Wow. There is no point for Tesla or others to send units to other reviewers. Your review is so far ahead of any other product review. You give insight and knowledge using a language that is available both for the tech-savvy and the newbies. We added this video to our home charging technology guide to answer the most common question. What is the best charger in the US?
I am a short term rental host and a lot of my guests who stay here from time to time have asked about an EV charger. After watching this video I am going to buy the Tesla Universal EV charger. thanks for the great video
I have been trying to figure out which one to get for my short term rental as well. I thought I knew which one I was going to get and then heard about the Universal option form Tesla which my problem, which was deciding which plug to choose and getting adapters. Have you installed yours and if so how is it going? I'm also in a location that gets very hot in the summer so this seems like the perfect option.
Great review Tom. This is the charger to buy for anyone with a J1772 car now. Works with your current vehicle and has NACS for when all the cars eventually switch over.
Great review, thanks! In case anyone is curious, the maximum possible score on the ChargerRater, without any “bonus” points being given, is 109. 97 out of 109 possible is pretty darn good. Even if you remove the bonus point, it’s still 96/109.
I’ve held off purchasing a Wall connector for years, preferring to just use the UMC w/ J1772 adapter for my Volt. This is such an elegant solution I think I’m going to finally pull the trigger and get one.
Not surprising that this product scores so highly in your tests, Tom. (BTW, not only are your tests rigorous and informative, I think they’re rather clever as well 👍🏼!) I’m so extremely happy with my ‘21 M3 SR+, 2.5 years and 37K miles into its life. Keep up the great work!
Excellent review as always! This is a novel solution to an interim problem, and it makes going back and forth between connectors easy and removes the possibility of an adaptor being misplaced. I like the idea of a delay after a power outage, as the most vulnerable time when power is restored is right after they throw that switch. The last thing needed is a bunch of high current draw devices trying to restart right after the power comes back on. Personally, I'd prefer a physical dip switch to set the breaker size instead of the app. You never know when software acts unpredictably or an accidental config change could really spoil a person's day.
Thank you so much for the new test. Please be extra careful when doing this. A lot of us live in very hot climates and yes our garage is become hot enough to cook steak please use extra precautions. We care about you. Another great video.
This is a big deal. It will force other companies to copy, which is a good thing. The 20,000 Hilton Hotel order will force other hotels to follow, which also is disruptive. This is an industry-changing move for North America.
Tom, your reviews are A1 and I love following you with all the charger and auto reviews. Sadly I live in the Philippines and our step towards electrification is about 10 years behind
The time it takes the Tesla connector to restart charging may be due to it waiting for a stable state of power for a minute. That way it doesn’t get caught in a flickering (on/off) state as the power is returned to a stable state of power.
Yes, also many other systems will start up in that minute like air conditioners and refrigerators, this ensures the EV doesn't start charging during that high load time right after power is restored.
Love your reviews. I bought the Universal Connector and have been using it outdoors for a month. I had one issue where it wouldn’t charge my Bolt after charging a Model 3 but Tesla tech support pushed an update to it that fixed the issue. Today it’s below freezing in Western NY and I have another issue. The button on the Magic dock gets water under it that freezes. After getting the button to push down it was then stuck in the down position. I am going to have to put a bag over the unit until I can up with something more permanent to fix the issue. Something to think about for people in cold climates if they are thinking about buying this. I probably would have chosen a different model if I knew about this design flaw earlier.
I would've loved to have this available when I got my Ioniq 5. I got a ChargePoint Home Flex, which is great hardware, but the app leaves a lot to be desired. The Tesla software game is miles ahead of the competition. I like to see a review of the Gen 2 Tesla Mobile Connector soon!
I have two 80 amp Tesla Wall Connectors in my 4 bay garage at my house, which is nice to use with my R1T, Lightning and MXP. Only the Lightning can take advantage of the big power tho. Tesla needs to offer one of these dual adapter units at 80 amp!!!
