Consensus on Tesla adapter?

[jwardell]

Bought a TeslaTap Mini last week as my first accessory for the Rivian. VERY nicely made, super compact to keep with you all the time. And I'll be keeping my extra tesla mobile connector with extensive NEMA adapters as that will allow me to use them to charge the rivian.

2 questions:

1). does this allow you to attache to a supercharger?
2). If you have unlimited supercharging with your tesla, it will not allow your rivian to use same account right? I am assuming that is based on the car communicating with the charger.

Best

Adam

No, These adapters are for AC Level 2 charging. You can't adapt or communicate with superchargers (Until Tesla decides to modify them with CCS support as they did in europe)

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[DuckTruck]

Wow, it's crazy tiny. Is there any way to lock it?

Yes. There are two locking points to keep the adaptor attached both to the vehicle and to the Tesla charging cable, using two small padlocks (not included).

I hope the attached pics show the points where the locks are to be inserted and how they prevent the adaptor from releasing its grip on both ends.

I have two small padlocks and hope to test the entire contraption tomorrow at a nearby Tesla Destination Charger. I'll post my findings here.

FWIW, this thing is hefty and feels very solidly built. The connectors all seem to be made from very high quality materials and appear to be well-machined. The proof will be in the fit and performance.

 

[User433]

Perfect pics/info. Thank you! I'm off to buy my own

 

[DuckTruck]

Perfect pics/info. Thank you! I'm off to buy my own

Good to hear! For what it's worth, I went directly to the source, rather than another retailer. Here is their website. I know many are looking at doing the 60-amp unit, which will save you $40, but the extra capacity seemed worth the expense to me, especially if things change in the future.

Please tell them "Hello" for me!

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...gQFnoECAYQAQ&usg=AOvVaw35tQlI-f70NDfPKzc1s6Wd

 

[astonius]

Good to hear! For what it's worth, I went directly to the source, rather than another retailer. Here is their website. I know many are looking at doing the 60-amp unit, which will save you $40, but the extra capacity seemed worth the expense to me, especially if things change in the future.

Please tell them "Hello" for me!

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.umc-j1772.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=160&ved=2ahUKEwi9gcfigMb3AhVhCTQIHS9ZDZgQFnoECAYQAQ&usg=AOvVaw35tQlI-f70NDfPKzc1s6Wd

Not sure I understand the value of the extra amperage overhead. Isn’t the truck’s inverter limited to 48A continuous?

 

[Grandizer52]

Yes. There are two locking points to keep the adaptor attached both to the vehicle and to the Tesla charging cable, using two small padlocks (not included).

I hope the attached pics show the points where the locks are to be inserted and how they prevent the adaptor from releasing its grip on both ends.

I have two small padlocks and hope to test the entire contraption tomorrow at a nearby Tesla Destination Charger. I'll post my findings here.

FWIW, this thing is hefty and feels very solidly built. The connectors all seem to be made from very high quality materials and appear to be well-machined. The proof will be in the fit and performance.

touch your tongue to it, make sure it works

 

[rodhx]

Not sure I understand the value of the extra amperage overhead. Isn’t the truck’s inverter limited to 48A continuous?

It is, but your next EV might not be. The catch is the EVSE of course. I don't think it's very common to find more than 40A. We have some 60A & 80A Tesla L2 chargers where I work but haven't seen anything like those "in the wild".

 

[AllInev]

"State of Charge" review of Tesla (Level 2) to J1772 adaptors:

 

[DuckTruck]

Not sure I understand the value of the extra amperage overhead. Isn’t the truck’s inverter limited to 48A continuous?

astonius,

I understand your thought and went through that decision-making process when contemplating this purchase. While the inverters on our R1's are limited to 48-amps, I'm looking to the future. Maybe those inverters on the next Rivians will have higher capabilities and who knows what other EV's might have. I'd prefer to buy one and have it be able to handle more potential situations in the coming years.

I might never need the extra capacity, but I prefer things to be overengineered and potentially longer-lasting. The extra capacity may be needed by me down the road, or for someone I might encounter needing an assist with charging their car.

To me, it's like having towing straps capable of handling much more than my vehicle to ensure the strap is never the failure point in assisting something larger.

The Mini-60 will certainly do the trick for today's R1's, I'm just looking beyond. Again, I'll report back on the fit, functionality, and charging performance after testing it on a Tesla L2 home, or Destination charger.

Thanks for bringing it up. Many others likely have that same concern.

 

[DuckTruck]

Interesting side note from my conversation with the TeslaTap people. In Tom's video above, I believe he mentions that TeslaTap is the only one of the options that is UL listed. When I asked the TeslaTap people about that rating, they said that only the 40 and 50-amp Mini-Adapters we're awarded the UL listing.

