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Adapting to Tesla (now that they’re winning the charger standard war)

Discussion in 'Clarity' started by ralfalfa, Jul 8, 2023.

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  1. Jul 8, 2023 #1
    ralfalfa

    ralfalfa Member

    I’ve read most of the threads that discuss using Tesla chargers to power up the Clarity. And most (wisely) say you cannot or should not use a Tesla Supercharger.

    But is that really true? I’ve pretty much come to accept that in regards to tech, if someone says it can’t be done, somebody else will hack together an ingenious solution.

    Have any of you tried (and maybe burned up your car)? Can we hack the communications between the Clarity and the Supercharger stations to make it work? If we’re going to see charging stations with the NACS standard everywhere in a year or two, I certainly hope we have a way to make use of them.

    Note I’m more interested in a “here’s how we might make it work” discussion than another “why it won’t ever work” discussion, of which there are plenty. I’m well aware the voltage differences, that the onboard Clarity charging system is smart (or sensitive), that there are NACS to J1772 adapters out there, etc. Let’s consider those to be challenges rather than locked doors……….
     

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  2. Jul 8, 2023 #2
    Jim Matthews

    Jim Matthews Active Member

    Taxachusetts, USA
    As an open standard, all adopters will utilize similar software "handshake" protocols for charging. There will be a minimum standard for hardware that must in place to make this happen.

    For faster DC charging, temperature management is required.

    Does the Clarity have a battery coolant?

    If not, it will be "throttled" to prevent a fire wile charging.
     
  3. Jul 8, 2023 #3
    insightman

    insightman Well-Known Member Subscriber

    Ann Arbor
    Only the Japanese version of the Clarity Plug-In Hybrid has the circuitry (and a separate port on the other side of the car) for DC charging (and DC is what Superchargers deliver).
     
  4. Jul 8, 2023 #4
    MrFixit

    MrFixit Well-Known Member

    Maryland
    Yes,I agree that our Clarity's are not capable of DC Fast Charging (Level 3) period...
    But - doesn't the Tesla charging network also support Level 2 charging?
    So, I think there are 'adapters' available that would permit charging the Clarity with a Level 2 Tesla EVSE station?
     
  5. Jul 8, 2023 #5
    Landshark

    Landshark Well-Known Member

    Oregon 2019 Touring PHEV
    Are you interested in the “why bother” discussion?
     

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  6. Jul 8, 2023 #6
    pigrew

    pigrew Member

    The US Clarity PHEV only supports AC charging, using the J1772 interface and connector. Newer Tesla EVSE (including "NACS") uses the same J1772 interface for AC charging, except it uses the Tesla connector. They are electrically compatible.

    There definitely are adapters that let you use a Tesla "destination charger" with a Clarity (available on Amazon/eBay). While I've not used them myself, I don't see any reason why they wouldn't work in most cases. The main case that they won't work is if the charger requires the car to authenticate itself for billing.... the Clarity can't do that. For example, some companies provide Tesla Destination charges that are configured for Tesla-billing. Recently Tesla created an interface through their smartphone software to enable the chargers, but it has not been widely enabled.

    The Japanese Clarity PHEV and the American Clarity EV both have DC charging, so it may be possible to mix and match parts.... You'd need, at minimum, contactors to connect the DC charge port contacts to the HV bus, and a new charge port. The hardest part would be figuring out how to configure the firmware, so that the ECU/power management unit, etc, can work together, and properly request DC charging at a good charge rate. Once you navigate all that stuff, then I think you could make a NACS to CCS adapter for fast charging. Clarity PHEV DC charging takes "30 minutes for 80% charge".... 30 minutes is better than 3 hours, but I don't find the upgrade so compelling.
     
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  7. Jul 9, 2023 #7
    Landshark

    Landshark Well-Known Member

    Oregon 2019 Touring PHEV
    FWIW: It has never taken more than 2.5 hours to fully charge our Clarity PHEV with L2 charging from 2 to 20 bars. It probably hits 80% at or before the 2 hour mark and that’s from a SOC below 20%, which is where a DCFC typically ramps up to full speed. Yes, DCFC still wins the race, just by not as much as previously stated.

    What’s the point in spending 30 minutes to gain 30ish miles of EV range? The car can charge to 60% while driving right past the charging station.

    More importantly, would such a modification void the battery warranty?

    “The problem with trying to make something foolproof, is that fools are so ingenious.”
    G. Marx
     

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