Using an Extension Cord with a Tesla Mobile Connector

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Using an Extension Cord with a Tesla Mobile Connector

Рет қаралды 56,225

Күн бұрын

08/01/2024 - The price for this cable has gone down a bit. I’m seeing them for around $59 now.
Southwire Polar Solar 25 ft 10 Gauge Extension Cord on Amazon: amzn.to/3WQ2lS0
Should you use an Extension Cord with a Tesla Mobile Connector cord? Tesla states: WARNING: Do not use an extension cord. With that said, there are going to be those times when you just can't reach the electrical wall outlet with your Mobile Connector Cord and having a proper rated extension cord can help with that.
Please note that this video is just me demonstrating what I use. I am not recommending anything to you. Follow the manufacture warnings.
Link to the extension cord at the Southwire website: www.southwire....
Link to the Tesla Mobile Connector page on the Tesla website: shop.tesla.com...
Link to the Gen 2 Mobile Connector Owner's Manual: www.tesla.com/...

Пікірлер: 91

@brandonwatsonmedia 26 күн бұрын

The price for this extension cord has gone down a little bit. I’m seeing them for around $59 on Amazon: amzn.to/3WQ2lS0

@mig6220 3 ай бұрын

I bought a lectron trickle charger for the road just in case....i used it once. I did some research and bought the thickest rated outdoor extension cord(can't remember the rating). I figured it was safe- it only gives me 1or 2 percent an hour. Lecton's charger is good for this- the cord has a thick bms block that regulates all the current. If it were a bigger voltage charger that needed a clothes dryer type outlet- id definitely upgrade the cord. So far so good!

@koldblaze6610 Ай бұрын

concise and to the point, thank you!

@brandonwatsonmedia Ай бұрын

Thank you for watching and commenting!

@royallclark6331 17 күн бұрын

When I was traveling to and through all the lower 48 in 2021 and pulling a Camp trailer, I would charge at each camp site using the 50A power stand in the campsite. Sometimes the mobile charging cord wasn't quite long enough to reach the car, so I made an extension cord. I made it with 6 gauge 3 conductor wire with ground and 1450 male and female ends. In the 6 months on the road and charging every night with this set up, I never experience any over heating issues. Even now, I utilize it all the time at home as the mobile. charger is just to far away to plug in. I'm going on 4 years with this set up without any issue and charge at 24A all the time

@williamthesling1201 Жыл бұрын

A 12AWG extension cord can work as well. 12AWG wire is rated at 20 Amps Continuous current (this is the 12 AWG wire only, not the connectors on the ends). The 10AWG cord is better (lower series resistance) but not necessary. With Tesla's NEMA 5-15 adapter (the one that typically comes with the adapter) you can pull up to 12 amps of current. (Note... NEMA 5-15 is rated for 15 amps intermittent, and 12 amps continuous... "Intermittent use" is considered to be something that operates for 1 hour or less, every 3 hours our more... "Continuous use" is considered to be something that runs continuously... Non stop, from 1 hour till forever... A common pattern seems to be: Continuous current = 80% of intermittent current.) Since most homes (particularly older homes) have NEMA 5-15 receptacles, Tesla lets you connect to these outlets and pull up to 12 amps. Some newer homes (built since about the 1970s) use 12AWG wire to feed the outlets from the main service panel and can thus support 20A service. However, often these circuits have just NEMA 5-15 receptacles on them. Sometimes you can find NEMA 5-20 receptacles available. These receptacles look just like the NEMA 5-15 receptacles, but allow for the neutral contact to be horizontal as well as vertical. (Thus, the one side looks like a sideways "T") If you have these type of outlets available, you can go with 16 Amps of continuous service, but you will need the 5-20 adapter for your mobile connector. Oh yeah... you can plug in your extension cord to these outlets, but the female side of the extension cord won't let you plug in the NEMA 5-20 plug on the NEMA 5-20 adapter for the Tesla mobile connector. Interestingly, Many NEMA 5-15 and NEMA 5-20 receptacles have the same internal "guts", Just the neutral contact allows for both horizontal as well as Vertical pins. If you want to play some games (be careful here, this is some risk involved), you can get a NEMA 14-50 Tesla adapter for the mobile connector and purchase a NEMA 14-50 receptacle (amazon has these for about $20). You can hack a second, short 12AWG extension cord (6 ft or so... just making a NEMA-5-15 to NEMA 14-50 adapter). Cut off the NEMA 5-15 receptacle and replace it with the NEMA 14-50 receptacle (from amazon). This lets you connect to your mobile connector and the Tesla car will now let you pull up to 32 Amps. DO NOT LET THE CAR PULL 32 AMPS!!! Set the current limit in the car (or the mobile app) to 20 amps (or less). You can now plug into a 20 amp outlet (NEMA 5-20) and pull 20 amps. Now... These outlets are only supposed to be used for 20 Amps "intermittently", but I've pulled 20 Amps out of these outlets for over 8 hours at a time without any issues. I'm not recommending this, but It is something I've done. The biggest issue seems to be that the voltage can drop quite a bit on a regular outlet while pulling 20 amps. This depends on the distance between the outlet and the service panel. Even if it is wired with 20 AWG wire, a long run can result in a significant voltage drop. 120V can drop to 108V or so... If there is too much of a voltage drop, the Tesla senses this and reduces the current automatically. It's a nice safety feature, but you are left charging more slowly.

