What did I do wrong on my road trip?

[Jimbro]

Hey there. I'm new and not that smart. Please be gentle.

I've got mad range anxiety.

Just took a road trip from New Jersey to Vermont with the fam and tried to use A Better Route Planner as well as cross reference it with the location(s) it noted for my one stop to charge up my 2022 Mach-e. I figured since I have a Lectron Tesla to J1772 EV Adapter | 250V | 48 Amp I'd be able to use a Tesla Supercharger. Long story short, it didn't work and it was a mess.

Was it because the adapter can only go up to 250V and the Superchargers I tried to use go up to 277V?

And when I looked at the speed of the outputs on various other chargers I used, they didn't go anywhere near that speed (though DC chargers were certainly faster than the L2 charger I have at home).

I know I'm probably mixing up terminology, but that's the reality of us not-so-technically-adept folks trying to adapt cleaner technology.

What did I do wrong? Why can't we have nice things?

Thank you.

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[Snakebitten]

Tesla supercharger is not a L2 charger. So that adapter you purchased wouldn't work for DCFC

According to your link, you purchased this:

I think you needed this one

 

[Jimbro]

Thanks @Snakebitten.

My understanding is the adapter I purchased connects from a Tesla charger to a Mustang Mach-e (for example). And the adapter fit both of those. However, it would not provide a charge. Why do you think that is?

That said, I was able to use a DC charger because my Mach-e has a flap that opens to access the additional ports.

Hope this is all making sense...

 

[Snakebitten]

I hope this helps

 

[Snakebitten]

Thanks @Snakebitten.

My understanding is the adapter I purchased connects from a Tesla charger to a Mustang Mach-e (for example). And the adapter fit both of those. However, it would not provide a charge. Why do you think that is?

That said, I was able to use a DC charger because my Mach-e has a flap that opens to access the additional ports.

Hope this is all making sense...

I do believe that you should have been able to L2 charge from a Tesla wall charger using the adapter you linked to. But that wouldn't be a "Tesla SC". You stated that you were stopped at a Tesla Supercharger. That's DC charging, not AC charging. Your adapter is AC charging only. (L1/L2)

 

[Jimbro]

Thanks again, @Snakebitten!

So:
Am I able to use a Tesla Supercharger with my Mach-e at all?

If I want to "fast charge," does that mean my only option is a DC charging station (using the additional ports on my Mach-e).

 

[hybrid2bev]

Hey there. I'm new and not that smart. Please be gentle.

I've got mad range anxiety.

Just took a road trip from New Jersey to Vermont with the fam and tried to use A Better Route Planner as well as cross reference it with the location(s) it noted for my one stop to charge up my 2022 Mach-e. I figured since I have a Lectron Tesla to J1772 EV Adapter | 250V | 48 Amp I'd be able to use a Tesla Supercharger. Long story short, it didn't work and it was a mess.

Was it because the adapter can only go up to 250V and the Superchargers I tried to use go up to 277V?

And when I looked at the speed of the outputs on various other chargers I used, they didn't go anywhere near that speed (though DC chargers were certainly faster than the L2 charger I have at home).

I know I'm probably mixing up terminology, but that's the reality of us not-so-technically-adept folks trying to adapt cleaner technology.

What did I do wrong? Why can't we have nice things?

Thank you.

This explains L2 vs DCFC using Lectron adaptors. You need the right adaptor for the right station.

 

[HuntingPudel]

Thanks again, @Snakebitten!

So:
Am I able to use a Tesla Supercharger with my Mach-e at all?

If I want to "fast charge," does that mean my only option is a DC charging station (using the additional ports on my Mach-e).

You will need a Tesla to CCS-1 adapter for the Supercharger. You will also need either the proper software level in your car to activate Plug and Charge or the Tesla app to initiate a charge. You probably should get the Tesla app because even if you are using Plug and Charge the Tesla app allows you to filter charging stations and only find the ones that work with your car. ??

The DC Fast Charge adapter is made by two companies currently (not counting Tesla’s own adapter): A2Z EV and Lectron. ??

 

[AliRafiee]

What you did wrong was that you didn’t try to charge at a Tesla supercharger station before you went on your trip to make sure everything was setup correctly.

