What? No charge cable?

7131 Views 19 Replies 7 Participants Last post by robert-san, 11 mo ago

Odysssus

Discussion Starter · Mar 19, 2022 (Edited)

I'm on my third Tesla model S and I've been driving one since 2013. I detest the driver interface on the new 2021, which I've had for six months, and so decided to buy an EQS. I test drove it and liked it. It certainly is not a Tesla. I would describe Tesla as a young man's EV. This is an old man's EVand I, 76, am an old man. But it seems like a very nice car and so I ordered a nicely quipped Exclusive Trim and am promised May delivery.

After ordering I suddenly remembered that I forgot to ask a very important question, and so I did: "I need to see the charge cable. It is on the opposite side of the car from my Tesla and I want to make sure it will reach from the Nema 1450 plug I have in my garage." The salesman look at me like I came from the moon."We don't supply a charge cable. What is a NEMAf 1450, anyway?" Absolutely clueless.

To my knowledge, very other EV manufacturer supplies a 240v cable. I know for certain that Porsche and Audi do and, of course, Tesla does.

So let me get this straight, they sell you an EV and don't give you any means whatsoever too charge it. He said" I'm sure you can find third-party solutions out there an Amazon." [!!!]

I checked the owners manual which clearly says "only use the charging cable supplied with the vehicle [shows a picture of the cable electronics} or one approved by Mercedes. {there are no CABLES they approve]. I called the EQS helpline at Mercedes USA and was told that they ONLY make a 110v Emergency cable and DO supply it with the car but they're out of them at the present time because of semiconductor shortages so if my car doesn't come with one the dealer should order one at their expense. I rechecked with my dealer and they said "nope, no cable is supplied . We can get the 110v cable with the vehicle for $250, your expense."

This whole thing is like selling you an S Class with no gas tank or no access to the gas tank and telling you "not our problem. Your problem. You find a solution." This is exactly the same they aresaying about charging this car: this is not our problem this is your problem now go away and solve it."

It seems to me this displays a corporate attitude towards the customer and customer service that is untenable for a long-term relationship. I think I have to cancel the order. Any opinions out there?

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1 - 20 of 20 Posts

Dar

· #2 · Mar 20, 2022

Maybe Mercedes suspect Nema might be a greater safety/insurance risk and secondly want to avoid incrimination by association with dodgy/worn wiring setups. I think Tesla also stopped supplying this Nema connector as standard with the car but likely still sell separately. There was overheating especially in the early days before Tesla tweaked various things. Mercedes partners with Qmerit to supply a dedicated wallbox which I guess to be generally better than Nema (for some electric wiring situations it will be faster and less likely overheating risk etc).

Dar

· #3 · Mar 20, 2022

I pressed return twice for a new paragraph which submitted my original post unintentionally. So continuing on..

If you ask, Mercedes USA should give you a reference number, or an explanation of what to do with the dealer quoted cable cost, that you can refer back to for to get a refund when that cable becomes available. I would also double-check with them which local dealers to you are authorized for EQS maintenance especially repair?

Odysssus

Discussion Starter · #4 · Mar 20, 2022

I’ve been using a Tesla nema 1450 cable since 2013 with no issues, nor have I ever seen mention of one on the old Tesla forum. And the Chargepoint HomeFlex, recommended my Mercedes, comes with a nema plug. And I’m not sure the dodgy wiring comment makes sense, because even if you choose to hard wire a box you need the same wiring from the breaker box as for a nema plug.

Dar

· #5 · Mar 20, 2022

Glad to hear there is some Nema help from Mercedes and that you have had no issues so far.

If I google "nema 1450 fire", at this time and from where I live, Tesla forums are top of the search results with tales and photos, some of hidden dodgy wiring - especially at the socket or plug - eventually causing a problem, though I agree it is not a regular occurrence just a slight risk. It would be interesting for a comparison of risk for all existing Nema installations generally vs new hardwired dedicated wallbox installed by Mercedes-recommended installers

Odysssus

Discussion Starter · #6 · Mar 20, 2022

Huh? What did I say to indicate ANY Mercedes help? The opposite is true: no one I talked to at Mercedes, especially the dealer, even knows what a Nema is. “What’s that?” They asked. Their entire attitude has been “charging the car is your problem…now go away and solve it”.

any Nema issue caused by bad wiring would be in the wiring from the electric service to the female plug and so would exist for hard wired as well.