@Vujevich Жыл бұрын

Would it be possible to have an electrician run a new 14-50 nema outlet on its own breaker? I can't go with a wall level 2 bc of an HOA.

@ARAR148 5 ай бұрын

Ha, I was using the same green extension cord a few months ago, for only about 4 times, until I had the wall connector installed.

@johnniejh2126 25 күн бұрын

This was exactly the video that I was looking for! Thank you and Happy Electric Driving to you!

@brandonwatsonmedia 25 күн бұрын

Thank you for watching and letting me know that! I hope it helps you out.

@trisortiz3312 Жыл бұрын

Like you l'm a musician and bought my first EV (not a Tesla) dug in my amp bag and found a pretty hefty cord, but it got pretty hot to the touch, this is good info. Thanks man, keep on rockin!

@brandonwatsonmedia Жыл бұрын

Hey, thank you for taking your time to leave this comment. I appreciate that! I hope the information is helpful. You keep rockin! 🤘🏻

@mahealanihawaii9830 5 ай бұрын

As an electrician, any cord with 12 gauge is stranded and better than the 12 gauge solid the plug is wired with.

@faheyt2 3 ай бұрын

What?

@tonymiles89 4 ай бұрын

This was awesome!

@brandonwatsonmedia 2 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching and commenting!

@mdarks4117 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the vid. I’d been considering getting an extension cord for my mobile connector. Good thing I found you 😅

@brandonwatsonmedia Жыл бұрын

Thank you for letting me know. I hope it helps you out!

@AeroDesignCADTutorials 11 ай бұрын

You might be fine with this setup, but we’ve gotta realize that your car is asking for the recommended 12a assuming it’s plugged into the wall… so it’s gonna get 12a, but at the wall you might be giving more… and losing that as heat in a longer or thinner cord. So the wall is giving out more than it should. With an extension cord I would get the evse or car to ask for less . Derate another 20% maybe.

@jamesdawny1855 8 ай бұрын

What does this even mean

@brandonwatsonmedia 6 ай бұрын

Way over my head

@ssmith1580 4 ай бұрын

Power=currentxvoltage, the longer extension cord will create a small but definite voltage drop so at the car you are pulling 12amps (80% of the 15amp continuous output recommendation) but at the outlet where you are plugged in you are actually pulling more current to make up for the voltage drop although it might be 13/14amps this is still more than the recommended 80% continuous. That’s why there is a warning not to use an extension cord and another reason why if you are using the extension cord you want to drop the car current another 20% to 9amp draw so at the actual outlet you are below the recommended 80% current of 12amps. It’s ohms law and can be googled and all you have to do is plug in the numbers. And it’s always better to be on the safe side of power. I’m sure if you burn down the rental house because of this your insurance will NOT cover it because you disregarded not using an extension cord and you will be on the hook for the bill. Even better just get an inline current monitor to install at the plug between the wall and extension and keep an eye on it until you get a better idea of the current. Even at an RV park where power is notoriously bad the voltage can vary at the outlet again a lower voltage will create more current.