I believe the other reason Hilton is speccing these units for their hotels is that (by signing up with Tesla Commercial Charging) they can operate as commercial charge units. This means you can configure pricing per kWh, they appear in navigation, they can do smart power sharing across multiple units, vehicles can plug-and-charge, and Tesla handles all the billing automatically. Anything close to this type of capability from a competitor (like the ChargePoint CT4000) would be many times the cost, with lower performance. So they're a solid value for private use, but an incredible value for commercial use.
Hi Tom, I just wanted to thank you for this review. I ordered the unit 4 months ago. I just got around to completing the installation (DIY) strictly following installation instructions exactly. THHN 6 AWG and properly torqued to spec. A couple things I discovered, your concern about the J1772 latch. I would Not be concerned at all, it’s STEEL not plastic. That’s why it frosted up when you took it out of the freezer. Also, right out of the box, the unit is defaulted to 60A breaker and ALL vehicle charging. You technically don’t need to commission it to charge, but that’s definitely recommended. Also I just received the Latest Tesla App update that includes Gen 3 & Universal Wall Connector support and connectivity. The setup process was smooth and painless as long as you have the QR code from the quick start guide. It took about 3 minutes to register the wall connector to the App. From a Charge history standpoint. It basically gives you the same information as the Charging Stats feature already in the app for home charging. so it seems a bit redundant in that regard.
Nice work Tom! Tesla has some great chargers. I have two myself in power share config in the garage. The only thing that gives me pause is the size of these new units. For businesses these are a no brainer.
Superb review! The best I have read or watched anywhere! Great job! I just bought a Tesla Model 3 and this is the charger that I am going to buy. Your review confirmed my research. I live in AZ, and my garage is not air-conditioned. I will be installing this charger in my garage, and so your heat test is VERY useful. To put this in perspective, we had over 33 days in a row last summer where the temperature was over 110 F. And keep in mind, that is measured in the shade. The heat can be brutal. So testing the unit as you did for extreme heat was monumentally important.
I don't own an electric car, and I want to install one of these in my shop just to have one. I plan on getting a Tesla once my younger son starts driving in a few years, so I would only get the Tesla charger anyway. Great review!
Excellent review! I was looking for the way to get the J1772 adapter out to charge my IoniQ5, and you had the answer. It was absent from another video I saw first. I decided to subscribe after I saw all the topics you have been covering. Thanks.
Tom quick suggestion . My town/village/city required a separate electrical "Disconnect Box" next to the Tesla wall connector. Power goes from main panel box to the Disconnect Box to the Tesla Wall Connector. This was in the event power needed to be shut off to the Tesla connector without having to run all the way to the breaker panel which in my case is over 100 feet away. The box was outdoor rated and cost $30.00 and was no extra labor $$ to install during the installation of the Tesla Wall Connector.
I had to install that for my Ford Charge Station Pro, because it delivers more than 50-amps. But I wasn't required to do so for the Tesla Wall Connector.
@@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney My breaker was rated for 75 amps even though it only pulls 48, but in the interest of safety , some towns require it regardless. Its nice too because the Disconnect Box can be padlocked at the on-off throw to prevent an unauthorized person from using your wall connector as well, particularly if there's outside access. Mine is inside garage, so its not an issue, but it was still required. In addition, the Disconnect Box is also double fused so if something goes wrong, chances are the fusees will blow before anything.
Actually I have been using this for my Ioniq 5 since November of last year. Purchased it for $583 from a Maryland Company called Interconnect who installed it including the Electric work for an additional $800. It works great until I took the care in for the ICCU update (which is affecting many brands of chargers). From November 2022 through September 2023 I got a consistent 11.5kW for the entire charging session now (like for others) it drops to 5.5 kW due to this update dropping the amperage into the 20's from 48 Amps.
