Change to charging cables delivered with UK cars

[widodh]

@widodh you say you're now back up to 32A. What has changed? Have Tesla fixed your car? With software or with a hardware change?

Please see this post: Reduced charging current after FW upgrade V5.6 - Page 6

That tells the whole story!

 

[mgboyes]

Excellent news, thanks. One less thing to worry about for the UK. Now we can get back to the important business of panicking about charging cables, single vs dual chargers, and whether or not the extended nappa leather includes the upper dashboard trim or not. Seriously, we're going a little bit crazy over here waiting for our cars

 

[Mark77a]

You aren't going to get more than 62A, since that's what those chargers supply (per phase), and there's no realistic way to make 75A single phase out of lower current 3-phase.

However, it's not entirely clear what in your current setup is stopping you drawing 62A: people have reported plugging Model S into those chargers and seeing it report 62A pilot which should be compatible with Roadster. My understanding is that the Can is a straight-through adapter and rated at 75A already. Your Type2->J1772 is presumably something non-standard: is it active and limiting to 32A due to connector ratings?

If the issue is down to your Type2->J1772, the challenge is mainly a mechanical one - where to obtain a 63A rated receptacle to mate with the connector on the charge point. I haven't discovered any so far - most are only 32A rated; one (expensive) option might be to trawl the Renault parts catalogue for a Zoe charge port harness.

See my blog from earlier this year: Middelburg to Wales and back | Widodh

I visited the UK with my Model S using the Ecotricity network.

My car can charge at 32A again, so I could draw 22kW at those stations now or 43kW later with the CHAdeMO adapter.

For the Roadster you could make use of 62A single-phase at those stations, but that would require some adapters which you have to make yourself.

Hey guys thanks for your comments...
My roadster has been sucking amps nicely from Ecotricity, Polar, and ZCW, (at a rate of upto 63Amps single Phase: 14.4Kw thanks to Henry Sharp's ACE 'Can' .
OK thats not supercharger rates, (or even 43Kw 3 phase) but not far off HPC/roadsters max 70amp in many convenient places

@Arg
I got it all working just fine: so I now can charge the Roadster at ecotricity's convenient motorway service points at a healthy 60A (Small mod to cable and its Type2 plug/socket ... simples and now no 32A limitations
This is an easier solution than Tesla offered for a Roadster to Type2 connector .... £1600 ($2000) .. I sometimes worry that when no one is watching Telsa 'take the p*ss' with their prices.

@widodh
Loved your blog :smile:
I bet you got loads of comments and odd looks charging the Model S across UK .... I'm finding most folk have never seen or heard of a Tesla, and also many charging points in the UK are just not used (yet) ... I've heard "i've never seen anyone charging there before" many times.

As the point made on BBC radio4's recent 'you and yours' on EV's in UK .... its a 'chicken and egg' situation.. "few EV buyers due to infrastructure and little infrastructure, due to few EV buyers" .. luckily is starting to change.
[hey even James May has bought a BWM i3 ReX !!!]. Tesla, way ahead of course.

Its a bit sad tho' that so many EV co's and charging networks are 'not playing nice' ....I must put together a new post about my experiences of getting up to speed on the UK charging network (OK, Kw's).

 

[Mark77a]

The details about connecting Ecotricity Rapid chargers to Roadsters (which is kinda off topic here anyway) continues over at SpeakEV.com forums, Tesla Section in the UK >

Charging Tesla Roadster at 60A on AC rapids | Speak EV - Electric Car Forums

If anyone/Mods want this repeating / summarising on the TMC roadster section .. no probs.
Mark

 

[arg]

@Arg
I got it all working just fine: so I now can charge the Roadster at ecotricity's convenient motorway service points at a healthy 60A (Small mod to cable and its Type2 plug/socket ... simples and now no 32A limitations

I must say i'm a bit mystified by your results. Sounds like you are using a standard Type2->J1772 cable - which is designed not to work in that configuration as the pilot pin is too short - so it makes sense that trimming the connector makes it work properly, but why on earth was it working at 32A previously? With no pilot pin, the power shouldn't have turned on at all.

The resistor value shouldn't matter at all in this configuration, as that pin is normally looped back in the connector and doesn't run in a wire down the cable..

So either there's something I haven't understood about your setup, or the Ecotricity EVSE is doing something non-standard.

 

[Mark77a]

I measured Renault zoe, i3 and other cars' sockets that take the Rapids type 2 flying female... The measurement that is missing from most specs is depth of engagement.
I had previously not got any power from rapids (but had heard of others getting 32amps).

