Charging Stations

[miimura]

HKEV confirmed they can install 2 x 32A 3Phase chargers at my place, what I will get done asap.

The gentleman from their technical department is very knowledgeable. Not only about the installation, but also about the various EVs and the respective charging times with different chargers. HKEV is the appointed charger installation company for Tesla, Porsche and BMW.
Their charger is certified for outdoor installation and will be activated by an RFID card before charging.

Rough estimate 70K and $150/month maintenance for 2 chargers. Exact quotation for the installation Saturday.

The price is high, but two 21kW charging stations with RFID access control will be expensive any way you look at it. This kind of station is good if you are installing on your own electric bill, but in a common area. For a private garage it is a bit overkill. This kind of station is not even available in USA. All the stations that have RFID access control for public use are only 30-32A single phase, usually 208V, so 6.6kW. They also have network connectivity and data reporting for a monthly fee of about $30USD/mo. So, your maintenance fee is significantly lower per station. High power stations are available in USA up to 20kW, but I've never seen one with RFID access control.

Just did a quick search for Type 2 Wallbox and found EVconnectors.com has a Type 2 Wallbox with tethered 4m 32A cable and RFID for just over 800GBP (exc-VAT), about $10,500 HKD. That is about the same price as HPWC in USA, $9,300 HKD by direct currency conversion.

 

[Lerxt]

What is stopping you just putting in a 32A powerpoint? I can understand if you want security in a public car park, but the guys at Tesla just said you need the power point with a 32A breaker.

 

[Vmax]

It's a private installation at a "semi" common area. Also like the RFID as kind of safety feature.

 

[CCT]

It's a private installation at a "semi" common area. Also like the RFID as kind of safety feature.

What will happen if you eventually move out from the estate? How do you come about removing the outlet and re-install the thing to your new parking space at another estate? Does EV Power offer removal/re-install service?

 

[Vmax]

I will not move out, and if so, the new owner will be lucky getting the charging stations. Don't know if EV Power offers a relocation service. At the moment they are pretty busy in the initial installations and don't think they have a plan for relocation yet. Best is, to check with them directly.

 

[Lerxt]

I just had a guy come to quote to put a 32A or a 40A "blue" socket single phase power point in my carport. It includes a separate breaker box and an outdoor powerpoint and is connected to part of my houses 3 phase system. Total cost $3000.

 

[markwj]

I just had a guy come to quote to put a 32A or a 40A "blue" socket single phase power point in my carport. It includes a separate breaker box and an outdoor powerpoint and is connected to part of my houses 3 phase system. Total cost $3000.

Nice. 32A single phase should be fine for home overnight charging. HK$3,000 is a good price.

 

[Vmax]

Excellent price, but I prefer to trust the company nominated by most EV manufacturers.

 

[DITB]

Excellent price, but I prefer to trust the company nominated by most EV manufacturers.

Yes, but 70K HKD for two spots? It's more than 10 times the price of Lerxts solution.

 

[Lerxt]

I am just staggered at the massive price differential and wonder what the differences are. I am getting a guy to install a dedicated circuit board, cable and wiring over a 20 foot distance some of which is under ground, and an outdoor type 2 power point box. It's very straight forward. He can give me 40A and Tesla HK says it will give me a 5-10km/h greater charge rate than 32A (though they say that a 40A type 2 is not legal in HK). I am exactly following the directions on the data sheet they supplied me with the 32. Does anyone see any issues with what I'm doing?

Please Pm me if you want his contact number, I'm in Sai Kung.

 

[markwj]

Yes, but 70K HKD for two spots? It's more than 10 times the price of Lerxts solution.

There is a big difference between 2x 3phase 3x32A charging stations, and 1x 1phase 1x32A socket on the wall.

Kind of like a pair of fire hoses vs a straw.

 

[Lerxt]

OK so the data sheet says you need to install a 240V, single phase 32A point. There is no information about doing anything more, on the sheet they gave me. Can you shed some light on it. That table I posted was taken off the Euro forum so I'm not sure if its applicable to HK.

 

[Vmax]

That's why I use EV power. Assume they will give me the best possible solution for HK. The car manufacturers will recommend the most knowledgable companies for the installation, which is not necessarily the cheapest one.

 

[Lerxt]

Tesla should be providing full information on charging. I know 32A is all i need with an 85kwh battery and my 100km a day. I'd rather not spend 10% extra to charge. Negates 3 years fuel savings for me.

 

[shiadawg]

Hi. I was wondering, do you know if the Model S can be charged simply by a normal 13A plug. I was told it can but overtime, because the Tesla will require so much power that the plug will melt. Is this true? Anyone have this experience? They're trying to convince me to buy an entire system rather than a plug. This system will cost around US$2K. Any ideas? Thanks.