Parkwood

· #7 · Mar 20, 2022

In Europe cars come with a 4m cable as standard for connection to home or public charge points and Mercedes’ carry an 8 m cable in their accessories brochure cannot imagine even in the USA Mercedes’ would deliver a car without a charge cable. We also get what is called a granny charger ie a charger that can be plugged into any domestic power socket. Cables for Europe are type 2 made by mennekes who designed the type 2 system.

Odysssus

Discussion Starter · #8 · Mar 20, 2022

Parkwood said:
In Europe cars come with a 4m cable as standard for connection to home or public charge points and Mercedes’ carry an 8 m cable in their accessories brochure cannot imagine even in the USA Mercedes’ would deliver a car without a charge cable. We also get what is called a granny charger ie a charger that can be plugged into any domestic power socket. Cables for Europe are type 2 made by mennekes who designed the type 2 system.

I can't believe it either, but that I the situation. They only make a granny cable available and you must pay extra for it. And even they admit that the granny cable is totally useless for daily use. The dealer doesn't admit it because a dealer doesn't understand it at all, but the EQS specialist at Mercedes USA admit it and call it an "Emergency" cable.

Perhaps Mercedes will institute a new sales policy for the ICE S class: it comes with a sealed gas cap and you must a pay third party to open it and install one you can open and close. Otherwise you can't fuel the car. That's basically what they are doing with the EQS here.

I am guessing that most of the EQS buyers here are first time EV buyers and don't know any better with respect to what Mercedes does here. Of course, anybody who's owned the Tesla, like me, is totally aghast at this.

Parkwood, could you send me a link to a MB parts catalog showing the cables MB makes available in Europe? Many thanks

Dar

· #9 · Mar 21, 2022

OK, thanks for your clarification. You could use a J1772 Charging Cable for NEMA 14-50 Plug which is designed for nearly all EVs. The reason your Tesla cables might not work I suspect is because Tesla has designed them only for Tesla cars while almost all other car brands have moved on to basically "CCS Combo 1" for fast charging and "J1772" for home charging in USA -

https://www.amazon.com/Lectron-240V-32-Level-Charger-Charging/dp/B07HKLCXPJ

While this should work, Mercedes currently recommend for best safety to get installed by Qmerit the Chargepoint Home Flex home charging system -

See "Can I charge at home with a standard household outlet?":

Electric Cars FAQ

Introducing the all-new line of Mercedes-Benz electric cars. Models include the HQ fully electric vehicle, EQ Power plug-in hybrid, & EQ Power+ AMG performance hybrid.

www.mbusa.com

Odysssus

Discussion Starter · #10 · Mar 21, 2022

Dar said:
OK, thanks for your clarification. You could use a J1772 Charging Cable for NEMA 14-50 Plug which is designed for nearly all EVs. The reason your Tesla cables might not work I suspect is because Tesla has designed them only for Tesla cars while almost all other car brands have moved on to basically "CCS Combo 1" for fast charging and "J1772" for home charging in USA -

https://www.amazon.com/Lectron-240V-32-Level-Charger-Charging/dp/B07HKLCXPJ

While this should work, Mercedes currently recommend for best safety to get installed by Qmerit the Chargepoint Home Flex home charging system -

See "Can I charge at home with a standard household outlet?":

Electric Cars FAQ

Introducing the all-new line of Mercedes-Benz electric cars. Models include the HQ fully electric vehicle, EQ Power plug-in hybrid, & EQ Power+ AMG performance hybrid.

www.mbusa.com

Thanks, but I suggest you leave this conversation as you are not getting my point at all and do not understand the issue. Zero value added.