 

[Jimbro]

What you did wrong was that you didn’t try to charge at a Tesla supercharger station before you went on your trip to make sure everything was setup correctly.

Haha. Totally agree.

 

[RickMachE]

Thanks @Snakebitten.

My understanding is the adapter I purchased connects from a Tesla charger to a Mustang Mach-e (for example). And the adapter fit both of those. However, it would not provide a charge. Why do you think that is?

That said, I was able to use a DC charger because my Mach-e has a flap that opens to access the additional ports.

Hope this is all making sense...

There are two kinds of Tesla chargers. SuperChargers, and Destination Chargers. They use different adapters. FIT is not the issue.

You tried using a level 2 adapter, designed for 48amps, which is basically an overnight process, on a SuperCharger designed to charge in 30 or 40 minutes.

You need an adapter like A2Z's Typhoon Pro, which costs $193.50 with code FORDFORUM. You also need to use a Tesla SuperCharger that permits your use.

Are all Tesla SuperChargers open to us. NO. Why not? A) Some are too old. B) Some are too congested.

How do I know which Tesla SuperChargers I can use? Use the link below. "Open to Other EVs" means no adapter is needed, it's built-in, i.e. a "Magic Dock". "Open to NACS" means you need your adapter.

https://www.tesla.com/findus?v=2&bo...99246,-141.45410275&zoom=5&filters=party,nacs

https://a2zevshop.com/products/nacs-ccs1?ref=Typhoon&variant=43186507579592

 

[Jimbro]

There are two kinds of Tesla chargers. SuperChargers, and Destination Chargers. They use different adapters. FIT is not the issue.

You tried using a level 2 adapter, designed for 48amps, which is basically an overnight process, on a SuperCharger designed to charge in 30 or 40 minutes.

You need an adapter like A2Z's Typhoon Pro, which costs $193.50 with code FORDFORUM. You also need to use a Tesla SuperCharger that permits your use.

Are all Tesla SuperChargers open to us. NO. Why not? A) Some are too old. B) Some are too congested.

How do I know which Tesla SuperChargers I can use? Use the link below. "Open to Other EVs" means no adapter is needed, it's built-in, i.e. a "Magic Dock". "Open to NACS" means you need your adapter.

https://www.tesla.com/findus?v=2&bounds=53.70838876450332,-57.079102750000004,22.895621266599246,-141.45410275&zoom=5&filters=party,nacs

https://a2zevshop.com/products/nacs-ccs1?ref=Typhoon&variant=43186507579592

Ahhhhh. I'm finally getting it. Thank you @RickMachE and thank you @Snakebitten who I think was originally trying to explain that to me.

No thanks to @AliRafiee. You weren't gentle as I so kindly asked.

 

[MellowJohnny]

You can also fast charge at any non-Tesla DCFC like Electrify America, EVGo, and various others without using an adapter. Just open the lower flap. Have you done that yet?

The above advice can get complicated though - most of us typically end up with a different app for each provider. I have nine.

But once you get comfortable using the Tesla chargers you may not want to go back, and could more than likely forgo the non-Tesla DCFC shenanigans completely.

But it's nice to be comfortable with both, that way you have options. And I hate being out of options

Have fun!

 

[Jimbro]

You can also fast charge at any non-Tesla DCFC like Electrify America, EVGo, and various others without using an adapter. Just open the lower flap. Have you done that yet?

The above advice can get complicated though - most of us typically end up with a different app for each provider. I have nine.

But once you get comfortable using the Tesla chargers you may not want to go back, and could more than likely forgo the non-Tesla DCFC shenanigans completely.

But it's nice to be comfortable with both, that way you have options. And I hate being out of options

Have fun!

Thanks MellowJohnny!

Yeah, I ended up using a couple of non-Tesla DCFC (without needing an adapter, of course). That was definitely faster than an L2 like the one I have at home. Next time, I want to try a Tesla SuperCharger. I don't want all these apps (I accrued at least 3 new ones on the trip).

 

[AliRafiee]

Ahhhhh. I'm finally getting it. Thank you @RickMachE and thank you @Snakebitten who I think was originally trying to explain that to me.

No thanks to @AliRafiee. You weren't gentle as I so kindly asked.

I was basically answering based on the title. You asked what you did wrong.

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