A kinder, gentler, smaller, more affordable and useful road-warrior EV charging kit

[satchurator]

I would be hard pressed to see how anything like this cord presents any serious risk…I’d recommend paying the extra $7 for the “lighted” version - which has a small LED light in the plug ends so you can “see” that the cord is powered…

this is 12 gauge wire, 3 conductors (hot, neutral, ground) and rated for full 15 amps - and the PMC+ with the proper supply cable attached (NEMA 5-15 supply cable) will pull the recommended 12 amps - make sure the plugs are well seated and keep the plugs out of the wet and I’d be mostly nearly completely un-concerned - check in on it periodically during the first few hours and make sure it isn’t getting too warm and nothing is melting at the plug ends and it should be fine.

Thanks to everybody weighing in on this portion of the thread. Appreciate the tips on extension cables, GFCI and managing the current draw from within the PMC+.
There is a 14-50 socket in the home, but the distance from that to the spot where I can park is just too far to justify a 14-50 extension cable.

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[Jhenson29]

Access even to a 110V outlet in the garage will not be easy - I’ll be parked at least 30 feet away, outdoors. Would I be safe using an outdoor extension cable with the PMC+?

I would not generally be concerned about a properly sized extension cord, but if I’m right about the 8amps, it’s really near worthless. You may want to consider a different EVSE that supports more current on 120V. May also want to see if someone else weighs in on the 8amp limit.

There is a 14-50 socket in the home, but the distance from that to the spot where I can park is just too far to justify a 14-50 extension cable.

There are also J1772 extension cables. That could be used in more scenarios.

 

[satchurator]

I would not generally be concerned about a properly sized extension cord, but if I’m right about the 8amps, it’s really near worthless. You may want to consider a different EVSE that supports more current on 120V. May also want to see if someone else weighs in on the 8amp limit.

There are also J1772 extension cables. That could be used in more scenarios.

Thanks @Jhenson29. I hadn’t considered that. For this specific scenario, that approach might avoid having connections or the PMC+ itself laying in puddles.

 

[kewina12]

It gratifies me that my original post for the road warrior kit has been so well received by the Taycan community - it was developed in an age when EA did not exist (the core recommendation pre-date the Mission-E announcement) - Tesla Supercharger network didn't have 8-64 stalls on every corner and a 270 kW maximum charge rate wasn't even a fantasy…

while I stand by my kit - I think it could be time to refresh the recommendations to a kinder gentler and simpler kit based on experience and progress. therefore I humbly submit the following recommendation for a cheaper, simpler, and more focused "kit"

a high value low cost mobile EV road-warrior kit could be as simple as follows:

• High quality affordable mobile EVSE (40 amp or 32 amp) - PMC+/PMCC/Mustart/Tesla UMC Gen2 with NEMA 14-50 supply cable.
• TeslaTap (60 amp or 80 amp)
  • if you have the 19.2 kW charging option you must get the 80 amp version
  • TeslaTap mini's are also acceptable in 60 and 80 amp varieties…
• [Adapter] - NEMA 6-50P to NEMA 14-50R adapter cable - charge anywhere you find a NEMA 6-50R (plug socket) - $50 or less
• [Adapter] - NEMA SS2-50P-* to NEMA 14050R adapter cable - charge at marina's, parking lots, concert venues, and AC generators - $50 or less
• for 30 amp plug recommendation please see the original posting…I no longer consider 30 amp plug adapters "useful" or likely
• that's it - that's the entire "kit"

Put another way:

1. A Mobile EVSE w/14-50 plug
2. TeslaTap
3. a 6-50 adapter/pig-tail
4. Marine shore power adapter

that's the core kit - but represents the most used plug types from my original kit.

actual utilization remains very very low for these adapters, but piece of mind while traveling away from home may be very very high if you want confidence in your ability to charge at most any 240V/50 amp plug type while traveling.

in my mind this kit could be consider a "core" kit for those that wish to have options while traveling but not go overboard (like my original posting) - note these days I'm using public charging more and more and more - so "kit" usage is dropping below historical lows…which were already quite low - I rarely unpack it from my frunk.

the original kit is still the most complete kit for all possible charging scenarios - but it's overall utilization still remains very very very low!!!

And in increasingly un-necessary in a world with more and more public charging.

enjoy…

* - for maximum confusion NEMA SS2-50P is also known as 886399 shore power - both are equivalent and there is no functional difference.

