Squalo

I am considering getting an E-tron when VW buys back my Golf TDI. For you E-tron owners out there:

Do you use the Audi-supplied charger exclusively, or have you installed a separate home charger from Bosch (or whomever)?
Do you always carry the charger with you in the car (is that necessary) , or can you use commercial chargers without it?
And finally, are the Tesla supercharging stations compatible?

TIA

ericbergan

We've had the car for about a month. Been using the supplied charger. Haven't been carrying it with us, since typically we only need to charge at night, and so also haven't tried commercial chargers, although the manual seems to indicate they are compatible.

My understanding is that Tesla charging stations are proprietary to Tesla.

mroberte

Because of battery capacity, the included charger should be adequate, however if buying new, most states will give you a tax incentive for home charger installation on top of the federal. Check you local government as well to see if they have additional incentives.

You can also negotiate the installation price to be included for free if your city does not have good incentives... just try and buy the last day of the month as those tend to be better car buying/negotiation times.

x43x

I'll either be getting a 2017 E-Tron, or looking for a used Tesla S when VW buys back my 2010 Sportwagen.

The included charger from Audi is quite nice as it is 240V and 120V compatible. The 240V hardware plugs into a dryer-type outlet. If you can install this style of outlet in your garage, you don't need to buy a separate charger. Audi even sells a fancy wall mount that the charger can sit in, but I think it's pretty expensive. It will charge the vehicle in a little over 2 hours. This is the same type and connector as what you would find at a local business.

The 120V hardware can be used to plug into any 120V outlet. The car will take about 8 hours to charge this way however.

You cannot use the Tesla network as their connectors are proprietary as mentioned. Teslas come with an adapter that must be used if their owners wish to use a standard commercial charger.

rfortson

I only charge at home (110v right now) and I just use the Audi charger. It's actually pretty nice that it will handle both 110/240. Seems like others charge extra for that capability.

I've thought about taking the charger on a trip, but with no way to secure it, I'm reluctant to leave it just "hanging out there". There's an outlet in the garage at work that I've thought about plugging into, but again, don't want to leave the charger out there. I could see someone walking off with it just because it's big, shiny, and looks important.