mmardini28261 from the MBEQ Club forum deserves kudos for reporting a hack that allows Mercedes EV owners to use non-MagicDock Superchargers with a third party adapter without waiting for Mercedes-Benz and Tesla to finalize their charging agreement.

I have been using the Tesla app to charge my EQS SUV at MagicDock Superchargers for over a year. In my Tesla app profile, I listed the EQS SUV as my only EV. When searching for Superchargers in the app, only MagicDock chargers would display. After adding a Ford Lightning as a second vehicle in the app, searches for Superchargers now include all the V3 and V4 Superchargers. Adding any vehicle brand that is already able to use the Supercharger network is the hack I saw first reported by mmardini28261.

I tried the Lectron Vortex adapter at a newer Supercharger location with non-MagicDock chargers today. To start a charging selection, select the charger FIRST, then press the Start Charging button in the app BEFORE removing the NACS connector from the charging station, connect the adapter to the Tesla NACS connector, and finally plug the assembled unit into the car CCS1 port.

You can monitor the charging session in the Tesla App. Tesla Membership charging rates are reasonable if you subscribe to the $12.99./month plan. Today was the first time I tried the Vortex adapter. I started the session with a 70% SoC and did not precondition the battery, so the charging rate was not great (peaked at 54kW). If I were on a road trip I would select a nearby EA charging location to trick the car into preconditioning the battery.

If I can successfully charge at non-MagicDock Superchargers for the next month or so, I plan to cancel my EA membership and use the Tesla network as much as possible for road trips.


Non-MagicDock Supercharger.


Active charging session at non-MagicDock Supercharger.


Summary of charging session starting at 70% SoC.

 

WOW, quite the hack indeed! Thanks for sharing.

How much was your Lectron Vortex adapter and where did you buy it?

 

I can't wait to give this a try. How did you have the payment process setup?

Thank you,
Bertnie

 

I paid just under $200. I got it directly from Lectron. The Vortex adapter is frequently discounted. I think they have a bundled price if you purchase the J1772 adapter for L2 chargers at the same time.

Edit: Just got a Lectron email today with coupon code: Get 5% OFF when you use code HCPLDCZN at checkout!

 

When you set up the Tesla app you will be prompted to provide a CC # for payments when using Tesla Superchargers as well as the newer fee-based Universal Destination Chargers. Using the Tesla app is not as convenient as Plug & Charge, but I like that you can monitor the progress of the charging session from your cell phone instead of straining to see the display screen on an EA charger.

 

Thanks for the update Lazarus. There are 16 V3 or V4 chargers just 2 miles from me. I will go there this morning and give it a try.

 

Did you already have an adapter?

There are usually one or two stations at the Supercharger locations that can be used without blocking the adjacent charger. I am looking forward to trying one of the V4 chargers with longer cords on a trip to Boston later this month.

 

I tried to set this up at my Tesla account (already have an account for Power Walls). So far, the app won't let me register my MB Vin's. Did you have a problem getting the app set up?

 

I am using Tesla app version: V4.40.1-3113. From the main screen select the hamburger menu icon. Then Charging->Vehicle Details->+ to add a vehicle. Enter Make, Model, Year, and Max Range and answer "Yes" when asked if you have a NACS port or an adapter. I entered Ford, Ford F-150 Lightning, 2024, and 240 miles. Not sure if the range is important, but I got that number from Ford.com for the base model Lightning.

You are not prompted for the VIN for non-Tesla vehicles. Tesla vehicles are entered in the My Products section of the app and require some proof of ownership and probably the VIN.

 

FYI, if you're charging at Electrify America (or anywhere else that's on the MB charging network), you can use the "Mercedes Me" app to monitor the status of your charging.

 

Good morning,
I was able to charge my 2023 EQS 580 Sedan at a Tesla V4 Supercharger. I pretty much followed the instructions LAZARU5 posted except the following. When I entered the info for a Ford F150 Lightning into the Tesla app, it was saved as the second car. My EQS remained the first. I used the Vortex adapter which worked great. Starting the charge process was easy and worked exactly as detailed by LAZARU5. The funny thing is, it used the EQS as the car, not the F150! The charging status in my car were updated properly and was accurate. The only issues I had was terminating the charging process. I did it from the EQS MBUX screen. It stopped charging but the charging timer on the Tesla app kept running. This was resolved by stopping the charghing on the Tesla App. A little while later I received an email with the charging invoice attached.

Basically, very easy process and works great. The only minor issues are some “hand shaking” that needed a workaround. Very easy.

BTW, all the V4 cables are long enough to reach the EQS charging port.

Short comings,

Using navigation doesn’t utilize Tesla chargers yet.

 

I'm not worried about the amps but have to admit had to think twice about the volts. Ford Lightning is currently 400V but next gen will be 800V. I'm 99.9% sure the charger talks to the BMS about all that but still, for the 100+ grand we have invested in these things, I'd hate for there to be an accident. Not only would a warranty claim almost certainly be denied but the Tesla h@X0r who set the block on fire might even make the evening news.

 

If the next generation Ford Lightning is 800v, it will most likely be set up to allow two 400v battery banks to charge concurrently. I plan to use the Tesla Superchargers whenever possible on a road trip. I think there is less likely to be a problem with the Lectron adapter at a Supercharger than a battle worn CCS1 plug at an EA charger. At least one forum member reports having a damaged charging port twice after charging his car at EA. Cost to repair is somewhere around $4K. Even if the connection between the adapter and the Tesla NACS connector damages the adapter, the port on the car should be fine as long as I am careful to power off the charging session before unlatching the adapter from the car.

