CCS Adapter for North America

[TravelFree]

Going back to when Tesla first installed a 250KW Supercharger My Model S LR+ got a peak of 207KW 518A 399 volts.

For the last year I rarely see anything above 165KW so at some point my Model S is limiting on charging speed current.

TeslaFi did record my first CCS / EA 350KW charging session with peaking at 145KW 384A 378V

The ambient temperature was the same on both sessions as well as the starting SOC at 17% according to the log. I did not precondition on either trip to the charger.

In examining all my charging sessions I have not seen any voltage logs higher than 404V


On the Model Y - last I did a SC it peaked at 250KW 376V 664A I did precondition on this trip for 21 miles. I don't have any SC data since August when my free SC miles ran out.

 

[kishkaru]

Earlier this year, I got 263 kW delivered to the car (displayed in the car's screen) on a brand new 250 kW v3 supercharger location. Unfortunately it was only for 5-6 seconds so I didn't get a chance to snap a picture before it quickly ramped down to 250 kW.

The car was around 10%. So we're talking about 750A here (at ~350V), delivered to the battery. Likely 275 kW+ delivered by the supercharger (785A).

So it wouldn't be that much of a stretch when the superchargers are being upgraded to 300 kW (eventually), there may be already hidden overhead in newer v3 installations.

Elon Musk: Tesla is upgrading Supercharger network to 300 kW faster charging

Elon Musk confirmed that Tesla is upgrading the Supercharger network from 250 kW to 300 kW max capacity in order...

electrek.co

Not bad, although new Model S has more range & faster charging. 3 & Y should use long range version, as Performance version is meant for max speed & handling, not max range.
Supercharger network is being upgraded to 250kW to 300kW, so that will help too.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 15, 2021

 

[e of pi]

If a match maker has a concern that a person will burn himself, they should provide a nanny with every box.

The thing is that the standard does allow a car to request less than a specific charger's peak limit. I have a Niro, which pulls a mere 77 kW when plugged into a 350 kW charger. With a pack voltage of about 400 V, that means it's pulling about 192 amps. How is it limited? The car is programmed not to ask for any more than that. If Tesla has a concern about their cars charging at more that 300 amps, or 210 amps in Europe, or whatever, the CCS protocol does come with a match nanny in every box: it's the way the protocol works.

 

[Xelloss99]

As a Bolt EV owner who did many road trips around the western US, I’ve charged at dozens of different EA sites. I used to routinely check out the nameplates on the various hardware that was installed.

I don’t recall ever seeing a dispenser labeled 350 kW that had a nameplate showing a peak output current of less than 500A. The dispensers labeled as 150 kW typically had nameplates with a peak of 350A.

The only time I remember seeing a dispenser nameplate with a peak current of 400A was, I think, at EVgo’s first high-power CCS site in Baker, CA that preceded any EA sites. It was an early ABB unit.

Maybe there are some EA sites with 350 kW dispensers that are limited to 350A but I doubt they are common and honestly I’m dubious that they actually exist.

Note, that the cabling at many of these dispensers is rated at 400A continuous and there could be other hardware limitations as well so probably few, if any, EA chargers can run at 500A continuously.

I spoke to a senior engineer at EA once about 3 years ago and he said at that time that some of their 350 kW units could run at 500A for a couple of minutes and others could run for up to 10 minutes or so, if I remember correctly, before reducing their output current.

That time limit is not a big issue today with the existing vehicles on the road because their battery packs face similar limitations in drawing high current (even Teslas). Bigger packs that can handle higher power in the near future will likely be designed to charge at “800V” anyway.

The BTCPower 350kW dispensers here in Alberta both on the Electrify Canada and on the Petro-Canada networks are rated at 350A max.

Electrify Canada, Canmore AB

Petro-Canada, Canmore AB

The others in this area in EC Calgary, and PC in Balzac, Aldersyde, and Highway 1 between Calgary and Canmore are all rated the same.

 

[lynyrdM]

The BTCPower 350kW dispensers here in Alberta both on the Electrify Canada and on the Petro-Canada networks are rated at 350A max.
View attachment 803894
Electrify Canada, Canmore AB
View attachment 803898

Petro-Canada, Canmore AB

The others in this area in EC Calgary, and PC in Balzac, Aldersyde, and Highway 1 between Calgary and Canmore are all rated the same.

Francis uses the same BTCPower chargers in Oklahoma which also have a 350A max current rating. Electrify America also uses these units in some markets.

I wonder why ABB went with 500A capability and all the other manufacturers designed around 350A (at least initially for EA)?

I can’t believe that the components would be significantly more expensive to make for 500A considering ABB units are one of the most common chargers chosen.

 

[onesixeight]

Francis uses the same BTCPower chargers in Oklahoma which also have a 350A max current rating. Electrify America also uses these units in some markets.

I wonder why ABB went with 500A capability and all the other manufacturers designed around 350A (at least initially for EA)?

I can’t believe that the components would be significantly more expensive to make for 500A considering ABB units are one of the most common chargers chosen.

Most of the EA US ABB units are also software capped at 350A. The EA SigNet 350kW units can do 500A.

 

[lynyrdM]

Most of the EA US ABB units are also software capped at 350A. The EA SigNet 350kW units can do 500A.

For the new Signet units you would be correct but the older original Signet units can only output 350A.