Dave

I like your additions - the addition of any 30 amp plug type requires an EVSE that has affordable 30 amp supply cable/adapters - only the Mustart and Tesla UMC Gen 2 fit this requirement - my 30 amp adapters have gone largely unused - YMMV

I do not consider the PMC+/PMCC 30 amp supply cables "affordable" - you can purchase an entire Mustart or Tesla UMC Gen2 for what Porsche charges for one 30 amp supply cable - if you are going to go this route I recommend a non-Porsche mobile EVSE (like @Klepper has done)

great kit!!!

Hey guys - if I have a NEMA 14-50 at home but need 25’ to reach the car, to simplify things, couldn’t I just have a 14-50 extension cable, keep the PMC+ at home, and only charge at EAs around the US?

I.e. is it necessary to have my PMC+ in the car to charge on the road if I’m mainly charging at EA locations?

 

[raharris]

Dave


Hey guys - if I have a NEMA 14-50 at home but need 25’ to reach the car, to simplify things, couldn’t I just have a 14-50 extension cable, keep the PMC+ at home, and only charge at EAs around the US?

I.e. is it necessary to have my PMC+ in the car to charge on the road if I’m mainly charging at EA locations?

I purchased a j1772 extension cable (I got Mustart as I have their charger) - this way I could be confident on it being fit for purpose.

 

[LonePalmBJ]

I.e. is it necessary to have my PMC+ in the car to charge on the road if I’m mainly charging at EA locations?

That's a perfectly valid approach. Carrying the PMC or another AC Level 1/Level 2 EVSE just gives you more options. It's most convenient for overnight charging at your destination, or perhaps if parked at an airport, hotel, racetrack, etc.

I go through the 'hassle" of boxing up and carrying my PMCC with me when I road-trip, largely because I'd rather have it and not need it than the other way around.

 

[ciaranob]

I purchased a j1772 extension cable (I got Mustart as I have their charger) - this way I could be confident on it being fit for purpose.

Have the same cable or at least their upgraded versions of this cable (other models out of stock at time and this came overnight) - posted here; #141
Tested it too to be sure no voltage drop over increased length when combined with Porshce portable charger and there was ZERO effect.

 

[Tooney]

I re-read this thread and the original road warrior kit thread https://www.taycanforum.com/forum/threads/ev-roadwarrior-adapters-“kit”.1364/#post-16729
Extremely helpful for understanding what to buy for road tripping my Taycan, and the fundamentals of supplying EVs with electricity at home and on long trips on the road.
It just ain't simple. These two threads really help clear it up.
Thanks to Dave and many others who posted over the years.

 

[Loltheinternet]

+1. Thanks for writing this up!

 

[Schlossj]

Sorry - re-asking something that was covered but not totally clear: I have a 14-50 at home but will be taking the PMCC on a trip. Want to use at a friends house using his dryers outlet. Assuming it’s a 14-30 outlet. So I CAN’T use the Porsche 14-50 supply cord in the 14-30 outlet because it will try to pull too many amps? Is that correct? What if I set the PMCC to 50%? Do I have to default to the 110 household supply cable? Thanks for the answers.

 

[daveo4EV]

1. the 14-50 plug will not fit a 14-30 outlet - so yeah you can't actually plug the PMC+/PMCC into a 14-30 outlet - unless you purchase the 14-30 supply cable from VW/Audi/Porsche ($200+ - but you can buy an entire other EVSE from someone else for that price).
   1. if purchase/use the VW/Audi/Porsche supply cable for 14-30 plug besides "fitting" the plug the supply cable sets the PMC+/PMCC to the correct AMP setting
   2. PMC+/PMCC supply cables also adjust/configure the PMC+/PMCC to the correct number of amps matching the breaker size associated with various NEMA plug types in North America
2. if you managed to plug the PMC+/PMCC to a 14-30 outlet with a 14-50 supply cable attached you MUST set the PMC+ to 50% - that will lower it's demand to 20 amps - 24 amps is the maximum amount to pull from a 14-30 outlet.
   1. the PMCC can be adjust directly to 24 amps (there is no 50% button) - there is a setting in the LCD menus to adjust AMP +/- 1 amp at a time.

the PMC+/PMCC comes with a normal household plug (NEMA 5-15) supply cable, but it will take forever to charge from a normal household outlet (60+ hours from 10% for example)

 

[TaycanCook]

1. the 14-50 plug will not fit a 14-30 outlet - so yeah you can't actually plug the PMC+/PMCC into a 14-30 outlet - unless you purchase the 14-30 supply cable from VW/Audi/Porsche ($200+ - but you can buy an entire other EVSE from someone else for that price).
   1. if purchase/use the VW/Audi/Porsche supply cable for 14-30 plug besides "fitting" the plug the supply cable sets the PMC+/PMCC to the correct AMP setting
   2. PMC+/PMCC supply cables also adjust/configure the PMC+/PMCC to the correct number of amps matching the breaker size associated with various NEMA plug types in North America
2. if you managed to plug the PMC+/PMCC to a 14-30 outlet with a 14-50 supply cable attached you MUST set the PMC+ to 50% - that will lower it's demand to 20 amps - 24 amps is the maximum amount to pull from a 14-30 outlet.
   1. the PMCC can be adjust directly to 24 amps (there is no 50% button) - there is a setting in the LCD menus to adjust AMP +/- 1 amp at a time.

