Can anyone recommend a Tesla to Mach-E adapter for Tesla destination chargers?

[gnaark]

I'm about to go on a trip in a couple of weeks that sways from interstates and I'd like to keep a Tesla to Mach-E adapter in the car just in case.

There are plenty of choices and I don't know what to buy, what # of AMP do I need ...
Can someone tell me what to buy or make a recommendation that they tried successfully on a Tesla destination charger?

Cheers!

Sponsored

 

[digdug52]

I'm about to go on a trip in a couple of weeks that sways from interstates and I'd like to keep a Tesla to Mach-E adapter in the car just in case.

There are plenty of choices and I don't know what to buy, what # of AMP do I need ...
Can someone tell me what to buy or make a recommendation that they tried successfully on a Tesla destination charger?

Cheers!

http://www.umc-j1772.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=50

Also several threads on here about the TeslaTap if you do a search. I use one for my home charging since I already have a Wall Connector for my Model 3. As you can see, they come in various amp ratings.

 

[Timelessblur]

The Mach E can pull down 50 amps. Mach sure what ever adapter you get can handle at least 50 amps.
TeslaTap makes some good ones just make sure you get one t hat is rated for 50+ amps

 

[gnaark]

The Mach E can pull down 50 amps. Mach sure what ever adapter you get can handle at least 50 amps.
TeslaTap makes some good ones just make sure you get one t hat is rated for 50+ amps

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

cause I didn't know which one to pick for the Mach-E

 

[BMT1071]

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

cause I didn't know which one to pick for the Mach-E

That one should work just fine.
This one looks cooler, but it's way more expensive.
http://www.umc-j1772.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=17&product_id=146

?

 

[gnaark]

I've added this comment to an old thread (https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/jdapter-and-teslatap-charging-adapters.2136/) but I honestly didn't find any information that would answer my questions (It sparked even more confusion) so I created this thread. I am going to rephrase with this post:

I'm really confused about using the Tesla Destination chargers according to Ford (https://www.ford.com/suvs/mach-e/) the Mach-E (with AC charging) goes up to 10.5kW with 48 Amps capability.

Why do people say to buy the 50 Amps, 60 Amps, or 80 Amps Tesla taps? It seems it's a waste of money because the Mach-E won't benefit from anything above 48 Amps.

Also won't I risk frying my car if I go higher than 48 Amps? I am really worried about charging "outside" of the intended Ford use case.

I remember that Apple was always saying to stay clear of bootleg non-Apple cables when charging their phones and that it would damage the battery. Wouldn't that be the case here?

Can someone explain me this? Or am I looking at that wrong?

 

[digdug52]

I've added this comment to an old thread (https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/jdapter-and-teslatap-charging-adapters.2136/) but I honestly didn't find any information that would answer my questions (It sparked even more confusion) so I created this thread. I am going to rephrase with this post:

I'm really confused about using the Tesla Destination chargers according to Ford (https://www.ford.com/suvs/mach-e/) the Mach-E (with AC charging) goes up to 10.5kW with 48 Amps capability.

Why do people say to buy the 50 Amps, 60 Amps, or 80 Amps Tesla taps? It seems it's a waste of money because the Mach-E won't benefit from anything above 48 Amps.

Also won't I risk frying my car if I go higher than 48 Amps? I am really worried about charging "outside" of the intended Ford use case.

I remember that Apple was always saying to stay clear of bootleg non-Apple cables when charging their phones and that it would damage the battery. Wouldn't that be the case here?

Can someone explain me this? Or am I looking at that wrong?

No, you will not fry the car. Upon connection and the "handshake" between the EVSE and the car, the car will communicate it can handle a maximum of 48 amps. The EVSE will communicate to the car the maximum amps it can send. The result is always the lowest number.
Because I use my Tesla Wall Connector as my primary method of charging my Mach-E. I decided to buy the 80 amp TeslaTap to handle the 60 amp breaker Wall Connector, supplying 48 amps. This was a safety margin because of the 1 to 2 charges a week I do with the car.
For the occasional use, the 50 or 40 amp TeslaTap may well be more than enough to use for a few hour charge.
Remember that many locations with Tesla Wall Connectors are on commercial 208 V , so the kW output is a little less.

I know several people on this site besides me have also purchased either the TeslaTap or other product to use, maybe they can provide their experiences, especially if they bought the 50 or 40 amp models.

 

[macchiaz-o]

NOTE: I am not an electrician or electrical engineer. Consult with one of you are unsure of what you're doing. Info below is my amateur understanding.

The EVSE communicates its ampacity to the vehicle. The vehicle then decides how much current to draw from the EVSE.

Neither the EVSE or the vehicle are aware of any extension cable or adapter you might be connecting between them. They don't know how much length was added to the circuit, nor the ampacity of the wiring you've introduced.

This is why none of the adapters or extension cables can be UL Listed or ETL registered.

So it's up to you to decide if you want the potentially increased risk of overheating or fire. To hedge your risk as much as is reasonable, while still being able to use the adapter, you'd choose one of quality construction that is rated for at least the highest amperage rating required for your vehicle's built in AC charger.

For the Mach-E, that means you would probably want to choose an adapter rated for 60A or more. This is because the built in charger supports current flowing at up to 48A, and NEC guidelines state that a circuit that is flowing continuously for hours should be rated for at least 125% of the appliance's current.

 

[ARK]

Take this with a boulder of salt because I don't have an electrical background and what I am about to say comes entirely as second-hand knowledge from having reads posts about these sorts of things on this forum.