I agree the ecotricity rapids also don't seem to sense the male plugs resistor . Testing now with both 220 ohm and 100 ohm. However, Polar/cm do - with 220 they limit to 32amp, but not with 100 ohm.
The recommendation is to make the - 14mm length mod to the cable plug, along with the elastic loop for mechanical security. But keep the 220ohm resistor. This also means the plug does not need to be opened.

 

[arg]

I measured Renault zoe, i3 and other cars' sockets that take the Rapids type 2 flying female... The measurement that is missing from most specs is depth of engagement.

It is possible to read the depth from the drawings in the IEC standard (though it's hard going since they've done the datum line differently in the different drawings). The accompanying text suggests that only the pilot pins fail to mate with that combination of connectors, but I haven't verified it from the drawings.

I had previously not got any power from rapids (but had heard of others getting 32amps).

I agree the ecotricity rapids also don't seem to sense the male plugs resistor .

That much is totally in accordance with how the standards say it should work (apart from the people getting 32A who must be using a cable that is different in some way).

Testing now with both 220 ohm and 100 ohm. However, Polar/cm do - with 220 they limit to 32amp, but not with 100 ohm.

Are these tethered or socketed units? The resistor is only supposed to come into play with sockets into which you are plugging a separate cable.

 

[Mark77a]

I'm just pleased that I can now rapid charge at an extra 75+ convenient places in addition to the 11 HPC'S

Please join the discussion on speakev.com with more pix and testing results..... also as isn't this discussion getting way off topic ? from Model S charging leads to Roadsters-on-Rapids

 

[PB85]

Hi
One for J1mbo (and others)
my order confirmation does not show the various charging accessories that were agreed (and ticked on line) when the order was placed.
how do I establish - just ahead of delivery what accessories are going to come with my order/my car?
Thanks

 

[J1mbo]

Hi! You will be assigned a Delivery Specialist who will be in touch when your car is on the boat from the US. This person will tell you exactly what you'll get with the car - at the moment, this is just a 7 metre Type 2 cable. Any other charging bits you ordered will be removed from your invoice.

Apparently there will be a special 13A plug available at the 'end of June' for just south of £400, and the CHAdeMO adapter will follow 'when it is ready'.

 

[simonog]

The details about connecting Ecotricity Rapid chargers to Roadsters (which is kinda off topic here anyway) continues over at SpeakEV.com forums, Tesla Section in the UK >

Charging Tesla Roadster at 60A on AC rapids | Speak EV - Electric Car Forums

Mark

Quick question: I see that Henry offers a can now with a type 2 connection on it. Does this remove the need for making a modified extension cable ie should an Ecotricity charger now connect direct to the can?

 

[simonog]

Quick question: I see that Henry offers a can now with a type 2 connection on it. Does this remove the need for making a modified extension cable ie should an Ecotricity charger now connect direct to the can?

I can now answer my own question: it only currently offers the U.S. model S connector which is not compatible with our type 2.

Now I see why everyone buys the J1772 to Type 2 cable.

 

[Mark77a]

Sorry Simon, Missed this Q.
It sounds feasible as the signal is the same - but looks like you found otherwise.
Tesla also do an equivalent to Henrys CAN ie Roadster><J1772 with a short (looks like 1m) heavy cable - you would then plug a J1772 to Type 2 cable (with 14mm mod) into it.
These cable are c $700 and sometimes come up second hand (in US, normally c £1-200) BUT I prefer the CAN solution - I leave my J1772 permanently locked into the can (with a 5mm peg, to prevent unlock lever from being pressed). And then its just the Type 2 flying lead under £200 to any type 2 outlet - ie 60 amps on rapids.

Enjoy the Roadster - we UK owners should meet up .. prob only about 30 in regular use The other 20 being 'garage queens'
Mark

 

[ElectricSingh]

Just thought I'd chime in to say that I picked up my Model S yesterday and it came with a UMC cable only, but they kindly threw in a Mennekes type 2 (non Tesla branded one), with the justification being that my order was during the transition phase. I also asked to have a CHAdeMO adapter at delivery and they kindly obliged, so seem to have most charging options covered from the off.

 

[4dz]

Similar experience for me too - I got the Type 2, UMC (3-pin & Commando) and bought a CHAdeMO too. I think the UMC is the most useful - My home charger didn't work (electrician had to fix it), so I was able to charge at home with the 3-pin. There's a hotel near where I work that has Commando available, so its more use than the Mennekes (I have a tethered charger at home, now working!)