@baileyploch847 3 ай бұрын

Awesome video, thanks for the help!

@brandonwatsonmedia 3 ай бұрын

Thank you for letting me know! Glad it helped!

@nateg7502 4 ай бұрын

Thank you

@brandonwatsonmedia 4 ай бұрын

Absolutely!

@Magnus_Magnusson_702 Жыл бұрын

Dear lord, why is it so difficult to find a damn extension cord for a NEMA 5-20? I am now on my 3rd one and the end that plugs into the Tesla charger is the wrong damn way again.... seriously I am about to rip the ground out at this point I am so fing frustrated

@jamaaldavis6243 Ай бұрын

1.) Thanks for the disclaimer in your videos. 2.) You posted this video two years ago. I assume that you still have had 0 problems with this method? I just purchased a Tesla a few days ago but the length of the mobile connector is a problem at my house as well.

@brandonwatsonmedia Ай бұрын

Thanks for watching and commenting! Absolutely ZERO issues with this extension cord. It is definitely not a dime store quality cord - it is a high quality product. Again, I use a Level 2 charger at my house for 99.9% of all my charging needs. And if it is feasible for someone to get a Level 2 charger at their residence, then that is really what you need to maximize your daily EV driving experience. I have used this extension cord a handful of times now on vacation or staying at a friend's house and it works flawlessly - and most importantly - I feel safe with using it.

@bh9262 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the video. I'm always confused about NOT using extension cords. There's a lot of cable between the power generating plant and my wall outlet. Including the wire from the outlet to the breaker box, from the breaker to the outside line, bla bla. As long as I have a good extension cabe (as you've presented here) why is it any different than all the other wire from the outlet to the breaker box?

@brandonwatsonmedia Жыл бұрын

Haha gotcha! I’m with you. Basically, electrical power is slowly stepped down in power from the power plant to the substation to the power lines so that you have a “usable power level” for your home. And of course your home is wired with a suitable gauge wire to the outlets to deliver that power. The caution with an extension cords is due to the fact that they are usually thin, cheaper gauge wire - which is fine for say a weed eater, but NO WHERE near the gauge needed for the power that is flowing to an electric car. Thank you for watching and commenting!

@guydiehl7015 Жыл бұрын

You might want to suggest that you upgrade to a heavy-duty 120-V wall outlet (preferably hospital grade ) to plug your extension cord in.

@brandonwatsonmedia Жыл бұрын

That's a really good suggestion. I use a Level 2 Charger at my house for charging our Tesla, but it might not be a bad idea to upgrade my garage outlets for other power uses with something like that. Thanks

@Mr-Clark 2 ай бұрын

Great video. I'm looking at a Model 3 and I average about 40 miles per day. Can I get away with the mobile charger, 110V wall outlet with 12 hours of charge time?

@brandonwatsonmedia 2 ай бұрын

I feel that question might be the most important one to consider. A BIG part of your "Tesla Experience" will greatly depend on how free you feel you are to just charge and drive as you desire. I always recommend to perspective Tesla owners, that if they are able to, you really need to have a Level 2 charger installed at your home. Level 1 charging is going to average only 3 miles of range per hour of charge. For you, that would need to be at least 14 hours of charging time a day with a Level 1 charger. Definitely something to consider.

@ThetinyhouseNet Жыл бұрын

Great suggestion! Is it OK for the mobile connector to be exposed to the elements though? I'm thinking if it's raining and you're using an extension cord, the end of the mobile connector that would usually be inside plugged in will be outside.

@brandonwatsonmedia Жыл бұрын

When I used it outside for a cabin we were staying in, I did have it wrapped in a large trash bag because I was also concerned about it getting wet and we had no problem with it being like that for two days outside. Hope that helps.

@AddyKnows 6 ай бұрын

I used a friend's extension cable while visiting, it looked like a semi heavy duty cable but it sure did get hot! Luckily everything was ok. So this cable you recommend will not overheat? Also looking to stay in an airbnb cabin in Gatlinburg. I have Lectron's L1 charger with 16amp, similar to the Mobile Connector.