The gentleman at TeslaTap told me that Underwriter Laboratories wouldn't certify anything above 50 amps, even though the 60 and 80 amp units are built using the same methods as those that are UL listed. The higher-rated units are simply built to withstand the rigors of a greater load.

 

[rogunenode]

Fwiw, my gen 2 Tesla wall charger can handle up to 100amps. We had an early model S with dual 40amp charging built in, so it could hit 80. I think early X's had the same. Now all Tesla's are 48amp max. The additional amperage is also used if you daisy chain Tesla wall chargers to charge multiple cars at once and they will load balance. So, there are some cars out there that can pull greater than 48. However, I don't know of any that aren't Tesla's, so the 80amp adapter may just be for future proofing at this point.

 

[DuckTruck]

Yes. There are two locking points to keep the adaptor attached both to the vehicle and to the Tesla charging cable, using two small padlocks (not included).

I hope the attached pics show the points where the locks are to be inserted and how they prevent the adaptor from releasing its grip on both ends.

I have two small padlocks and hope to test the entire contraption tomorrow at a nearby Tesla Destination Charger. I'll post my findings here.

FWIW, this thing is hefty and feels very solidly built. The connectors all seem to be made from very high quality materials and appear to be well-machined. The proof will be in the fit and performance.

So yesterday, @xyskis and I got together to try the TeslaTap Mini-80 Adaptor on his Tesla charger, which is a 60-amp unit providing 48-amps. We attached it to the end of the charging cord, waited about 30 seconds, and plugged it into the R1T. It started charging immediately at the full 48-amp capability of the Rivian.

The Mini's fit to both the cable and the vehicle were solid. No slop or movement, and not too tight, as others have noted here, or elsewhere. (Hand modeling courtesy of @xyskis)

The charging went very smoothly.

(Yeah, yeah, I know!....next time I'll clean the screens first. The sun was right overhead and lit up all of the dust and smudges)

In 40 minutes, 5% of range was added (from 64 to 69%), bumping the range from 179 to 192 miles while the R1T was in All-Purpose mode.

I'm not sure if results may have been marginally better if this experiment took place at the lower end of battery's range, say at 20 or 30%, but I was pleased it was adding about 20 miles of range per hour. That's adding range at about the same pace of a sprinter running a 10-second 100-yard dash. Conversely, using my 110-volt charger at home adds speed at about the pace of me sauntering back from the mailbox, shuffling through the junk mail on my way to the recycling can. My readout at 12 amps says 1.9 mph is being added.

Not that it validates the bump up to the 80-amp unit, but at the conclusion of the 40 minute session, the adaptor was almost cool to the touch.

The locking mechanisms to keep the adapter secured to the end of the cord and the vehicle both work just fine. We tested both, but captured only a pic of the top unit, which keeps the Mini connected to the Rivian.

Knowing this thing works well helps to open up some paths and chip away at my Range Anxiety. Since getting a PHEV six years ago, I started noticing the Tesla Destination L2 units at various hotels, restaurants, and shops. Knowing that many will now be available for either of my vehicles is great news.

I hope this info is helpful. Feel free to message me, or connect here with any questions.

Special thanks to @xyskis for the chance to test the TeslaTap Mini on his charger, and also for keeping me properly hydrated. Also, we were able to navigate some of Portland's finest goat trails in Rock Crawl mode. Luckily, all the kids stayed on the sidewalks... ?

 

[BoltEVowner]

There is another report of someone that was unable to get the TeslaTap adapter to work at a Tesla Destination charger. Looks like it is working here. How about the Lectron adapter, can anyone confirm it is working with a Tesla Destination charger on the R1T?

 

[zipzag]

There is another report of someone that was unable to get the TeslaTap adapter to work at a Tesla Destination charger. Looks like it is working here. How about the Lectron adapter, can anyone confirm it is working with a Tesla Destination charger on the R1T?

I plan on buying the Lectron. $100 extra for the smaller sized Teslatap isn't worth it to me.

These are simple straight through adapters as far as I know. So either device sized for enough ampacity should work without problem.

Edit: I see the Lectron mini 60A is $70.

 

[Dark-Fx]

Fwiw, my gen 2 Tesla wall charger can handle up to 100amps. We had an early model S with dual 40amp charging built in, so it could hit 80. I think early X's had the same. Now all Tesla's are 48amp max. The additional amperage is also used if you daisy chain Tesla wall chargers to charge multiple cars at once and they will load balance. So, there are some cars out there that can pull greater than 48. However, I don't know of any that aren't Tesla's, so the 80amp adapter may just be for future proofing at this point.

Taycan has an 80A onboard charger available as an upgrade. I think there are a couple others that can do it but don't remember them off the top of my head. The lyriq debut edition will be the first GM vehicle with an 80A OBC.

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