US-spec Tesla in Europe: Charging

Servus and Good Morning, Wanderers

Today I am going to share some tech tips for those of you who are considering importing your US-Spec Tesla to Europe. The focus of this will mainly be for the US-spec Model 3 and Model Y but many items may also pertain to the S, X, and Cybertruck. Currently we have a US-spec 2018 Model 3 AWD but I will update the information if we ever end up bringing over our 2018 Tesla Model X so that it has better information for S/X owners.

This series of posts will mainly focus on the technical details related to charging, connectivity, and navigation and not so much on the transportation, import, and registration of your vehicle in Germany. For those under the US Army Europe system that part is pretty straight forward and you should consult your owning base for more information. For those not under the US Army system Marina Roganovic has some decent information on her blog. We will most likely post a new post with details of registering your US-Spec Tesla in Germany directly with German authorities once we do so (probably later this year).

Charging

Charging is the most important consideration for your Tesla and should be addressed before you leave the US. You will generally be allowed to keep your charging cable and adapters in the vehicle when shipping and you will want to have these available as soon as the car arrives to the port or vehicle processing center. Expect that the vehicle may arrive with little to no charge (mine was at zero percent) so you may need to do a very quick emergency charge once you receive it. For that you will want a standard Schuko (European plug) adapter or pigtail for your Tesla mobile connector.

You will want to get parts for your mobile adapter, public charging stations and DC fast charging. See below for details.

Mobile adapter options

It is very important that you have the appropriate adapters for your Universal Mobile Connector (UMC). You will use the UMC to charge your Tesla from regular outlets in Europe and you can even use it at some public chargers (many public chargers in Germany have a Shuko outlet in addition to the standard Type-2 connector). One important note: voltage does not matter and neither does hertz. The UMC only regulates amperage to the car and the onboard charger is what does the charging. The onboard charger supports both 110-120v and 220-240v. This is DC battery charging (not running a motor) so hertz does not come into play.

Best option: Schuko to Tesla mobile adapter pigtail (EVSEadapters.com)

This adapter will plug directly into your UMC and automatically set the amps to the appropriate limit (16 amps). European Shuko plugs support up to 20amps at 240 volts (4.8kW) but you should only ever draw 80% of that limit when charging so your max rate will be 16amps at 240 volts (3.8kW).

Another option: NEMA 5-15R to Shuko adapter

This adapter will receive the US 5-15 plug from your US UMC and allow you to plug it into a European Schuko outlet. The disadvantage is that your UMC will only allow a max current of 2.8kW (12amps x 240 volts) and you are adding one more connection that can fail. If you are able to find a NEMA 5-20 to Shuko adapter and have the Tesla 5-20 pigtail then you will be able to get the full 3.8kW.

Nice to haves:

UK adapter: If you will be traveling to the UK or Ireland it is a good idea to bring along a UK-style adapter. You can either get a UK UMC pigtail or a Shuko to UK adapter. I chose to go with the UK to Shuko adapter as UK plugs and Shuko plugs use the same amps (20amp) but just make sure you get something rated for outdoor use and at least 20amps.
Caravan/Mains Adapter: If you will be visiting campgrounds with your Tesla or need an option for more power these can be used to connect to caravan mains. You will see these on the side of many buildings in Germany or on base as well as at any campground. These adapters will allow access to the full AC 32amps that these plugs can provide. the same outlets are used to connect food trucks and temporary structures to power in the EU and UK.

Public Charging

Now that you have basic and emergency charging set up with your UMC you want to get set up with the ability to charge at public charging stations in Europe and the UK. To do this you will need to have the ability to connect to Type-2 charging stations (the EU version of the J-1772 connector used in the US). you will find these chargers almost everywhere in Europe (especially in Germany) and you will be able to charge at up to 7.6kW (240v x 32amps). In Europe almost all charging stations will not have cables attached so you need to bring your own cable. these cables can be difficult to source in the US so I recommend buying this after you arrive in Europe.

NOTE: Many chargers will advertise up to 22kW charging. This is because EVs in Europe generally support 3-phase power. 3-phase power allows vehicles to charge at 3x the single phase rate (3 x 32amp x 240v =~22kW). Unfortunately the onboard charger on your US model 3 only supports single phase power so your max will still be 7.6kW at these chargers. Don't feel too sad though, the European model 3 still only supports a max of 11kW because it (like most EVs) can only support a max of 16amps when charging from 3-phase power (3 x 16amp x240v =~11kW)

Best Option: Type 1 to Type 2 charging cable (150EUR Amazon.de)

One end of this cable will connect to the public charging station and the other will connect to the J-1772 to Tesla adapter you received with your car. I just keep the cable permanently attached to the adapter with a so-called "Karen lock" so that it can not be disconnected unless the car is unlocked.

Karen Lock (Amazon.com)

Another Option: Standard Type 2 cable (118EUR Amazon.de) with CCS-2 to Tesla adapter (EVniculus 196EUR)

Using this option will give you the CCS-2 adapter you will need for DC fast charging (and supercharging) as well as use a more standard Type-2 cable which are often cheaper and more readily available than the specialized type-1 to type-2 cable above.