 

[Lerxt]

Who is they? Ignore professional advice that is not Tesla or someone they recommend.

You can charge at 13A and the plug, unless it's a cheap mainland brand, will not melt. An 85kwh charge will take 30 hours from zero. If you install a 32A plug it will charge in about 14 hours. If you buy a car without dual chargers and supercharging you can't go faster than that. A HPWC will let you charge faster with the afore mentioned equipment. The fastest you can charge is 1 hour.

 

[miimura]

Who is they? Ignore professional advice that is not Tesla or someone they recommend.

You can charge at 13A and the plug, unless it's a cheap mainland brand, will not melt. An 85kwh charge will take 30 hours from zero. If you install a 32A plug it will charge in about 14 hours. If you buy a car without dual chargers and supercharging you can't go faster than that. A HPWC will let you charge faster with the afore mentioned equipment. The fastest you can charge is 1 hour.

I theory, a 3-phase charging station should charge an S85 in 9.5 hours with only single charger. THAT is the fastest. My math is consistent with your 32A socket at 14 hours. 3-Phase at minimum 16A should pass 10.5kW to a Single Charger equipped Model S in HK or 11kW in EU (220VAC nominal vs. 230VAC). Single phase 32A socket only provides ~7kW.

 

[markwj]

Out of interest, I was given a data sheet by Tesla today and it says that,

Single phase, 200-250 Volt, 32 Amps AC supply, 50 Hz
IEC 60309 230V, 32A, 6h, 2P+G, 3 pin blue outlet

is required, also,

To take full advantage of your Mobile Connector, work with anelectrician to install at a 240 Volt, 32 Amp, single phase outletwhere you plan to park your Model S.
To ensure uninterrupted charging at full power, the circuitbreaker should be rated for at least 32 Amps.







from this document,

View attachment 44665

posted on another forum, it suggests that all we can do in HK is to charge at 35km/h regardless of how many chargers we have.

Can any experts here shed some more light on this? Im getting the impression that Tesla HK doesn't really know themselves and I would like to know exactly what I am getting and what I need.

If true, I'm pissed about this. Not only is it not ideal for Hong Kong, it is also different than what Tesla say on the website.

Here is what I sent to Tesla:

The Tesla Motors | Premium Electric Vehicles website, for HK, says about dual chargers:

Up to twice the standard rate of charge.
Combine with High Power Wall Connector for best result.

and for the High Power Wall Connector:

It will not reach its maximum 80A capability without them (dual chargers).

But, now this Tesla document has appeared (regarding the European configs, which I am told is what Hong Kong is getting):

My confirmed config is for dual chargers and HPWC. My home garage has 2x single phase 90A available.

That graphic seems to say that dual chargers are only useful for 3 phase 32A, and with my single phase 90A I can only use 11.5kW on a single charger.

Is the above information accurate? If so, it seems that the HPWC cannot reach 80A capability (but is listed at 11.5kW - which at 220V is around 52A). I also don't understand the statement that combining with the HPWC gives the best result for dual chargers, as the HPWC doesn't seem to be able to use the second charger.

I also see that the HPWC for Europe is listed as available late 2014 - which is going to put me in a difficult situation if the car arrives in the summer and I only have a 13A plug to charge it.

Can you clarify exactly what is being provided in the Hong Kong cars, and whether the HPWC can use the dual chargers up to 80A or not?

Initial response from Tesla is that they haven't decided charging options for Hong Kong yet. Seems crazy to me, as the orders are being confirmed and cars are about to be built.

 

[markwj]

I theory, a 3-phase charging station should charge an S85 in 9.5 hours with only single charger. THAT is the fastest. My math is consistent with your 32A socket at 14 hours. 3-Phase at minimum 16A should pass 10.5kW to a Single Charger equipped Model S in HK or 11kW in EU (220VAC nominal vs. 230VAC). Single phase 32A socket only provides ~7kW.

I think Lerxt is talking about SuperCharging for 1 hour.

 

[772]

I'm confused by the 60A rating on the HPWC in that document. It can draw 80A from 240V single phase here (with twin chargers; single chargers limited to 40A), so I'm not sure why it wouldn't be able to do the same in EU/HK. Are there local restrictions on how much current a device can draw?

EDIT: Looking at the info listed for superchargers, the document appears to be old/outdated info. Supercharger power is listed at 80kW but I believe many of the superchargers in EU are actually 135kW. The ones in the US are mostly 120kW, with a couple very early-built ones that are ~90kW. I would take this document with a grain of salt...