Dar

· #11 · Mar 21, 2022

Maybe somebody is more understanding than me of where you are coming from

TOUcharging

· #12 · Mar 21, 2022

A detailed build sheet for your car should confirm what is or is not supplied. It may be worth asking the dealer if they can provide one. For example, my car's build sheet has three columns; Char Description, Characteristic Value and Value Description.

Under the Char Description "Standard Factory Options" it lists the following values and descriptions:
00B33 Public charging cable 5m
00B89 Home charging cable for domest
I assume these to be the fast charging cable and the granny cable.

The car configurator information says the car comes with Public charging cable 5m and Home charging cable for domestic socket 8m, so everything seems to match up.

Odysssus

Discussion Starter · #13 · Mar 21, 2022

TOUcharging said:
A detailed build sheet for your car should confirm what is or is not supplied. It may be worth asking the dealer if they can provide one. For example, my car's build sheet has three columns; Char Description, Characteristic Value and Value Description.

Under the Char Description "Standard Factory Options" it lists the following values and descriptions:
00B33 Public charging cable 5m
00B89 Home charging cable for domest
I assume these to be the fast charging cable and the granny cable.

The car configurator information says the car comes with Public charging cable 5m and Home charging cable for domestic socket 8m, so everything seems to match up.

yes, I have my build sheet and there is no cable. Both my dealer and MB USA agree that the ONLY cable they have is the “granny” , but they disagree if it is supplied gratis. Obviously it is different in the U.K. and Australia. Meanwhile I wrote LECTRON, a third party, and they confirmed in writing that their level 2 cable is safe to use with the EQS. So I have found a solution. I still fail to understand why MB doesn’t supply one.

ev-lectron.com

Lectron NEMA 14-50 Level 2 Portable EV Charger - 240V 40 Amp with 15 ft Extension Cord & J1772 Cable - For J1772 EVs

Lectron Portable J1772 Portable Electric Car Charger NEMA 14-50 Plug Level 2(240V&40A) with 15 ft Extension Cord Bundle. Best price and Fast Delivery!

ev-lectron.com

Parkwood

· #14 · Mar 21, 2022

srsmartin said:
I can't believe it either, but that I the situation. They only make a granny cable available and you must pay extra for it. And even they admit that the granny cable is totally useless for daily use. The dealer doesn't admit it because a dealer doesn't understand it at all, but the EQS specialist at Mercedes USA admit it and call it an "Emergency" cable.

Perhaps Mercedes will institute a new sales policy for the ICE S class: it comes with a sealed gas cap and you must a pay third party to open it and install one you can open and close. Otherwise you can't fuel the car. That's basically what they are doing with the EQS here.

I am guessing that most of the EQS buyers here are first time EV buyers and don't know any better with respect to what Mercedes does here. Of course, anybody who's owned the Tesla, like me, is totally aghast at this.

Parkwood, could you send me a link to a MB parts catalog showing the cables MB makes available in Europe? Many thanks

here you go but it is for the French market. Google will probably throw up the UK one. My EQC came with the granny charger and 4m cable and I bought the 8m one as it enables me to park and charge from the wallbox without having to manouvere the car first. Mercedes also organised the intallation of the home charging station as part of the deal but it is not the mercedes one listed but still a nice looking unit and I am satisfied.

Câble recharge Hybride Electrique Mercedes-Benz | Commander

Câble de recharge Hybride et électrique sur secteur et Borne Publique Wallbox Mercedes-Benz. Origine et Garantie constructeur. Livraison rapide.

www.mercedes-accessoires.fr

PP1984

· #15 · Apr 3, 2022

Parkwood said:
In Europe cars come with a 4m cable as standard for connection to home or public charge points and Mercedes’ carry an 8 m cable in their accessories brochure cannot imagine even in the USA Mercedes’ would deliver a car without a charge cable. We also get what is called a granny charger ie a charger that can be plugged into any domestic power socket. Cables for Europe are type 2 made by mennekes who designed the type 2 system.

