1. Home terminal
This is the most practical method. Quite simply, because the vehicle recharges during the night, which allows us to have a full electrical charge for the next day. We currently have a FLO station with a J772 connection. Before, we had a Nissan Leaf car and we decided not to change our terminal, since the Tesla comes with an adapter to convert the J772 connector into a Tesla connector.
For the use, it is very simple. Just plug the connector into the Tesla socket. It is possible to set in the Tesla, the maximum load desired as 50% or a number of KM. For our part, we set the charge to 50%, because this is more than enough for our needs. However, when we plan to transport the trailer, we will program a charge between 90% and 100% in order to make a considerable journey.
2. Portable terminal
We use the 110V portable charging station included with the Tesla. With the connection for 240V, the terminal becomes quite powerful and will almost reach the charging speed of the FLO terminal. It is also possible to order a set of connections compatible with the Tesla. The connector we are interested in is the TT-30 which could allow us to connect directly to a trailer terminal when we are camping. However, the trailer terminals can have 30 amps, 50 amps, etc.. We therefore recommend that you adjust the amperage according to the terminal and maybe even below in order to be careful.
3. Tesla Supercharger
There are many of them in Quebec, but some regions are more advantaged than others. Today, we went to Quartier DIX30, in Brossard. The charging station is located in an underground parking lot, so it is not very practical, if not impossible, to get there with your trailer. To charge, you just have to unhook the charging gun, press the little button to open the door protecting the plug and then plug in. The terminal is activated and indicates the time remaining to complete the charge. You should always avoid exceeding 80% of charge in order not to wear out your battery prematurely. Ideally, we advise you to charge only what you use. The charging station recognizes our vehicle and our account as soon as we plug it in, which allows us to use it without a card, since the cost will be charged directly to the credit card linked to the account. Please note that only Tesla vehicles can use these charging stations.
4. CHAdeMO connector and electrical circuit terminal
The first step is to connect the adapter to the CHAdeMO connector on the electrical circuit. The second step is to authenticate using the power circuit card. We have a fund of $50 on our circuit board account for some time now. Normally, each charge costs us about $5 to $10. We then open the door to the outlet, connect, and press the green button to start charging.
Why a CHAdeMO adapter when Tesla supercharge stations are quite widespread in Quebec?
Simply because there are still some areas that are not covered and some of the campsites we want to visit are among them.
We hope that this article has inspired you to tow your trailer with your electric vehicle. Visit our website regularly to read our latest articles!