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Tesla Supercharger Extension Cable by Hansshow: Not Ready for Consumer Use

State Of Charge's tests revealed a few safety concerns about the market's first extension cable for DC fast charging.


Since Tesla opened its Supercharging network for non-Tesla EVs, a new problem has emerged. Its V3 dispensers (thousands of them) have charging cables which are too short to reach the charging ports on various EV models (on Tesla, the location is standardized).

Many EV drivers look for a solution are considering the purchase of an extension cable (or an extra-long NACS-to-CCS1 adapter if you wish). We know that there are some in development by third-party companies (State Of Charge even tested a prototype from A2Z EV — here and here).

As it turns out, there is already one product available on the market, introduced by Hansshow. It’s not only a simple NACS-to-NACS extension cable, but an extension cable with an integrated NACS-to-CCS1 adapter (it has a NACS port on one end and a CCS1 plug on the other).

The product costs $599, is five feet long, and is rated for 250 amps (continuous current, we believe) and 1,000 volts.

State Of Charge‘s Tom Moloughney spent a fair part of August testing Hansshow’s DC fast-charging extension cable, trying to answer a few questions — whether it’s long enough to connect a non-Tesla EV (like a Ford F-150 Lightning), whether it works, and whether it’s safe.

The Length

Despite some initial concerns about the length and limited flexibility of the extension cable, it turned out that it’s possible to connect a Ford F-150 Lightning to a V3 Supercharger while staying within one parking space (the correct one, just like with a Tesla EV), at least at a site where Tesla moved the bollards back.

Considering the size of the Ford F-150 Lightning and its charging port position, it’s one of the worst-case scenarios. Other non-Tesla EVs should be easier to connect.

Charging

Tom Moloughney tested the Hansshow extension cable multiple times on a Ford F-150 Lightning and Rivian R1S at several charging stations. The results are mixed.

Rivian R1S

In the case of the Rivian R1S and a V3 Supercharger, charging from a low state-of-charge (SOC) stopped only after two minutes at 4% SOC. The car displayed information about the temperature of the CCS1 plug being too high. Tom unplugged, waited fifteen minutes, and connected to a different V3 Supercharging stall. Once the vehicle restarted charging at the other stall, the situation repeated after just about one minute. That’s not a good outcome. We guess that Rivian’s charging port temperature sensor triggered the stop.

Another try with the Rivian R1S at a V4 Supercharging dispenser (which has a long charging cable, making the use of an extension cable technically unnecessary) also resulted in issues. Charging from 10% SOC was interrupted after about 12 minutes at 34% SOC. And Tom wasn’t able to restart it, most likely due to the too high temperature of the extension cable. For reference, charging the R1S at the same site (using a simple NACS-to-CCS1 adapter) worked fine (10-60% SOC in 26 minutes).

Ford F-150 Lightning

Next was the Ford F-150 Lightning. Charging from 10 to 50% SOC at a V4 dispenser, using Ford’s NACS-to-CCS1 adapter, took 24 minutes. The same test with the Hansshow extension cable worked, but it took 30 minutes (6 minutes or 25% longer), probably due to some thermal derating. The positive is that it worked, just slower.

However, the Ford F-150 Lightning’s test revealed thermal issues with the extension cable in direct sunlight. According to Tom’s measurements, the temperatures of the plugs (CCS1 and NACS) exceeded 140°F (60°C), which is the limit in the UL 2252 standard (the product is not certified to UL 2252). At peak, Tom recorded 156°F (69°C) on the NACS plug, which appeared to be the hottest part. The cable was above 130°F, but below 140°F. The plugs were considered very hot to touch.

For reference, Tesla’s NACS plug and cable were noticeably cooler, but we know that there is a cooling system on the charger side.

Safety Concerns

While reviewing Hansshow’s DC fast-charging extension cable, Tom’s first note was that the NACS end can be physically disconnected during charging. That’s a major safety issue, which alone prevents us from recommending any DC fast-charging product. The CCS1 plug does not have this issue, as it features a button that stops charging when the plug is removed.

The second safety concern is the cable’s 250-amp current rating. It appears to be too low for EV charging, as many models can ask for 500 amps for an extended period. It would probably be better to prepare for at least 350 amps continuous. However, it’s easier said than built without the addition of liquid cooling.

High current levels increase heat losses and the temperature. The extension cable is equipped with two temperature sensors (probably located on both ends), which, according to the video, should shut down the charging process when the temperature reaches 185°F (85°C). In theory, this should prevent the product from being destroyed or catching fire.

Finally, the tested extension cable lacks safety certification, and Tesla does not permit the use of third-party charging equipment that has not been approved by Tesla or its NACS partners (including other automakers). This puts responsibility for any troubles on the user.

This is why Tom Moloughney said that he can’t recommend the Hansshow Tesla Supercharger extension cable in its current version:

“In its current iteration, I cannot recommend it. In fact, I believe the company should stop selling it until it makes safety-related improvements.”

After the video was published, Hansshow contacted Tom and revealed that an upgraded version is in the works, which is a positive thing.

After all, the market is still waiting for a solution.

Video timestamps:

04:33 Initial concerns
09:50 Is it long enough?
13:02 Results from using it on Tom’s Rivina R1S
16:00 Results from using it to charge Tom’s F-150 Lightning
27:27 Analyzing the results
29:05 Final thoughts on the Hansshow Extension cable

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3 Comments

  1. Ken Hunold

    Tom,

    Have you determined the size of the DC conductors in the cable? Looking at a picture on their web site you can kind of see a description of “33.5 mm^2,” which is about the size of AWG #2 cable. #2 cable can pass between 95 and 115 Amps at increasing temperature. (90 Amps is at 60 deg C, while 115 Amps is at a whopping 90 deg C (almost 200 deg F!) and the conductors need special insulation.

    If there really is #2 cable in that extension, it would barely be able to charge a Chevy Bolt safely at 50 kW. In your temperature measurements, the cable jacket may be protecting you from the high temperatures, but the thermistor sensors (if they exist) should derate the charge rate to something safer.

    Reply
  2. Rich

    A simple 5 foot Super Charger NACS to NACS EXT would be great. My car will not reach Tesla chargers without parking like an ass 🙁

    Reply

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