Note on Tesla destination chargers: Tesla destination chargers are the exception to the rule on cables. These chargers will have a Type-2 cable permanently attached and while the connecter is physically the same as the end of the Type-2 cable it will NOT work to daisy-chain the two cables together. For these chargers (which are rare - mostly at hotels) you will need the CCS-2 to Tesla adapter (make sure it is the version that supports both AC and DC charging!) or another type-2 to Tesla adapter.
Paying for charging: Almost all public charging stations in Europe will have a QR code on the charging station that will allow you to start a charge without first creating an account. This is good for when you first arrive but it will become painful quickly. You will want to create an account with a local provider that allows roaming (the use of other providers charging stations). My personal favorite is EnBW. They have a huge charging network and roaming on many other networks in Europe. Pricing is competitive and the standing/blocking fee is very reasonable (free for 4 hours then .10/minute to a max of 12EUR).

To open an EnBW mobility account you will need to download the EnBW mobility+ app. To do this (on iPhone) you will need to switch over to the German App Store. Open the App Store on your phone, tap your photo in the top right, scroll to the bottom and click "sign out". Go back to the top and sign in but choose to create a new account. Set up your account as a German account. Any apps you download from the German App Store will remain on your phone once you switch back to your US account but you will need to swap back whenever you need to install updates. The app you are looking for is "EnBW Mobility+"

Also - you will want to request an EnBW tap card. You can start most chargers from the app but some will require this RFID card to start (especially if internet is limited)

DC Fast Charging (Supercharging)

If you have any plans to do any traveling with your Tesla in Europe you will absolutely need the ability to DC Fast charge (also known in the Tesla world as Supercharging). We have traveled all over Europe and the UK in our model 3 going as far as Manchester in the UK, Ring of Kerry in Ireland, and Lake Como in Italy. You do not want to be without this capability! Enabling DC fast charging will require both an adapter and some hardware and software updates. If you already have CCS charging enabled you can skip the software and hardware changes but your ability to supercharge will be limited.

Required: You MUST have a physical adapter from CCS-2 to the Tesla connector (also known as the North American Charging Standard or NACS). This can either be an adapter directly from CCS-2 to NACS (recommended) or an adapter from CCS-2 to CCS1 (if you already have a CCS-1 to NACS adapter.

Recommended: CCS-2 to NACS AC/DC adapter (196EUR EVniculus)

This adapter is the latest and greatest in CCS-2 to NACS charging. It can work both for AC charging (Tesla destination chargers or Type-2 chargers with a cable) and DC charging at CCS-2 chargers and Tesla Superchargers. It even works with some older Tesla Superchargers that only have the Type-2 connector (rare - almost all have been upgraded)

If you already have a CCS1 adapter: CCS-2 to CCS-1 adapter ($365 EVSEadapters.com)

There may be other sources that are cheaper for this but again it is not recommended. The more adapters you have in line the more chances for failure. This is especially a concern when dealing with high voltage (up to 800v) DC power.

Strongly Recommended: EU Charge Port ECU Retrofit (~90EUR and 30 minutes)

As mentioned above, if your vehicle already has the ability to charge from CCS (on your touchscreen go to settings -> software -> and click "additional vehicle information" and look for "CCS adapter support: enabled") then you will be able to use all 3rd party CCS fast chargers in Europe/UK as well as *some* Tesla Superchargers (only those up to 150kw and/or V2 and lower) with just the physical adapter. Most superchargers in Europe are now V3 or even V4 superchargers so this will significantly limit your ability to charge on roadtrips. There are also some minor differences in CCS-1 to CCS-2 protocol so it is always possible that some 3rd party CCS-2 chargers may not work with this setup.

EU charge port retrofit

Purchase an EU Charge Port ECU from your local Tesla Service Center (SC) in Europe.

The SC will NOT install the charge port ECU for you as this is against their terms but they WILL sell you the appropriate EU Charge Port ECU. Buying directly from the SC is usually much cheaper than other options. Most EBay sellers will charge over 200EUR whereas the part is only 90EUR from the SC
Determine which ECU you need based on the ECU generation currently installed in your car

2018-2020 (pre-refresh) Model 3 will generally have a Gen-3 ECU

Part Number 1092755-82-B

2021-current (post-refresh) Model 3 or any Model Y will generally have a Gen-4 ECU

Part Number 1537264-20-B

Open a service request in the Tesla app for your local service center. Specify that you would like to purchase the appropriate part number for your vehicle. Specify that you do not require installation and only need the part. You will be able to pick up the part at the service center and pay through the Tesla app.

Charge port ECU installation

Installation is very straight forward. Just open the trunk and pull back the carpet liner from the driver side. You will see the old charge port ECU mounted on the side.

Safety First - shut down the vehicle and disconnect 12v power. Open the front trunk and then on the touchscreen and open settings, Safety -> power off. With the power off disconnect the 12v negative cable from the battery in the trunk and then disconnect the DC-DC connector under the passenger seat. Follow this guide
With power disconnected, remove the 12mm bolt holding the charge port ECU in place, remove all cable connections and connect them to the new ECU. Slide ECU in place and put the bolt back in
Power up the car by first connecting the DC-DC converter under the seat and then the negative power cable. Once the screen boots up it will probably display multiple errors related to the charging system
Enter service mode by going to settings -> software and holding down the "model 3" then type "service in the prompt. Press the button for software reload. This will program the new ECU to work with your car.
Guide video (ignore the mentioned wire adapter - this is only needed when installing a Gen 4 ECU in a Gen 3 car and that adapter will cause issues with EU superchargers) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7WV7W3v-L0

Conclusion

If you followed the above steps your Tesla model 3/Y will now be able to charge without issues in Europe at Public chargers, Fast chargers, Superchargers, and from any wall outlet. I will keep this post updated if anything changes and especially if we get our Model X out to Europe as the supercharger steps are very different for legacy (pre-2023) S/X vehicles. Let me know in the comments if you have success or have any questions.

Sunnyside Wanderers