@brandonwatsonmedia 6 ай бұрын

If your friend's extension cord was the common kind you would get from say a hardware store, Walmart, etc., then it was probably a 16 or maybe even a 14 gauge wire cord. This Polar Solar extension cord is a 10 gauge wire cord. It is considered an Extra Heavy Duty cord for use of up to 20 amps. Its extremely think and heavy. I have not used a Lectron L1 charger, and like the Tesla L1 charger, I would guess that the manual says to not use an extension cord. But if you are going to use one, then yes, this is the type of extension cord you want to use. I have used it on a few occasions and it never even got warm to the touch. Hope this helps.

@AddyKnows 6 ай бұрын

@@brandonwatsonmedia thanks it does. Just using this for couple days trip to cabin. Normally charge at home

@lokiodinson1822 2 ай бұрын

Does 16 awg 125 V 10 A flexible sjtw chord work ?

@brandonwatsonmedia 2 ай бұрын

I’m sorry, wish I had the expertise to answer that question, but I do not.

@frailpel 28 күн бұрын

So you made a video telling us Tesla says do not use an extension cord and turn around and use an extension cord?

@brandonwatsonmedia 28 күн бұрын

In fairness, I did have a disclaimer at the beginning of the video stating how much I love a good Old Fashioned.

@mirrorless.studios 15 күн бұрын

Tesla denies the use of extension cord because people can buy 5 dollar extension cord of cheap quality and ruin their cars. They simply say to extension cord. But any extension cord with minimum 12 gauge is good enough to charge the car with no issues at all. If you got a 10 gauge cord, even better

@danielberilla 10 ай бұрын

Hey Brandon, thanks for the video. I just bought my Model 3 and curious if you know if the extension cable can go into a surge protector that is plugged into the building?

@brandonwatsonmedia 10 ай бұрын

Congrats on your new Tesla! So let me just say this - for everyday charging of our Tesla, we have a Level 2 charger installed in our garage. If your only option is using the Level 1 charger at your residence, then I would ONLY use the Tesla Level 1 charging cable by itself if it can reach your car. The extension cable I use in this video is one that I leave in our car, along with our Level 1 charger, for those very unique times that we will be parked for a few days with no other charging options. There is a LOT of electricity passing through these cables so the guidance provided by the manufacturer is really important to follow.

@danielberilla 10 ай бұрын

Hi. Thanks for the reply. Yes, I will be charging it into a normal socket in my apartment buildings garage so yeah, I understand it's a lot of power g sign through cables that aren't used to it. I guess maybe Ill but the connector that goes to the mobile connector...that seems legit, I think. :-) @@brandonwatsonmedia

@PluPerfective 6 ай бұрын

This still works in 2024? No issues? How fast it takes to charge from empty to full?

@brandonwatsonmedia 6 ай бұрын

Yes, the setup absolutely still works with no issues. Please keep in mind that I just use this for situations where the only way to charge is a standard home wall outlet that is located too far away to plug in with just the Level 1 charging cord. The rough charging calculation from a standard wall outlet is 120 volts and it will supply about 3 miles of range per hour of charge. So being optimistic, 10 hours charging for 30 miles, and 100 hours charging for 300 miles. If it is really cold where you are charging, these numbers can be a little less.

@reefgratos2035 11 ай бұрын

Ofcourse the better the cable the safer it is.. you are showing a 10/3 extension cord. Which is the best of the best in almost any situation.. for very long charging session.. the fact that it takes a couple of days to charge a tesla on a household outlet (15amp) you need a very good cable like this 10/3.. but what need to be avoided at all cost are the regular one use for Christmas light and small power tools. Im talking about 16/3 extension cord.. those must be avoided at all cost, Next is the 14/3.. those are no where near the 10/3. But i personally used a 14/3 (25’) for couple of days in the summer (normal weather, cord running on the grass) so partially in the shade.. no issue, cord was a bit warm but not near melting point. Then comes 12/3. Now that is a big step up. And closer to the gauge required for the mobile charger at 15 amp (household) Ofcourse i would not use a 12/3 on a 50 amp outlet (32 amp). I say 32 amp because that is the max amp of the mobile charger anyway. 12/3 on a 15 amp is safer than 14/3.. but if i had no issue with 14/3 for couple of days, i should be fine with 12/3 for a couple of days. The bigger they get the more expensive they become. Now the 10/3 is one beast.. maybe even overkill for 15 amp.. but definitely the best option. Im no expert and even some electricians could get it wrong.. but extension cord regardless are not designed for extended long period either.. few weeks is fine , maybe even months.l but if you need to run current through a cable for months or year.. you need the real solid coper wire m the same we use in the wall (outdoor rated ofcourse, not the white ..). Ofcourse they are not very flexible.. but in the real world, when you need an extension for camping a couple of weeks or something., 12/3 should be fine.. 10/3 will be better and safer but maybe a little overkill..