the PMC+/PMCC comes with a normal household plug (NEMA 5-15) supply cable, but it will take forever to charge from a normal household outlet (60+ hours from 10% for example)

For those wondering if you get a "EV" specific TT-30 dog-bone adapter, TT-30P -> 14-50R, it won't work with the PMC+. The PMC+ will report an error. This is unlike if you use the Tesla mobile charger where this adapter would work. If you're wondering what is special about the EV specific one, one of the hot receptors becomes a neutral receptor..

 

[daveo4EV]

For those wondering if you get a "EV" specific TT-30 dog-bone adapter, TT-30P -> 14-50R, it won't work with the PMC+. The PMC+ will report an error. This is unlike if you use the Tesla mobile charger where this adapter would work. If you're wondering what is special about the EV specific one, one of the hot receptors becomes a neutral receptor..

this is good to know - I've specifcally tested the PMCC (not the PMC+) with a TT-30 to 14-50 adatper at a local camp ground and it charged at the expected 2.88 kW rate…

but if the PMC+ doesn't work this is good to know.

 

[Tooney]

I just got back from Walmart and happened to look at RV parts section. The store had many kinds of RV adapters/cords such as 50 amp to 30 amp, 30 amp to 50 amp, 15 amp to 30 amp, etc. No real instructions for use other than the ability to convert from one size plug/receptable to another.

I thought it must give interesting results when you use the 15 amp plug to 30 amp receptacle adapter cord to plug in your 30 amp RV.

 

[daveo4EV]

It gratifies me that my original post for the road warrior kit has been so well received by the Taycan community - it was developed in an age when EA did not exist (the core recommendation pre-date the Mission-E announcement) - Tesla Supercharger network didn't have 8-64 stalls on every corner and a 270 kW maximum charge rate wasn't even a fantasy…

while I stand by my kit - I think it could be time to refresh the recommendations to a kinder gentler and simpler kit based on experience and progress. therefore I humbly submit the following recommendation for a cheaper, simpler, and more focused "kit"

a high value low cost mobile EV road-warrior kit could be as simple as follows:

• High quality affordable mobile EVSE (40 amp or 32 amp) - PMC+/PMCC/Mustart/Tesla UMC Gen2 with NEMA 14-50 supply cable.
• TeslaTap (60 amp or 80 amp)
  • if you have the 19.2 kW charging option you must get the 80 amp version
  • TeslaTap mini's are also acceptable in 60 and 80 amp varieties…
• [Adapter] - NEMA 6-50P to NEMA 14-50R adapter cable - charge anywhere you find a NEMA 6-50R (plug socket) - $50 or less
• [Adapter] - NEMA SS2-50P-* to NEMA 14050R adapter cable - charge at marina's, parking lots, concert venues, and AC generators - $50 or less
• for 30 amp plug recommendation please see the original posting…I no longer consider 30 amp plug adapters "useful" or likely
• that's it - that's the entire "kit"

Put another way:

1. A Mobile EVSE w/14-50 plug
2. TeslaTap
3. a 6-50 adapter/pig-tail
4. Marine shore power adapter

that's the core kit - but represents the most used plug types from my original kit.

actual utilization remains very very low for these adapters, but piece of mind while traveling away from home may be very very high if you want confidence in your ability to charge at most any 240V/50 amp plug type while traveling.

in my mind this kit could be consider a "core" kit for those that wish to have options while traveling but not go overboard (like my original posting) - note these days I'm using public charging more and more and more - so "kit" usage is dropping below historical lows…which were already quite low - I rarely unpack it from my frunk.

the original kit is still the most complete kit for all possible charging scenarios - but it's overall utilization still remains very very very low!!!

And in increasingly un-necessary in a world with more and more public charging.

enjoy…

* - for maximum confusion NEMA SS2-50P is also known as 886399 shore power - both are equivalent and there is no functional difference.

NOTE: if you own/purchased a NEMA 6-50 EVSE (or PMC+/PMCC) you can get the "reverse" plug that convers a 14-50 Plug to a 6-50 plug - the point of the "kit" is to have both types of NEMA xx-50 plug types - if you have 14-50 get the 6-50 adatper, if you have 6-50 get the 14-50 adapter - and then you'll be all set.

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