Hi from Canada/Quebec where we have very cold weather, I watched all you charger video and settled on this Tesla universal. Love the deep freeze test, I wouldn’t taught of that. I got my new KONA EV 2024 and love it! First EV. The only thing that is not working well is that when I get back home after a drive and plug in the vehicle, the charger blue light flashes and the car say « charging not completed » and the car does not charge. I need to unplug and plug back in at then It’s start charging.. not sure if you experienced anything like this. It does that every time. Not a big deal, just an annoyance really. The Tesla app does not have much setting to go through (to be honest, it is pretty underwhelming, I was hoping to see a lot more stats and features) Keep up the good work, very informative videos and made a huge difference in my decision!
Bonjour Carl. Protégez-Vous did not rate the other Tesla EVSE well for cold weather performance. We've had a mild winter in Quebec so far this year, but have you had the charger not work on cold days? How is it in the cold?
Thanks for the review, looking for a replacement for my 4 year ChargePoint, which has been replaced when it was under warranty. Now the WiFi won’t connect anymore. Called ChargePoint, told them that the replacement is failing, they could care less. Time for a Tesla charger!
Suggestion for your charger rating system. I've noticed some chargers will let you set the amperage in one amp increments, (ie you can set it to 38 amps, or 45 amps). Useful for cars like the Ioniq 5 that overheat on level 2 charging, so you can dial it in to the maximum sustainable charge speed. Wish this charger had that (I know autel at least does), but it seems like that should be a factor in such a detailed scoring process.
Hey Tom, Is this worth the extra $170 if I already own a nacs->j1772 adapter? How does this compare to the WC3 which retails for $450? Are all functions and customizability the same in both units?
Thanks for the review. I'm in Montreal, which can have plenty of heat, rain and cold. Given the fact it is NEMA 3 only, would you recommend against an outdoor installation?
Electrician here; A NEMA 3 (rain tight) assembly will take just about everything except being immersed under water. If you have a lot of corrosion in your area for NEMA 3 assemblies due to salt air or corrosive gases, then that may be a deal breaker for you, and you will want to look at NEMA 4 assemblies that are basically sealed up completely. I live in a coastal area, and NEMA 3 is just fine for most things as long as it is not installed on docks or within a few hundred yards of the coast for any NEMA 3 assemblies with exposed connections.
Tom - Regarding the heat test, I think the heat shutoff sensor for the tesla wall connector is in the handle, not the white box on the wall. You need to point the heater towards the handle while it is plugged in for this to be a relevant test.
The heater is 24" wide and was heating the entire unit, the connector included. Even the wall was getting hot. I'm going to have to figure out a way to protect the wall in the future
@@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney Tom, I agree with this comment, you need two heat lamps to do this test properly. One aimed the EVSE while it's charging, and one aimed at the charge port while it's charging. Most of the derating that happens is because the J1772 handle overheats while charging, not the main unit. There is a temperature sensor in the J1772 handle, so having that part in a room temperature environment while charging is not a true hot test.
Just acquired a '17 Bolt and am considering a home charging option. Just started my research and might have ended here! Thanks, Tom! It's not only compatible with my Bolt, but future proof as mentioned with NACS connector, Tesla vehicle or otherwise.
Thanks for doing such a deep review. I'm an EV newbie and the transition to NACS in the future had me a little concerned if I buy an EV with J1772/CCS now. This solution is future proof and flexible.
Hey Tom. It's great that you spend so much time on temperature effects but you kind of just gloss over the water resistant aspect by just saying it gets no points for being NEMA 3. Maybe for those that will be installing outside mention what type of protection that affords from water penetration. Keep up the great work. Thanks for all you do in the EV space.
I heard that the Tesla chargers have a random XX seconds before starting to charge after a power outage. Someone said that it was so when the power was back on he wouldn’t have XXX chargers click on at once.
In Norway, after a power outage, it's (Tesla Wall connector) starting to change again from one to three minutes to save the grid from high starting load.
What we really need is a billing mechanism so that a restaurant, hotel, office, or beach can put these out and recover the cost of electricity from public users (perhaps with a small profit). These are WIFI, so they can be interrogated.