I observed the same thing as babrams reported earlier on this thread - the best way to end the charging session is from inside the Tesla app. Select the "Stop Charging" button in the app, press the button on the charging port, and remove the adapter after the indicator lights turn white.

The "State of Charge" YouTube channel posted a video comparing the Lectron Vortex adapter with the Ford version of the adapter made for Ford by Lectron. The Ford version appears to be a slightly better design since it has a locking mechanism which prevents the NACS connector from being removed unless the adapter is first removed from the car charging port. On the retail version of the Vortex I believe it's possible to unlock the NACS side of the adapter and remove the NACS connector while the car is charging.

I tried a Supercharger in NJ today, and the session started just as smoothly as the one I tried in PA a couple of days ago. This time I intentionally pressed the unlock button, WITHOUT removing the NACS plug, to see if the charging session would stop and if the white lights would turn on. The charging session did stop, but the charging port lights flashed red indicating a malfunction rather than a normal charging shutdown. I then stopped the session in the Tesla app and pressed the port button. After the lights turned white I removed the adapter. My wife was in the car and said she did not see any warning messages on the console screen, YMMV.

 

I wonder why the handshake works? Maybe Tesla is already rolling out support for MB EQ’s. Just a thought.

 

The electrical readiness and negotiated charging rate handshaking are apparently distinct and separate from the administrative handshaking for billing. Tesla vehicles do not require the app to initiate a charge. Both the technical and administrative handshaking are handled by the car since Tesla know its customers. The MagicDock chargers handle billing for non-Tesla cars via the Tesla app. The V3 and V4 chargers behave the same as the MagicDock chargers except the adapter is supplied by the customer. I suspect that when the MB/Tesla agreement is finalized, the billing could be handled by the MB app like it is for EA Plug & Charge. The way the Tesla app works for non-Tesla vehicles, I think it would be possible for someone to charge the cost to their Tesla app account, but charge someone else's car. Basically, the cars are charged anonymously.

 

If that were the case, why doesn't Tesla allow any brand to charger at their station using an adapter? And I read a quote from MB that EQ customers will still need to use the Tesla app to charge. No billing through the MB app for Superchargers. Has anyone else seen that quote?

 

According to the MBUSA press release in 2023 at this link:

https://media.mbusa.com/releases/rel...arging-network

Mercedes EV owners will be able to use the Mercedes me Charge app to charge at Tesla Superchargers. I suspect that arrangement allows MB to collect some revenue from the charging session. It could conceivable allow for Plug and Charge as well. If Mercedes does not offer the same Supercharger Membership discount, then it will still make more sense to pay Tesla through the Tesla app.

 

To me, what is more significant then how the billing i accomplished, is the lack of the navigation system not handling the Tesla chargers. Not only does it make planning a trip more difficult, not preconditioning the batteries effects the time to charge. All that being said, I still welcome the ability to use the Tesla V3 & V4 charging network! Let's hope when MB finally gets their act together these issues will be resolved.

 

Our experience with the MagicDock Superchargers has been:

1) There are frequently nearby EA chargers that can be selected in the onboard navigation system and will trick the car into preconditioning the battery.

2) On long trips, driving alone can heat up the battery enough to be ready for a 100kW to 130kW charge rate even without preconditioning.

3) Even if the preconditioning temp is not optimal, the charging rate is almost always better than we could count on at EA. There are plenty of times where we were only able to get 40kW to 80kW at EA chargers even when starting with a low SoC and using a 350kW charger.

 

From Mercedes July 7, 2023 announcement:

Starting in 2024, Mercedes-Benz drivers get access to more than 12,000 Tesla Superchargers in North America through Mercedes-Benz’s own charging service Mercedes me Charge. Mercedes-Benz drivers will see Tesla Superchargers on the map in the vehicle and the app including availability status and price. They can seamlessly access the chargers and automatically pay for their charging sessions. The Superchargers will also be integrated in the Navigation with Electric Intelligence, which calculates a convenient and time-efficient route including charging stops.

So while MB missed their stated 2024 goal, this is what they're working on for the near future for all EQ owners, provided Elon Musk doesn't fire a few hundred more Supercharger technicians. So there's that.

 

I've often found the same thing with 350kW EA chargers. In fact, if I have a choice, I usually go to a 150kW charger instead; for the EQS, it ends up not being much slower than a 350kW charger - even if the 350kW charger happens to be working properly (because the EQS's charging is limited to about 200kW anyway).

 

You mentioned V3 and V4 chargers. Are they the only ones that work with this hack? How do you locate them? I am particularly interested in a bank of Tesla Superchargers in Alturus California on state highway 299. No one ever uses them, but being able to access them would be a game changer for me. They have been there for years.

 

The first two versions of Superchargers were 150kW or less. The adapters only work at the Superchargers that are at least 250kW. The easiest way to find the V3 and V4 Superchargers is from the Tesla app. If you add your MB EQ to your vehicles list in the app you will only find the MagicDock stations. Once you add another adapter-eligible vehicle to the list, the V3 and V4 locations will appear on search results. There are V3 Superchargers near your location on Route 299. Two of the chargers should be easily accessible with your car, the handicap one and the one positioned for Tesla pull in parking.


Tesla V3 Superchargers in Alturas, CA

 

Or do I need a serial number or license plate for my "Trojan" Ford F150 Lightning?

 

The data protocol is the same for CCS and NACS. That was one of the changes Tesla made. Unfortunately, the details for the protocol are behind paywalls, but the pulse code modulation system used by the Level 1 and Level 2 CCS AC charging is reasonably well documented on Wikipedia.