@rknk8935 Жыл бұрын

Brandon Do you have ppf on your car or do you recommend having it. Also i see your car color is a bit different in the video . Did you had ceramic . What is the level of tint on your car windows and top glass also on the windshield and is it ceramic. Kindly reply

@brandonwatsonmedia Жыл бұрын

I really considered doing the Ceramic Pro & XPEL Ultimate Plus Paint Protection Film for the car, but ultimately did not do it. The cost and annual maintenance cost did play a factor in the decision. But yes, I would have liked to have done it. I will probably budget for that on the next one. As far as the car color goes, it is just the stock Deep Blue Metallic color and the window tint is also stock from the factory. It was really bright outside that day when I shot the footage so I had to adjust the video gamma when editing it to compensate for that. I think that is why everything may look a little darker.

@2-da3333 Жыл бұрын

Any recommendations for countries with 240v. Thanks

@brandonwatsonmedia Жыл бұрын

I wish I had the expertise to help you with a recommendation, but I don't. But Southwire, the company that makes this extension cord, makes a LOT of electrical products that they sell all over the world so I would definitely recommend contacting them for product advice.

@mowcowbell Жыл бұрын

The USA uses 240v. It's just split into two 120v legs in the breaker box.

@suryachu1 Жыл бұрын

Nice Video. I was looking for the same and luckily found this video. I bought Lectron level 1 charger (since I am living apartment without a garage facility) and also I already have 6-20P to 5-15 extension cord with 20AMP (that says) 12 AWG 125 volts. Is it safe to use this extension cord with my Lectron Level 1 charger? Please suggest.

@brandonwatsonmedia Жыл бұрын

I wish I had the technical expertise to advise you on that, but I don’t. I don’t have any experience with the Lectron brand chargers - though they appear to be pretty much like the J1772 Tesla charger. I would definitely reach out to Lectron and ask about their extension cord compatibility recommendation. Thank you for watching the video and commenting on it.

@RigaToeKnee Жыл бұрын

are there extension cords for the 240 volt outlet? i have the mobile connector but i use the 240v outlet with it for the 30 Mile per hour charge

@brandonwatsonmedia Жыл бұрын

I'm sorry. I wish I had the expertise/experience to answer that, but I don't. But I would definitely suggest checking out the Southwire website (who makes the Polar Solar extension cord I use in the video) because they specialize in all types of electrical cords and cables.

@miazahmed3930 9 ай бұрын

Sir will you answer me about how long I have to charge to get charged 100% by this mobile connector ?

@brandonwatsonmedia 9 ай бұрын

A standard wall outlet is 120 volts and it will supply about 3 miles of range per hour of charge. So being optimistic, 10 hours charging for 30 miles, and 100 hours charging for 300 miles. If it is really cold where you are charging, these numbers can be a little less.

@eharlem3 Жыл бұрын

Is that a performance trim or distance you have?

@brandonwatsonmedia Жыл бұрын

It's a Model Y Long Range with the 20 inch Induction Wheels.

@eharlem3 Жыл бұрын

@@brandonwatsonmedia very nice. I am contemplating ordering the blue or the grey but leaning toward blue…and the more I see it I like it more.

@brandonwatsonmedia Жыл бұрын

@@eharlem3 Thanks! And ALL credit goes to my wife for selecting the color and rim/tire package. Combined with the blacked out trim, it does look pretty awesome.