Looking for an opinion.....from Tom or anyone here !!!! Big fan of yours, love your State of Charge youtube channel !!!! Great review on Tesla Universal Charger review. I recently ordered a 2024 Lyriq with the 19.2 KW charger. I know I can charge the Lyriq with up to 80amp. Prior to the Tesla Universal Charger coming out I was deciding between purchasing either; - a Tesla Gen 2 Wall Connector with a J1772 adapter which is rated for 80amp - a Ford Charged Pro which is also rated for 80amp and has a CCS connector - a regular Tesla Gen 3 Wall 11.2kw/48amp connector and a J1772 Assuming that I have the room in my 200amp electrical panel to support a 100amp breaker or a 60amp AND that I will never require to use my vehicle to as a backup power for my home, in your opinion which option would be best. Please factor in the fact that the Tesla Universal Wall connector is approximately ½ the price of the Ford Charger Pro AND if you have the information would you know what the times are to charge from 20-80% with the 11.2kw vs the 19.2kw wall connectors. You’re opinion would really be appreciated
I love your content. I also love the addition of adding heat to the charger while it's running. I would like to see you do that to your Ford charge pro that's behind you. I have the same Ford Charger and I have a hunch that when i charge mid afternoon on a 100+ degree day at anything over 60ish amps it overheats because it randomly shuts off and restarts a few minutes later.
Man awesome and very detailed review, as always, I love the work you put into this, I'll be getting my Rivian in a few months, with a Rivian wall charger, I was wondering if you had a chance to review one, this Tesla, one is cheaper than the one that Rivian offers, and was wondering if I should save money and go with the Tesla universal wall connector as opposed to the Rivian wall charger.
Bad news is that the mount on the Tesla does have a requirement with a ton of slack in the line. I wanted to swap my Chargepoint charger to this and it cant be done unless I re-rerun my wires
I've had my Gen3 wall connector shutdown a couple of times due to overheating when charging Lightning. The Lightning will pull the max Amps the connector can give and on a 110 degree day there's not much room for error. It's never been an issue on cooler days
Anyone find it interesting that the Hilton group order for 20k of these is gonna take about a year to install them ALL. Yet in China so far this year they've averaged 54,000+new ev charging piles installed for each month of 2023. People say it can't be done in regards to evs&charging infastructure, yet China in 30 day's is installing as many or more charging piles as tesla managed to do in 11 full year's. I get they are around 4.5x us in population but man that is still some very impressive growth. 👍🏻😎
Tom, I believe the Wall Connectors have two temperature sensors looking for cable resistance heat however, the one I have seen in the Tesla Owners Club Puerto Rico that may affect charging is the one at the handle due to the recent heat waves.
You might want to change your rating systems to account for a handful of use cases. Then, add up the charger scores under those use cases. In that system, you could have a charger that is amazing, as say an indoor charger, but can't be used as an outdoor charger. That would give you a total core of 50%. Maybe survey your subscribers to determine the most common use cases as a way to weigh the categories.
Hi Tom, great review. I've learned a lot about EVSEs & EVs from watching you, thank you. Due to your content, I have ordered a Porsche Cayenne E Hybrid that I expect in the first quarter of 2024. I assume the VW Group will eventually adopt the NACS connectors, but not sure what I should do to prepare. Do you think this Tesla Universal would make the most sense for someone in my position, or should I buy an EVSE with a J1772 connector, and get an adapter if/when Porsche adopts the NACS?
Tom, I have a 2022 Ioniq 5 and in the extreme heat, the charge port overheats at higher amperage and then derates the charger. I dont want you to damage a vehicle but wondering if the EVSE performs the same way with heat to the charge port. Thanks for all your videos and insight!
Did I miss it? Do you mention any energy usage reporting? Does it tell you how many kW you've used to charge? (Or is that standard on all fixed chargers?) Great review, as always.
