recently moved from a 14-50/universal mobile connector setup to the universal TWC. This to charge both my Model 3 and my wife's Volt. (My UMC had been modified with a J-1772 plug instead of the Tesla plug. So I had to use the J-1772 adapter for my Model 3.) I did upgrade to 60 amp breakers and new wiring for 48 amp charging. The extra 6 feet of cable comes in handy too.

 

[fiehlsport]

I agree. The cable on the Grizzl-e is needlessly thick and heavy. It's annoying. I've had both.

Get the Tesla universal wall connector, it's much more of a premium product and you won't ever have to worry about using an adapter. You can hardwire it to the source of your old 14-50 outlet and commission it to 24A in the settings. And the cable is super thin, probably the smallest on the market since Tesla designed it specifically for this unit - it's not an off the shelf cable.

 

[davewill]

My wife's Leaf Mobile Connector is five years old. I've done a little more testing with the adapter. It has much more friction with that connector than with the couple of other J1772 plugs I've used.

I'm going to buy a Grizzl-E Smart EV Charger.

• $395.99 somewhat cheaper than the Tesla Wall Connector and much cheaper than the Universal Connector.
• Energy-star certified, I can get a tax rebate.
• 14-50 plug and adjustable amperage. I already have a 14-50 outlet in my garage on a 30A circuit. I don't have to get 60A circuit breaker and wiring installed. (Big cost savings!)

Charging at 240V, 24A will be fine for overnight charging. I have a 2 mile commute.

If I ever find that I need more charging capacity, I'll pay for an electrician to install the circuit and a Universal Connector, then I'll move the Grizzl-E to my Dad's house up in Maine or to his camp.

Sounds like a reasonable interim, or even permanent, solution. I just wanted to point out that you don't have to upgrade to 60a to install a wall connector, a lot of people here just like to max everything out. It can be set for the 30a circuit you have now, if you like.

 

[ewoodrick]

I'd take that bet. I was pressing the release and also used a feeler gauge to make sure that the catch was clear. I'm a mechanical engineer with over twenty years of experience designing electrical connections for semiconductor test equipment.

I briefly considered using the Tesla's port to hold the adapter while I pulled on the J1772 handle, but I didn't want to strain a brand new expensive car port to free a much cheaper adapter.

Since you didn't mention that, we have to assume that you didn't.

So it sounds as if one of the connections got jammed, your choice on which one you want to destroy to save the other. It truly is a pretty simple, stupid device.

 

[BroncoAZ]

I had a ChargePoint charger for my Lightning at my last house, I did the Tesla wall connector at the new house. The ChargePoint worked fine, another one I considered was the Grizzl-E as it was very well reviewed in 2022. The charge cord is lighter and easier to handle on the Tesla. My install is a 60 amp circuit, but I turn the charger down to 32 amps in the app. I keep the ability for 48 amps if needed, but it could’ve been turned down at install for a 30 amp or other circuit. The Tesla charger was on the list for Eversource to offer an install rebate.

 

[mborkow]

Another vote for the Tesla Universal Wall connector. I use mine to charge my Model Y and my e-Golf (and my local electric company rebated me $500 once it was installed).

 

[adamek]

I had a ChargePoint charger for my Lightning at my last house, I did the Tesla wall connector at the new house. The ChargePoint worked fine, another one I considered was the Grizzl-E as it was very well reviewed in 2022. The charge cord is lighter and easier to handle on the Tesla. My install is a 60 amp circuit, but I turn the charger down to 32 amps in the app. I keep the ability for 48 amps if needed, but it could’ve been turned down at install for a 30 amp or other circuit. The Tesla charger was on the list for Eversource to offer an install rebate.

Eversource Massachusetts offers the rebate. Eversource in New Hampshire does not.

The Grizzl-E arrived and is working fine. The Tesla J1772 adapter slides smoothly and easily on and off it, unlike the leaf mobile adapter.