If the old ABB units are capped at 350A then it seems that current carrying capacity was intentional for EA. ABB must have just only designed 500A units and nerfed them to 350A to meet EA requirements.

 

[SageBrush]

ABB must have just only designed 500A units and nerfed them to 350A to meet EA requirements.

Or EA configured to 350A, perhaps to meet cable or connector heat tolerances.

Something similar happened at EA regarding CHAdeMO: EA allowed 50 kW charging but said that 100 kW would be allowed in the future. I'm not sure if the upgrade ever happened (and it will not now, since EA wants to end the CHAdeMO connector on its stalls outside of CA) but the limitation was never the transformer hardware.

 

[MikeGracz]

Yeah- good advice. Reading comments on PlugShare, and speaking with EVConnect support, native CCS cars don't seem to have a problem. The temperature point is especially interesting. I will try preconditioning and see if that helps. It is odd that the car communicates and accepts a charge, but only for 1-3 minutes. I'm not ready to give up! I think that the station my have an issue, and have contacted Freewire...

I tried preconditioning, but no change. I got a 44 second session and 0.37 kWh of charge before receiving a charging discontinued error. I think that FalconFour's guess (Thursday at 9:26 pm) that there is a communications breakdown between the car and FreeWire station is probably the most likely explanation.

 

[SageBrush]

I tried preconditioning, but no change. I got a 44 second session and 0.37 kWh of charge before receiving a charging discontinued error. I think that FalconFour's guess (Thursday at 9:26 pm) that there is a communications breakdown between the car and FreeWire station is probably the most likely explanation.

Tesla may be willing to peek at the charging log to help troubleshoot. I suggest that you be open with the details that you have a Tesla CCS1 adapter sourced from S. Korea and you are trying to use a local CCS location.

 

[lynyrdM]

I tried preconditioning, but no change. I got a 44 second session and 0.37 kWh of charge before receiving a charging discontinued error. I think that FalconFour's guess (Thursday at 9:26 pm) that there is a communications breakdown between the car and FreeWire station is probably the most likely explanation.

I have a few FreeWire stations local to me. Another guy has used them with his CCS adapter on a Plaid Model S with success.

I will say those stations are pretty unreliable. The station nearest to me has been repaired multiple times and in fact had to be completely replaced at one point.

It’s totally possible the station is having problems and not your car.

 

[miimura]

Or EA configured to 350A, perhaps to meet cable or connector heat tolerances.

Something similar happened at EA regarding CHAdeMO: EA allowed 50 kW charging but said that 100 kW would be allowed in the future. I'm not sure if the upgrade ever happened (and it will not now, since EA wants to end the CHAdeMO connector on its stalls outside of CA) but the limitation was never the transformer hardware.

Every EA station I've tried in my area is still labeled 50kW CHAdeMO but can output 200A. They have all had the 200A Sumitomo cables and CHAdeMO connectors from the start. I only started checking this in the last 12 months. The upgrade promise was made years ago.

 

[SageBrush]

Every EA station I've tried in my area is still labeled 50kW CHAdeMO but can output 200A. They have all had the 200A Sumitomo cables and CHAdeMO connectors from the start. I only started checking this in the last 12 months. The upgrade promise was made years ago.

What do you mean by 'can ouput 200A' ?
Works with the proper car, or the stall has the right spec ?

 

[FalconFour]

So, for anyone interested in a fairly deep-dive on the state of "non-Tesla charging", this video explains a lot of stuff, from a non-Tesla perspective, and laying out some of Tesla's problems without quite making you feel angry with the guy This video just dropped last night, so it's full of hot, relevant info.

Briefly touches on the ability of Teslas to use CCS, the upcoming plan to add CCS to Supercharger sites, but most importantly: what DC charging (in general) is.

Full investment disclosure: find my name in the Patreon credits

 

[Jeremy3292]

Name plates at my local EA station pictured below, ABB brand.

200 amp max for CHAdeMO station
350 amp max for 150 kW station
500 amp max for 350 kw station

 

[lynyrdM]

Name plates at my local EA station pictured below, ABB brand.

200 amp max for CHAdeMO station
350 amp max for 150 kW station
500 amp max for 350 kw station

View attachment 804304

View attachment 804305

View attachment 804306

I have heard of Nissan Leafs achieving 70+kW on some EA stations. So that tracks

Edit: Also just swapped in my -00B board!

 

[STS-134]

5/5: Placed order with Harumio
5/5: Harumio responded, requested information
5/6: Harumio sends invoice and I paid the invoice
5/8: Harumio orders adapter
5/11: Shipment from Harumio to me
5/13: Adapter arrived

 

[miimura]

What do you mean by 'can ouput 200A' ?
Works with the proper car, or the stall has the right spec ?

A CHAdeMO vehicle that asks for 200A will get it from the charger. As you can see from the rating labels posted above, that is the spec.
EA had restricted them to 125A early on in the network deployment.

 

[MikeGracz]

Tesla may be willing to peek at the charging log to help troubleshoot. I suggest that you be open with the details that you have a Tesla CCS1 adapter sourced from S. Korea and you are trying to use a local CCS location.

Yeah, I tried that: Tesla NA suggested that I call Tesla S Korea for help...

 

[1100MCM]

Man, with the increase to 58 cents per kWh in CA urban areas this adapter was a godsend. Hopefully EA can hold the line on the lower prices and not try to match Tesla.