Using a Tesla charging station for non-Tesla vehicles

[Wycroe]

Hey all,
Still waiting to get our car, but it's close (I can feeeeeeel it). One of the things my wife and I were talking about was buying one of the adapters to use Tesla charging stations to charge the car. We live in Alberta Canada, and there seem to be a few places where Tesla chargers are present, but non-Tesla chargers are absent (mainly in some small towns in the mountains).
I'm just curious if anyone has bought and used one of the adapters, and how well it works (I know it won't use the super-charger technology since the Mach E doesn't support that kind of speed, but it would still charge the car in a pinch). I guess the other part of the question is, can you plug this into a supercharger and still charge at a Level 2 rate? I know Tesla has non-supercharger stations as well, but I am unfamiliar with any of their systems so I wouldn't know how to identify the difference
Thanks all!

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[Murse-In-Airy]

You cannot use Tesla super chargers at all. Those are DCFC and there is not an adapter for that. The Tesla adapters are only for the level 2 chargers, referred to as destination charger. These are most commonly found at hotels and airports where you can plug in for 8-12 hours at a time.
Tesla chargers are either destination chargers, or super chargers. They don’t do both.

 

[RickMachE]

And, to answer the other question, many people have bought one and used them successfully.

 

[WNKent]

You cannot use Tesla super chargers at all. Those are DCFC and there is not an adapter for that. The Tesla adapters are only for the level 2 chargers, referred to as destination charger. These are most commonly found at hotels and airports where you can plug in for 8-12 hours at a time.
Tesla chargers are either destination chargers, or super chargers. They don’t do both.

And the Destination (level 2 wall connector/charger) is what you would put at your home. I have a Tesla and soon a Mach-E; I had an additional Tesla wall connector/charger installed in my garage. The 3rd gen Tesla level 2 wall connector (charger). I chose these because they load share via wifi with each other and I added a load share component for the house so that It would always be in the first position, so in summer or winter, I can heat/cool the home, start the dish washer and vacuum (if I chose to) and the systems would pull back on the cars a bit, in favor of the house. I bought a TeslaTap branded adapter that I will attach to the new charger and happily charge the Mach-E, this same adapter I could use on the road, when road-tripping, at Tesla Destination chargers. See pics of a Tesla Super Charger, Destination charger Gen 3 and the adapter that I will use.

 

[Wycroe]

You cannot use Tesla super chargers at all. Those are DCFC and there is not an adapter for that. The Tesla adapters are only for the level 2 chargers, referred to as destination charger. These are most commonly found at hotels and airports where you can plug in for 8-12 hours at a time.
Tesla chargers are either destination chargers, or super chargers. They don’t do both.

Awesome, thanks for the info I honestly had no idea there were different adapters on the Tesla chargers!

 

[Wycroe]

And the Destination (level 2 wall connector/charger) is what you would put at your home. I have a Tesla and soon a Mach-E; I had an additional Tesla wall connector/charger installed in my garage. The 3rd gen Tesla level 2 wall connector (charger). I chose these because they load share via wifi with each other and I added a load share component for the house so that It would always be in the first position, so in summer or winter, I can heat/cool the home, start the dish washer and vacuum (if I chose to) and the systems would pull back on the cars a bit, in favor of the house. I bought a TeslaTap branded adapter that I will attach to the new charger and happily charge the Mach-E, this same adapter I could use on the road, when road-tripping, at Tesla Destination chargers. See pics of a Tesla Super Charger, Destination charger Gen 3 and the adapter that I will use.

Thanks for the info We debated buying a Tesla charger on the off chance we move in that direction later!

 

[KlueBat]

I don't have my car yet (SOON), but I already have a Tesla Tap Mini. The Tesla Tap just seems like a good thing to keep in the frunk for when you need it. A lot of hotels have Tesla wall chargers for destination charging but may not have J1772 chargers. Keeping the adaptor in the charge bag just seems like cheap insurance.

 

[WNKent]

Awesome, thanks for the info I honestly had no idea there were different adapters on the Tesla chargers!

I went with the TeslaTap at the advice of my electrician, but there are tons on the market and available in Canada, I would guess. The TeslaTap version of adapter is much less bulky and as such, a bit more expensive. Both our Tesla and Mach-E are extended range batteries and all of the charging we do has been at home. Commutes to work are 20 and 30 miles each way and even at that, plenty of charge left each day to run errands. I live in the SF Bay Area, CA and gas here is north of $6 and I'm really looking forward to getting rid of my Jeep which is close to $100 each time I fill that tank.