The Mach-E is capable of charging at up to 48amps on a L2 charger. The way electrical safety is planned for is that if you want to use 48amps, your wiring should be able to handle 25% more capacity. Or put the opposite way, you don't want to use more than 80% of your wiring's capability.

So for a maximum 48amp charge speed, you need the 60amp capable Tesla Tap because 80% of 60amps is 48 amps.

On the link you provided to Tesla Tap, they write this in the description: "We do not list all of the vehicles that are compatible as our bypass circuit makes the TeslaTap 40 compatible with ALL US built EV’s with a charge rate up to 40 AMPS @ 250VAC (10 KW) for up to 3 hours and 32 AMPS @ 250V (8 Kw) Continuously.*"

It seems to me they are going out on a limb here by saying you can use the 40amp Tesla Tap to charge for a few hours at 40amps. While technically possible and probably safe, that does not conform with electrical requirements in the United States. That's why they say if you want to use it continuously, you should use the 40amp Tesla tap at only 32amps, because 80% of 40amps is 32amps.

If I understand the Tesla destination charge thing correctly, one of the issues with the Tesla Tap is that it's not the same as an EVSE, so it can't limit the charge coming into the Tesla Tap. So if you had say the 60amp Tesla Tap but plugged into a Tesla destination charger putting out 50amps or higher of electricity, you have a problem because 80% of 60amps is only 48amps.

So I think that's why some people are going for the 80amp Tesla Tap. It's not that the Mach-E can benefit from that charge rate (64amps is 80% of 80amps, Mach-E is capped at 48amps for L2 charging), it is that you are less likely to fry your Tesla Tap by plugging into a Tesla destination charger that is putting out too much power for the 60amp Tesla Tap.

But if you know ahead of time how much power the Tesla destination charger will be putting out, and its a lesser amount, for example only 32amps, then you would be fine getting the 40amp Tesla Tap.

Hope that makes sense, again disclaimer of the huge boulder of salt here.

 

[@kWhpony]

Check out this video that was posted in another thread

https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/jdapter-and-teslatap-charging-adapters.2136/post-88918

 

[gnaark]

Thank you for all your responses and that does make sense to me now.

However, I think I'll go towards the side of caution here as I wanna protect my $60k vehicle and I'll stay away from any non-standard form of charging that doesn't have Ford's blessing.
I may revisit this if that becomes a problem later but for now, it'll be my stance. It might sound stupid to some of you but it's my first EV and so far it's been good to me without any issues so I intend to do what I can to keep it this way.

 

[ARK]

Thank you for all your responses and that does make sense to me now.

However, I think I'll go towards the side of caution here as I wanna protect my $60k vehicle and I'll stay away from any non-standard form of charging that doesn't have Ford's blessing.
I may revisit this if that becomes a problem later but for now, it'll be my stance. It might sound stupid to some of you but it's my first EV and so far it's been good to me without any issues so I intend to do what I can to keep it this way.

Yeah, I'm a little bit wary of something aftermarket and unofficial like this too, even if the company appears to be decently well-established like Tesla Tap.

One other possibility to consider is that if it works conveniently with your routing, see if it might make sense to stop at a fast charger relatively early on in your trip. Like if your whole trip will need something like 110-120% of your total battery capacity, maybe stop at a L3 charger on your way to your destination when you hit 40, 50% battery, charge up to 80%, then continue on your way, instead of trying to find a nearby charger only when you are at 10%, 20%.

 

[Jimrpa]

So, I originally ordered the 40A teslatap and announced that in another thread, and everyone YELLED at me and assured me that I would destroy my car, melt the cable and cause the Tesla destination charger to explode in a fireworks of sparks if I didn’t IMMEDIATELY change to the 50A (and they were quite insistent on 50A. In fact, one of the most highly ranked people here chimed in on that). So, I immediately called the teslatap people and spoke to “Dave”. I told “Dave” I have a Ford Mustang Mach E and he immediately agreed that yes, I needed a 50A TeslaTap and switched my order. So, the manufacturer (and the “experts” in the other thread) said 50A. To be honest, I’m hoping I rarely, if ever need to use it. If I do end up burning down the Hilton garden inn or whatever, I’ll blame Elon Musk for not following industry standards ???

 

[ChasingCoral]

No, you will not fry the car. Upon connection and the "handshake" between the EVSE and the car, the car will communicate it can handle a maximum of 48 amps. The EVSE will communicate to the car the maximum amps it can send. The result is always the lowest number.
Because I use my Tesla Wall Connector as my primary method of charging my Mach-E. I decided to buy the 80 amp TeslaTap to handle the 60 amp breaker Wall Connector, supplying 48 amps. This was a safety margin because of the 1 to 2 charges a week I do with the car.
For the occasional use, the 50 or 40 amp TeslaTap may well be more than enough to use for a few hour charge.
Remember that many locations with Tesla Wall Connectors are on commercial 208 V , so the kW output is a little less.

I know several people on this site besides me have also purchased either the TeslaTap or other product to use, maybe they can provide their experiences, especially if they bought the 50 or 40 amp models.

I've used the 50A Tesla Tap and it worked just fine. I only bought it for occasional use like your situation. I would have gone with the 60A Mini or 80A if a high output (>60A) Tesla charger were my home primary.

 

[trutolife27]

I have the Tesla tap mini 60 amp. I have used it 4 times. No problem with it. It's a little snug fit but a little lube took care of that. Great product to have in your glove box. You never know if your need it but is worth it if you do.