Photo: Tesla
Tesla has officially launched sales of a new CCS Combo 1 adapter to customers in North America. The new addition allows owners to charge at all non-Tesla charging stations.
Tesla has been working on expanding charging options for electric vehicles for some time now. The manufacturer has opened some of its Superchargers for non-Tesla vehicles in Europe and is on track to open them in North America as well. Tesla vehicles in Europe have a charging port standard that allows local owners to charge at third-party charging stations in addition to the Supercharger. However, in North America, apart from at Superchargers, Tesla vehicles can only be charged at certain other charging stations. While it has not caused significant problems so far, the opening of a Supercharger for non-Tesla vehicles in North America is changing the game.
Owners will now need a wider range of charging options. While Superchargers will prioritize Tesla owners, many will feel more comfortable being able to charge at any charging station. To do this, they need a special adapter, namely CCS Combo 1.
Previously, the manufacturer had already started selling the adapter in South Korea. Now, it has added the new product to the store in North America. Its cost is $250. The adapter provides charging speeds up to 250 kW and can be used with third-party charging networks, the manufacturer said in the product description.
In 2021, Tesla owner in South Korea, 한테 타 /YouTube, tested the adapter and shared the results in their YouTube video. He reported that during charging, the adapter does not heat up, or becomes slightly warm, which was when charging at a powerful charging station, charging at which is prohibited by the manufacturer (350kW). All tests were conducted on different Tesla vehicles.
Test #1 was at a 400V 120A (48kW) charging station, where a 2021 Model 3 Long Range (LR) received about ~41kW.
Test #2 was carried out at a charging station with the same parameters as test #1, but at a different manufacturer, where the 2021 Model 3 LR received ~38kW.
Test #3 was carried out at a 450V 110A (50kW) charging station where the 2021 Model 3 LR received about ~40kW.
Test #4 was carried out at a 500V 200A (100kW) charging station where the 2021 Model 3 LR received ~74kW.
Test #5 was carried out on a 1,000V 350A (350kW) charging station, which is prohibited by Tesla's instructions. However, 한테 타 made the decision to take a chance so viewers were prepared for the consequences if they ever wanted to test the adapter this way. Here, the 2021 Model 3 LR received about ~108kW, although the author of the video recommended not to use the adapter at such powerful charging stations. The adapter started to warm up slightly during charging.
In Test #6, the host of the video used a 2017 Model S 90D. The charging station was 400V 10A (44kW). However, the car refused to charge, which was predictable enough.
Test #7 used a 2019 Model 3 Standard Range+. Charging was carried out at a 500V 200A (100kW) charging station where ~47kW was obtained, much lower than that of the 2021 Model 3 LR.
Test #8 was carried out on a 1,000V 200A (200kW) charging station, where the 2019 Model 3 SR+ received ~66kW.
These tests gave a real idea of what Tesla owners should expect from their vehicles, which are charged via this particular adapter at various charging stations.
© 2022, Eva Fox | Tesmanian. All rights reserved.
_____________________________
We appreciate your readership! Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Article edited by @SmokeyShorts; follow him on Twitter
About the Author
Eva Fox
Eva Fox joined Tesmanian in 2019 to cover breaking news as an automotive journalist. The main topics that she covers are clean energy and electric vehicles. As a journalist, Eva is specialized in Tesla and topics related to the work and development of the company.