Great reviews. I am installing the Tesla Universal and installing it where I need a waterproof, locking enclosure. Can you please review some of the available enclosures that work with the Universal?
eGMP vehicles specifically have an issue with the charging inlet overheating. Hyundai Motor Group has basically said "Deal with it" and does not appear to be planning any kind of remedy, despite the vehicles being marked and marketed as accepting up to 48A. Interestingly, this is only an issue when AC charging, not DC. Depending on the day, in my Phoenix driveway, I usually top out at ~30A in the summer. Higher than that and the car will kill the charging session. I just got my high-power EVSE a few months ago, so we'll see how it does in winter.
Tom, I'm sOOn getting a Rivian R1S as my first electric vehicle, and I will need to install a charger in my garage. Since you also own a Rivian, would you rather install this new Tesla Universal Wall Connector or the Rivian Wall Charger which I could order for $500 with the vehicle?
It would be nice if units like this could work with solar production and only use that production to charge the car . All the information is on most solar apps . I understand Tesla does do this but it's not through the charger but it's through the car itself and of course it's got to be part of the Tesla infrastructure like having a power wall . This being universal non Tesla owners will buy . Hopefully we will see chargers work with solar as a standard . I understand some can do but they need a added infrastructure beyond the charger . What I would like to see chargers get truly smart
I received my two UWConnectors this week - amazed that Tesla, after having said shipments would begin in October, did in fact send me an email on 2 Oct, at 3:49am!!!, saying they'd shipped. Huh! And they now are installed, as of an hour ago. Very, very straightforward, other than for some user quirks - I was determined to perform some operations one could not do if one did not live 189 miles from town in Alaska - sorry, you city folks! BUT: Just a very important heads-up for any installers. Contrary to standard (USA) practice, the cable lugs are NOT in the normal { Ground - L1/N - L2 } orientation, but rather are { Ground - L2 - L1/N }. I hope that sharing this circumvents some nasty problems. Tom: Perhaps you could post a blow-up picture of the same?
I suppose it's not an issue with EVSEs these days (quality has gone up?), but in the early days it would have been important to also rate noise. Some of the early EVSEs had obnoxiously loud contactors that would clunk quite loudly, and even worse, some of them would hum obnoxiously during the charging cycle. The GE Wattstation was particularly bad about this.
Tom, please review the load sharing capabilities of this and other chargers. If one has two electric cars, I have heard the Teslas talk with each other and share the power. How does this work, and do other brands do this?
I like the review and comment. Due to the lower rating for outside impacts and living in the Pacific Northwest what are your thoughts for this charger? The charger set-up is outside (we and many do not have or use garages here) and facing the direction where most the storms come in off the Pacific (I am inland) for full storm exposure with a slight overhang of the rough with slight protection.
I own this unit and installed it myself in one day. My neighbor helped some. So if you do your homework, you can install it without an electrician. However, if you are not handy, hire an electrician.
I purchased the Tesla Universal Wall Connector, in part based on your excellent review. However, there are issues with charging some electric vehicles. This EVSE fails to charge my Volkswagen e-Golf on timed events, and I need to plug and re-plug it to get it to work when asking for an immediate charge. There are other vehicles that have also not worked with this unit, such as those made by Rivian. These problems are likely caused by the communication between EVSE and vehicle, and Tesla has been working on firmware updates to address them. I hope that Tesla will take these matters seriously and fix them, but so far I am disappointed.
An update: Tesla pushed new firmware, 23.24.4-11ab530, to my Tesla Universal Wall Connector (TUWC). With it I needed to re-commission the unit, go to the Access Controls page and select a new option "Compatibility Mode" (before, the only non-Tesla option was "All Vehicles," which remains an option on the new page). Upon selecting the "Compatibility Mode," there is a warning that not all functions may be available under this option, though there is no explanation of what these may be. Once set up this way, it appears now that everything is working for my VW e-Golf. I noticed a change immediately upon plugging in, with the usual indications by the e-Golf charge port LEDS that communication was occurring (this did not happen before with other firmware versions for the TUWC). It appears as if I can now charge immediately as well as via timed events, including both the Scheduled Charging set in the Tesla app and as set by departure times in the e-Golf's e-manager.