@simontai1 5 ай бұрын

Is the mobile connector waterproof?

@brandonwatsonmedia 5 ай бұрын

I think that the specs say that a little light rain is not an issue, but it should NOT be in any sort of standing water.

@neojay80 Жыл бұрын

My wife and I just got a 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and don't have an outlet nearby. First night I had it plugged with my outdoor orange extension cord and read that I shouldn't use an extension cord and freaked out, so this at least reassures me it's possible just have to get that kind of cord.

@brandonwatsonmedia Жыл бұрын

Awesome! I hope the video helps you out. 👍

@janainaribeirousa740 Жыл бұрын

How long does it take to charge tho

@brandonwatsonmedia Жыл бұрын

A looooong time. Maybe 3 miles gained an hour. Level 1 charging like this is NOT something you would want to rely on for your daily charging needs, but at least it is an option you could use under certain circumstances.

@Floridacop911 Жыл бұрын

So how long does this take to charge

@brandonwatsonmedia Жыл бұрын

@aarush738 Жыл бұрын

Can you use a 32A plug with this extension

@brandonwatsonmedia Жыл бұрын

I wish I had the certified expertise to answer that question, but I do not. Thanks for watching the video though! 🙂

@tianxia123 Жыл бұрын

Is it safe to use it inside the garage?

@brandonwatsonmedia Жыл бұрын

For our Tesla, we use a Level 2 charger in our garage for our home charging needs. Even with that, I also added a smoke detector in our garage to alert us if there was any type of smoke/fire present near the car - so I would highly recommend that! Regarding your question, I can only say that we have never had a problem when we have used the extension cord and mobile charger in this video. I would feel safe using it in my garage. But again, please note, that the Tesla manual says to not use an extension cord.

@rockstar100ify Жыл бұрын

Any issues so far?

@brandonwatsonmedia Жыл бұрын

None at all. Though I want to stress that we rarely use the mobile connector - maybe once or twice a year - for just unique circumstances like getting a trickle charge at a camping spot or a vacation visit to a family member’s house where the car is just going to sit for a few days. But based on a few different charging experiences with it now, I would have no problem having it used daily if that was needed.

@rodneyalmonor5364 Жыл бұрын

Do I have to use the same exact extension cord brand ?

@brandonwatsonmedia Жыл бұрын

I would definitely encourage you to see what other brands may have to offer. My MAIN recommendation would be to make sure you are focused on the proper rating of the extension and the quality of the extension cord. Do not focus on price. YOUR safety and the investment you have into your Tesla are worth the money. 🙂

@brianviola6887 Жыл бұрын

So your using a 15amp rated cable to run a 50amp charger😂

@davidkeely869 Жыл бұрын

Its a plug in charger - for a normal household socket - where are you pulling your 50 amps figure from? - thatd trip any breaker

@Jb-wi7xq Жыл бұрын

Isn’t it 12amp?

@mssengineeringpllc799 Жыл бұрын

You can only use 15 amps at home .. 😅.. so the guy is ok and right

@readme7121 2 ай бұрын

How many KWs do you get with this type of setup/cord? I don't understand the whole amp concept and how it changes things etc

@brandonwatsonmedia 2 ай бұрын

I’m certainly no expert so I’ll let Google take this. A Level 1 EV charger will output between 1.3 to 2.4 kW, which translates into roughly 5 km (or 3.11 miles) of range per hour of charging. A Level 2 EV charger will output between 3 to 19.2 kilowatts (kW) in the United States and up to 22 kW in Europe, providing 10 to 75 miles (16 - 120 km) of range per hour of charging.

@readme7121 2 ай бұрын

@@brandonwatsonmedia Do you ever manually adjust your amp level in the tesla?

@brandonwatsonmedia 2 ай бұрын

@@readme7121 I have never needed to do that. Though I could see where that might be needed in circumstances where a breaker is being tripped or the outlet that is being used has a different amperage. But I think that the Tesla charger and the Tesla itself kind of automatically adjust to that. But again, adjusting the Charge Current is not something I have ever done on my Tesla.

@readme7121 2 ай бұрын

@@brandonwatsonmedia I appreciate your insight brother thank you. Keep uploading 💪