Not for all models. My EQV came with no 3pin home cable, I had to buy one. Also the mennekes cable is faulty and waiting for replacement. Talking about service the car came with absolutely nothing (I am not joking) and the staff had no clue about electric cars. Its not only USA Mercedes. I feel the era of dealerships coming to an end. What you are purchasing nowadays is a subscription that gives you the right to drive a computer. The only need is to update the firmware (and pay for it).

bergencntynj

· #16 · 12 mo ago

I was surprised when I got the car home and checked in the boot and only found the tire inflation kit. How can they sell an electric car without a charger? I traded in a Clarity PHEV and included the charger that came with that car. The salesman asked me if I wanted to keep it to use with the EQS but that didn't seem to be a fair thing to do for the new owner of the Clarity. Mercedes Benz of Tampa Bay sold me the EQS for msrp and gave me a fair deal for the trade in.

Odysssus

Discussion Starter · #17 · 12 mo ago

It’s a trend. Tesla no longer supplies any charge cable,

bergencntynj

· #18 · 12 mo ago

Odysssus said:
It’s a trend. Tesla no longer supplies any charge cable,

I traded in a Clarity PHEV for my EQS and included the charger that came with the car. The salesman asked if it would work on the EQS and if I wanted to keep it. I didn't know at the time that there was no charger included with the car. I have a 16a Level 2 charger at home and it works fine for the EQS, It is hard to believe that a $100k car would come without a 110v charger.

bergencntynj

· #19 · 11 mo ago

Odysssus said:
I'm on my third Tesla model S and I've been driving one since 2013. I detest the driver interface on the new 2021, which I've had for six months, and so decided to buy an EQS. I test drove it and liked it. It certainly is not a Tesla. I would describe Tesla as a young man's EV. This is an old man's EVand I, 76, am an old man. But it seems like a very nice car and so I ordered a nicely quipped Exclusive Trim and am promised May delivery.

After ordering I suddenly remembered that I forgot to ask a very important question, and so I did: "I need to see the charge cable. It is on the opposite side of the car from my Tesla and I want to make sure it will reach from the Nema 1450 plug I have in my garage." The salesman look at me like I came from the moon."We don't supply a charge cable. What is a NEMAf 1450, anyway?" Absolutely clueless.

To my knowledge, very other EV manufacturer supplies a 240v cable. I know for certain that Porsche and Audi do and, of course, Tesla does.

So let me get this straight, they sell you an EV and don't give you any means whatsoever too charge it. He said" I'm sure you can find third-party solutions out there an Amazon." [!!!]

I checked the owners manual which clearly says "only use the charging cable supplied with the vehicle [shows a picture of the cable electronics} or one approved by Mercedes. {there are no CABLES they approve]. I called the EQS helpline at Mercedes USA and was told that they ONLY make a 110v Emergency cable and DO supply it with the car but they're out of them at the present time because of semiconductor shortages so if my car doesn't come with one the dealer should order one at their expense. I rechecked with my dealer and they said "nope, no cable is supplied . We can get the 110v cable with the vehicle for $250, your expense."

This whole thing is like selling you an S Class with no gas tank or no access to the gas tank and telling you "not our problem. Your problem. You find a solution." This is exactly the same they aresaying about charging this car: this is not our problem this is your problem now go away and solve it."

It seems to me this displays a corporate attitude towards the customer and customer service that is untenable for a long-term relationship. I think I have to cancel the order. Any opinions out there?

I was shocked when I checked in the back of my new EQS 450+ and only saw the tire repair kit and no EVSE. How can they sell an electric car with no way to charge it at home? I called the parts department at my local MB dealer today and they had one in stock and said that the price would be $1,000! That was incredible.

robert-san

· #20 · 11 mo ago

There is a shortage of home charge cables due to high sales of EV and shortage of semiconductors and problems to ship out from Asia.

So many car manufacturers have been forced to delete the charger to be able to get cars complete and ready to ship. (It's also a good opportunity to them to save som $$) At my MB dealer they had been told to go to any car aftermarket store and get chargers so they could make deliveries.

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