Awesome review, Tom! With your R1S, do you have a preference for this or your Wallbox? Or the Rivian charger, for that matter? We have an R1S coming soon and would like to know your opinion. Thanks!
Hi Tom, big fan! Had a quick question. I had my electrician install the J1772 Tesla wall charger (black one) over the weekend. It is installed outside under a covered area so it wont get rained on. However due to the cramped space, he installed the charger in a horizontal orientation, so 90 degrees to the right of what you have shown. So the charger cable comes out to the right hand side rather than under with this orientation (sideways). Is this okay and safe? It has been charging fine over the weekend. But concerned due to this orientation if water can get in. Thank you so much.
Tom, a question. We are planning a trip to Porcupine Mountins in Michigan's UP. Very few public chargers, but there are lots of campgrounds. Is it safe to charge our Bolt EUV at an RV hookup? Will we need an adapter?
Great review! Can I use this and limit it to 40 amps? I would like to convert my NEMA 14-50 to a hard wired level 2 set up but don’t want to upgrade my wiring and breaker for 48 amp.
Hopefully the Tesla app will let you release the adapter that will be the wear point if you ever need to replace it. They obviously could require a return of the used adapter with each part supplied so they can examine and discourage the use of the adapter with any other NACS plug. They are 6 months too late for my purchase dollars but honestly would prefer my ChargePoint Home Flex. I only have one EV so I’ll buy another plug that is user replaceable if ever I need to. Great review on both mine and this one. 36:09
I just got mine installed. I am having an issue with it releasing from the magic adapter when it’s powered and charged. The adapter won’t release when it’s plugged in.
@@Maxwell1725P In Musk’s own words: “To anyone I’ve offended I would say ‘I reinvented electric cars and I’m sending people to Mars in a rocket ship. Did you think I was also gonna be a chill normal dude?’ ~SNL May 8th, 2021
I find it interesting you’re lowering the height that you’re performing the drop test from. You used to do it from shoulder height, but the time you did it with just the NACS connecter it was more like nipple height, and when you had the J1772 adaptor installed, it was more like waist height.
I have been doing that lately because the more I thought about it, the more I realized I should drop it from the height a user would. People aren't going to hold the connector above their heads, so it probably won't be dropped from that height often. I'm always trying to reform/improve the tests.
@@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney Totally makes sense, though you might want to find a way to consistently drop it from the same height (maybe push it off a table or something).
I think you would want to know at what force it would break. You should break it.... It is kinda stupid / dumb doing it your way. Waste of TIME...@@roger1818
I agree with showing the charging graph for DCFC sessions. However I think we also really need to see what rate the vehicle is requesting vs what the charger is providing in real time. Because currently we have no way to know whether the problem is with the charger (i.e. it’s derated) or the vehicle (e.g. because the battery is not preconditioned). If it’s the charger then I am just wasting my time and should move. Please add this information.
Does j1772 come out only when it’s powered?? I remember you couldn’t take it out in your initial review. I just got my universal charger and cannot get it out. I haven’t installed it yet.
Last year I already installed the regular version of Tesla's Wall Connector, ( NACS only ). Can I use the same mounting bracket as it is and put this unit on? ( I would keep my existing unit stored away as a spare ).
How would you rate this against the Ford Charge Station Pro? I jumped the gun and bought that before my lightning arrived, thinking I could easily tie it into my house, but Sunrun doesn't operate in my area and it's more effort than it's worth to figure it out with Enphase on how to do battery backup just yet. Long story short, I'm considering this universal charger while I can probably still sell the Ford charger for what I paid. Saving space and the thinner wire seem appealing, especially since my EV charger is located outside on my house. I couldn't find a review of the Ford Charge Station Pro to compare scores, so I'm hoping you can chime in and give your two cents..
really great review! do you know if the internal terminals can directly accept 4 gauge copper wire? A lot of EVSE's only fit down to 6 guage so I'm very curious as I'm currently running 4 guage teck cable to combat the summer heat in my garage. Thanks!