 

[Gold]

I found this on Amazon, wouldn't this work on Tesla charging stations?

https://www.amazon.com/Lectron-Char...ron+tesla+to+j1772&qid=1653844274&sr=8-6&th=1

 

[TheVirtualTim]

I use the Tesla-Tap adapter:

http://www.umc-j1772.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=17&product_id=99

These come in various amperage ratings. The Mach-E can charge on 240v AC power at speeds up to 48 amps. The 50-amp adapter would cover you. But if you consider the adapter as something for "you" rather than one of your specific cars (e.g. what if you get a different car ... would you keep the adapter) then you could get the 80-amp. This is overkill for a Mach-E ... but not for an F-140 Lightning -- which has dual 40-amp onboard chargers that can charge at 80 amps if the power is available.

Tesla-Tap adapters have a nice feature (I don't think the Lectron has this feature). The Tesla Destination Charger can be put in a Tesla-only mode vs. a J1772 mode. The diffference is the communication protocol between the wallbox (EVSE) and the car -- not just the physical plug design. In this mode the Lectron adapter would fail. Tesla Tap has logic in it that understands both J1772 *and* Tesla's proprietary mode. This means you can use it to charge ... even on Destination Chargers that have the J1772 mode disabled.

To make that work, the order in which you connect things matters.

If J1772 mode is enabled on the Tesla Destination Charger, then connect the adapter to the Tesla charging cord FIRST and then connect to the car 2nd. You can do this right away.

If J1772 mode is DISABLED on the Tesla Destination Charger, then still connect the adapter to the Tesla charging cord FIRST ... but wait 30 seconds ... and THEN connect to the car.

The Tesla-Tap gets owered up by the cord, attempts the J1772 negotiation -- which fails (because the mode was disabled by the Destination Charger) then flips to Tesla mode ... and this takes about 30 seconds for it to time-out and switch modes. At that point you can plug in and the adapter will work.

 

[TheVirtualTim]

I found this on Amazon, wouldn't this work on Tesla charging stations?

https://www.amazon.com/Lectron-Charging-Compatible-Connectors-Destination/dp/B09DCTJCTV/ref=sr_1_6?gclid=CjwKCAjws8yUBhA1EiwAi_tpEW5Egvr8-TIcN73Iz5-pxy1TLAB-S9KxKIqzwHWlnumhJsGtbxFXCxoCafAQAvD_BwE&hvadid=534983725919&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9012365&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=5257360822624547361&hvtargid=kwd-946430141417&hydadcr=7511_9880896&keywords=lectron+tesla+to+j1772&qid=1653844274&sr=8-6&th=1

That's the Lectron brand. It will work on a Tesla Destination charger as long as J1772 compatibility mode is enabled. The Tesla-Tap brand will work on any Tesla Destination Charger regardless of whether J1772 compatibility mode is enabled.

 

[AllenXS]

Get familiar with Petro-Canada and Electrify Canada. I went to a BC Hydro charger in Squamish and missed that EC had a new faster charger on the highway!
Some of the smaller towns in BC are getting larger banks of chargers, guess Alberta may be more gas orientated for some reason but hopefully catching up.
Found the Tesla Tap useful at the wineries and similar destinations as they had Tesla destination chargers. Didn't charge much (not there long enough) but helped along the way and kept the car happier on some really hot days (helps keep the system nice and cool, or warm as needed).

Don't think I will ever get pay-back out of my Tesla-tap but as someone else noted - the insurance factor is good.

 

[ridgebackpilot]

I don't have my car yet (SOON), but I already have a Tesla Tap Mini. The Tesla Tap just seems like a good thing to keep in the frunk for when you need it. A lot of hotels have Tesla wall chargers for destination charging but may not have J1772 chargers. Keeping the adaptor in the charge bag just seems like cheap insurance.

I do the same. Two years ago when I acquired my Tesla Model 3, I installed a Tesla Wall Charger in my garage. It has the long cable and can reach any car on the driveway.

When I bought my MME this year, I purchased the TeslaTap Mini adapter (60 amp). Even though my system is set up to charge at 40 amps maximum, you need the 60 amp adapter. It has worked flawlessly ever since.

I looked at the other adapters on the market such as the Lectron, but decided not to be "penny-wise and pound-foolish"...

The Tesla came with an adapter so that I can use J1772 chargers in case a Supercharger or Tesla destination charger isn't available. That has worked fine whenever I've needed it.

 

[Northofnine]

Hi all,
The parking garage I use at work has four J1772. Three are showing charge fault. Chances that I get the 4th are slim.
The garage has 20 Tesla level 2 chargers. I use the Tesla Tap 60 mini frequently with no issues. It charges at the full 48 amps that the car will except. The adapter and cable feel warm while charging. Not hot.
I am glad I went with Tesla Tap rather than the Lectron.

 

[generaltso]

Tesla Tap has logic in it that understands both J1772 *and* Tesla's proprietary mode. This means you can use it to charge ... even on Destination Chargers that have the J1772 mode disabled.

Have you tested this? When I asked the folks at TeslaTap, they said it wouldn’t work at a Gen 3 destination charger if it’s set to only allow Teslas. I haven‘t been able to find one to test it.

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