CCS from charging provider perspective

[ai4px]

If we look back at the original J1772 spec, it permitted up to 80amps @ 400Vdc or 240Vac at 80amps. My understanding was Musk wanted to swap the pins for 400amps and SAE wouldn't do it. So Tesla modified the J1772 physical layout to allow the combining of DC and AC pins. Meanwhile a committee designed the CCS plug. So having said all of that, how would you like to be a charge provider such as Charge Point and have been compelled to pick CCS but now convert to NACS? This makes me wonder how many locations will get the Chademo cord swapped for NACS and what's the cost to them to do this?

 

[davewill]

If we look back at the original J1772 spec, it permitted up to 80amps @ 400Vdc or 240Vac at 80amps. My understanding was Musk wanted to swap the pins for 400amps and SAE wouldn't do it. So Tesla modified the J1772 physical layout to allow the combining of DC and AC pins. Meanwhile a committee designed the CCS plug. So having said all of that, how would you like to be a charge provider such as Charge Point and have been compelled to pick CCS but now convert to NACS? This makes me wonder how many locations will get the Chademo cord swapped for NACS and what's the cost to them to do this?

Musk may have asked about changing the pins, but he also really hated the bulk of the J1772 plug. He wasn't the only one who really thought the decision to add a second set of DC pins rather than a new rev connector with beefier pins was an bad choice.

One thing that comes to mind it that it was almost certainly impossible to upgrade the pins without changing the connector itself. SAE probably didn't want to face juggling two incompatible connectors at charging stations, requiring adapters to bridge the gaps.

Like we're going to do now anyway.

My understanding is that commercial DC chargers are built so that the plug and cable assembly, including the controller for the charging protocol, are modular, so switching them over should just be a matter of buying and installing the right kit. Not free, but probably not a budget buster.

AC charging will likely be a matter of attrition, with old EVSEs remaining until they are retired, then replaced with NACS. Although, Chargepoint has been talking about retrofit kits. We'll need adapters for AC charging for a decade, I figure.