Can you charge the Clarity Plug-In with a Tesla Supercharger?

Douglas Firs

Douglas Firs

Member
We just bought our first house and will install a charging station. We're interested in future proofing in case we ever buy a Tesla, but we are unsure about the backwards compatibility with the Supercharger.

Anyone have this set-up? What's needed to make it compatible?
 
I'm pretty sure the Tesla Tap/Lectron will only work with Tesla Wall mounted/Destination chargers and will not work with a Supercharger.
 
Id make sure your breaker and wiring are rated higher to support more amps in the future but otherwise I wouldn't personally change what I was using for an EVSE
 
There is no such thing as a home "Supercharger". You cannot install one of those. You can get adapters both ways (from J1772 to Tesla to charge the Tesla from some other EVSE you have, and vice-versa to charge your other car at a Tesla charging station). The Clarity does not support DC charging, so some of the chargers at Tesla stations probably won't work even with the adapter.
 
It is pretty much out of the question to install a Supercharger (or any other DCFC system) in a residence. They (generally) require 3 phase 480 service which is only found in commercial/industrial areas. And the average DCFC install runs about $50K.

If you install a 240V J1772 EVSE, it will work with any EV you purchase in the future (Tesla's come with an adapter).

Most people install a dedicate 240V circuit with an outlet (NEMA 14-50 is most common) and and that allows you to plug most any EVSE in (including those from Tesla)
 
Don't bother with a permanently mounted charging station. Just get a NEMA 14-50 outlet with a 50 amp breaker installed. Then, you can charge whichever brand of EV car you buy in the future.
 
Whether you have a Clarity, a Tesla, or some other EV-type device, you can't go wrong with a NEMA 14-50 outlet with 50-amp breaker.

The Clarity will charge at 32-amps and return 47 (+ or -) range in ~ 2.5 hours, or about ~20 miles of range added per hour.

In theory, a 50-amp charge (assuming the vehicle can handle 50-amps) will result in about ~30 miles of range added per hour. An 8 hour charge would thereby net ~240 miles of range.

For reference, a Tesla destination charger is rated at 80-amps -- giving ~50 miles of range per hour.
 
Also theoretical is the estimated miles of range added per hour.

Captian Obvious once said “A faster charge rate will charge the batteries in less time”

Those added kWh’s will yield different results in every vehicle, under various operating conditions and temperatures. Additionally, the BMS may reduce the charge rate in cold temperatures.
 
Douglas Firs said:
We just bought our first house and will install a charging station. We're interested in future proofing in case we ever buy a Tesla, but we are unsure about the backwards compatibility with the Supercharger. Anyone have this set-up? What's needed to make it compatible?
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As others have said, "Supercharger" is Tesla's name for its DC charging system. What you'll have in your home is a Level 2 220/240 V EVSE (Electric Vehicle Service Equipment - "charging station"). As all Tesla vehicles some with a 220 V charging cable (Tesla connector on one end, interchangeable connectors on the other) what you want is to have a NEMA 14-50 receptacle installed - into which you can plug nearly any EVSE from any manufacturer. The Tesla Wall Charger is only about 4% more efficient than using the cable that comes with their vehicles so it's really not worth the $700-800 cost.
 
You'll find that most EVSEs are less expensive than Tesla Wall Chargers and, as several have mentioned, all Teslas come with an adaptor that lets them charge from non-Tesla equipment.
 
Another point in getting a dedicated NEMA 14-50 outlet is when you hire an electrician to do the job, say you're getting a camper or are getting into woodworking or welding. Never mention an EV or you'll see the price go up just because.
 
My only option was a hard wired EVSE, but that's because the circuit's on a time of use meter for a rate limited to electric vehicles.
 
su_A_ve said:
Another point in getting a dedicated NEMA 14-50 outlet is when you hire an electrician to do the job, say you're getting a camper or are getting into woodworking or welding. Never mention an EV or you'll see the price go up just because.
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I snipped this from my power company's website. So, if I get a 240 outlet installed and a NEMA14-50R, will I qualify?

"Electric vehicle supply equipment (EV charger) must be Level 2 (240V) and utilize the SAE J1772 charging plug or Tesla’s High Power Wall Connector and be UL- or equivalent listed. Chargers with greater capacity will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Chargers must be wall- or pedestal-mounted. Chargers must be designed for electric vehicles that are DOT-approved for highway application. Golf carts, neighborhood carts, motorcycles, electric scooters or bicycles and other low-speed vehicles are not eligible."
 
hamr4267 said:
I snipped this from my power company's website. So, if I get a 240 outlet installed and a NEMA14-50R, will I qualify?

"Electric vehicle supply equipment (EV charger) must be Level 2 (240V) and utilize the SAE J1772 charging plug or Tesla’s High Power Wall Connector and be UL- or equivalent listed. Chargers with greater capacity will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Chargers must be wall- or pedestal-mounted. Chargers must be designed for electric vehicles that are DOT-approved for highway application. Golf carts, neighborhood carts, motorcycles, electric scooters or bicycles and other low-speed vehicles are not eligible."
Click to expand...

An outlet is not a charger, so I’ll go with “No.”

However, if you install the outlet and get a portable charger, your total cost may be less than having a wall or pedestal mounted charger installed by a licensed electrician, even after the rebate/credit. The portable charger will allow you to charge at more than one location. This is my plan and I’m sticking to it.
 
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