Tesla has finally released a CCS adaptor however, at this point, it’s only available in South Korea. With releasing it to the rest of the world on “Tesla time“ many owners in North America have taken to ordering one from South Korea. This comes at an inflated cost and a little extra effort. With that, I questioned if ordering a Tesla CCS adaptor from South Korea is worth it? Let’s find out.
What Is CCS?
Before diving into if getting a CCS adaptor from South Korea is worth it, let’s look at what all the fuss is about.
CCS stands for Combined Charging System. As the name suggests, it’s a charging connecter standard that combines both Type One connectors (J1172) and Type Two connectors which allow for fast charging speeds.
CCS is a charging standard in Europe and is quickly becoming the fast charger of choice in North America for non-Tesla eclectic vehicles. Where it gets interesting is it’s rated up to 350 kWh which is comparable to Tesla V3 Superchargers.
Why This Matters
With the expanding network of CCS fast chargers in North America, having an adaptor to access them opens up more fast charging options. This means less time charging and more time driving. Arguably, this is more attractive in Canada where Superchargers are largely limited to the Trans Canada highway and high traffic corridors. Add the fact that Tesla Supercharging prices have significantly jumped in Canada and CCS charging has become even more appealing.
Furthermore, the CHAdeMO adaptor that Tesla currently sells is only rated up to 43 kW versus over 200 kW with the CCS charger. On top of that, the size alone of the CCS versus the CHAdeMO adaptor makes it a great Tesla accessory.
How To Check if Your Teslas Supports CCS Charging
All that said, before you rush out and order a CCS adapter from South Korea, you need to check if your car supports CCS. To do this, through your screen in your car, click on Software then Details. This will bring up a list of features on your car. You are looking for a “CCS Adapter: Enabled.”
I’m not sure what the delineation is for which vehicles have this enabled and which do not. I certainly didn’t think my 2020 Model Y, one of the first off the line, would have this enabled but it does. I have read reports of those with models released in 2021 that do not have this feature enabled.
I suspect once the adaptor is officially available in North America Tesla will have a service request available for those that need it enabled on their vehicle.
Until then, for those of us that have this support enabled…
How To Order a Tesla CCS Adaptor From South Korea
To order a CCS Tesla adaptor from South Korea, head over to Harumio. They specialize in shipping all things South Korea to the world. One of these items is the Tesla CCS Combo Adaptor. With a few clicks, you’re good to go.
My total came to $309 USD and will take 7-10 business days to arrive. Duty cost to follow.
NOTE: If you’re going to order one from Harumio use promo code MYEV to get $5 off your order!
You do pay a bit of a premium plus duties however, as outlined above, this is the easiest way to get it outside of going there yourself or having a friend/family member send you one. There are shipping services that do this as well although for the extra minimal cost, going through Harumio is worth it IMO.
Harumio also sells a sexy case for the CCS and J1772 adaptors. That said, you can find cheaper options on Amazon that would work well such as the one below.
So, Is Ordering Tesla CCS Adaptor From South Korea Worth It?
At the end of the day, this really depends on where you are going and when you’re going there.
If you’re not planning to venture off the Supercharger network anytime soon, you can likely go without. Still, it’s always good to have options!
For me, the compact size compared to the CHAdeMO and the charging speed make it well worth picking up. Although I was always going to pick one up, I was on the fence about ordering one from South Korea. I have an upcoming trip across Canada and might travel off the beaten path so decided to pull the trigger. I am flying to Ottawa to pick up a new Tesla Model Y so packing a CCS adapter is also easier than lugging the CHAdeMO with me.
Don’t Just Take My Word for It
Since I don’t have my CCS adapter just yet, I reached out to fellow Tesla owner @gofindpatrick to see what made him pick up a CCS adapter and what his experience has been so far. He was also kind enough to provide the photos of his adapter for this post.
What Made You Pick Up a CCS Adapter?
@gofindpatrick: The reason I bought it is two parts; one the cost of using some of the CCS fast chargers is cheaper than Tesla Superchargers. The second reason is that in some parts of British Columbia’s interior, the Tesla network isn’t as developed as the CCS charging network.
What Are Your Thoughts on the CCS Adapter So Far?
@gofindpatrick: I have only used it once since I bought it and while I was able to get it to charge, it’s a more involved process than the Tesla Supercharger where you just plug in. I used a Petro Canada CCS charger and had some issues. For payment, the tap function for credit cards wasn’t working. I had to download the app and then activate the charger station before it would charge my car. Depending on location and cell reception this ability to download app may not be possible. Best to download charging apps before a road trip.
Once I solved the app issue I was able to get ~120 kwh from a cold battery pack at 20%. Halfway through, however, it stopped charging for no reason. I had to get out and replug in again for it to work. I don’t have the exact numbers but when I previously used a Supercharger near my house to go from 20-80%ish the cost was about $25. Using the Petro Canada CCS chargers it was only about $9 which is significant savings.
If you’re thinking about ordering a Tesla CCS adapter from Harumio, be sure to use promo code “MYEV” to get $5 off your order!
All CCS adapter photos provided by @gofindpatrick
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