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Charging the Roadster

Discussion in 'Roadster 2008-2012' started by malcolm, Sep 14, 2008.

  1. doug

    doug Administrator / Head Moderator

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    Not likely. Though I'm sure the EU has it's own share of nonsense.

    Then what's its purpose? Safety interlock?
     
  2. dpeilow

    dpeilow Moderator

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    Not sure - maybe worth asking if anyone catches up with the staff soon.
     
  3. donauker

    donauker Member

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    Based on what I have been told and on reading the documentation for the Home Charge unit, the car does set the charge rate but there is an output from the charger that tells the car the available voltage & maximum current.
     
  4. TEG

    TEG Teslafanatic

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    The box may have just been a ground fault detector, that is now built into the plug on the new cable.

    If you chopped of the 110V head and grafted on a 220V you could lose the ground fault disconnect mechanism which reduces the safety. Also, I don't know if the Tesla side would be OK taking 220V on the same wires. Do you have to reconfigure the pins in any way for 220V compared to 110V?

    (Better know what you are doing to avoid expensive and/or dangerous mistakes!)
     
  5. dpeilow

    dpeilow Moderator

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    #45 dpeilow, Dec 18, 2008
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 18, 2008
    To answer an earlier question, I've had it confirmed that the European version of the roadster will come with a 220/240V, 32A version of the mobile charger. This will no doubt come with a CEE form connector (sometimes called a 'commando plug') as these do crop up in a few unlikely locations (theatre stage lighting being one use, but construction sites and other industrial locations do have them too). There will have to be an adapter for when you need to use the more common local plugs (which vary across Europe).

    132-01.jpg


    The high-power 70A home charger will also be available over here too.
     
  6. vfx

    vfx Well-Known Member

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    #46 vfx, Dec 18, 2008
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 18, 2008
    Now I feel better. I was thinking how lame it is we have so many "standards" for 220V plugs in the US. At first I chalked it up to being first. (Crappy NTSC -first but worst of the TV standards) but there is also geography. If I think how many standards there are in Europe over the same square mile footprint of the USA, you would need a trunkload of adapters for an EU trip VS a US cross counrty the same distance.
     
  7. doug

    doug Administrator / Head Moderator

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    #47 doug, Dec 18, 2008
    Last edited: Jan 10, 2009
    Good advice! Clearly you start off with the proper gauge cable.

    "A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing." Be safe guys!

    .
     
  8. dpeilow

    dpeilow Moderator

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    #48 dpeilow, Dec 18, 2008
    Last edited: Dec 18, 2008
    Perhaps I made it sound worse than it is.

    There is a type of plug called a CEE 7/7 which can be used in virtually every mainland European country. The only caveat is that in Denmark, Switzerland and Italy it is ungrounded - each of those countries still perseveres with its own placement of the earth pin. They can handle 16A at 230V.

    cee77.jpg


    As usual, the UK and Ireland have a completely different system called BS1363, although the CEE 7/7 can be forced into a UK socket with brute force and judicious use of a screwdriver in the earth hole (don't try this at home kids). They allow 13A at 240V.

    So the bottom line is, if you are planning a European Roadster roadtrip, make sure your charging cord is equipped with a CEE 7/7 connector and it's probably best to get the UK adapter rather than a screwdriver.

    Europe_to_UK_plug_adaptor_ETA_U5_.jpg

    In the above picture, the left shows the mainland European socket side of the adapter, with the grounding done through the tabs at the top and bottom. The right side shows the UK arrangement, with its rectangular pins. Note all UK plugs are fused on the appliance side, you can just see this fuse in the hole in the middle of the adapter.


    Up to you if you want to take their Danish, Swiss and Italian counterparts, but it's not strictly necessary.
     
  9. malcolm

    malcolm Active Member

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    #49 malcolm, Dec 18, 2008
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 18, 2008
    Thanks David

    That's excellent. 70A at home, maybe 32A in a few locations, 16A widely available right now on campsites.

    Hotels and offices would certainly be able to install 16A. Maybe 32, but if cars are going to be connected for most of the day or night, why bother?

    An infrastructure with low up-front installation costs. That's what we need
     
  10. JRP3

    JRP3 Hyperactive Member

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    I think the various 220 volt plug types here in the US are a result of different amperage, as well as indoor and outdoor types. You don't want someone plugging in a 20 amp 220 volt cord into a 50 amp 220 volt outlet.
     
  11. dpeilow

    dpeilow Moderator

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    I'm actually going through these costs at the moment for work.

    There's virtually no difference between installing 32A or 16A versions of these as the parts costs are minimal and the labour is the same - as long as the building supply can handle it (and commercial ones generally can).
     
  12. malcolm

    malcolm Active Member

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    #52 malcolm, Dec 19, 2008
    Last edited: Dec 19, 2008
    That's excellent.

    Any details available for a new thread?

    Many people who live in flats might prefer to recharge at work (although they'd lose out on cheap-rate electricity)
     
  13. TEG

    TEG Teslafanatic

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    I think the flipside is what you want to avoid - putting a 50amp device into a 20 amp outlet. A 50 amp outlet should have no problem running a 20 amp device.

    NEMA 14-50 seems to be the dominant cable choice for home brew 220V EV chargers in the US...
    [​IMG][​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  14. malcolm

    malcolm Active Member

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  15. JRP3

    JRP3 Hyperactive Member

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    Yes you're right. That's what I have in my shop, I had a 50 amp installed for a welder and then made adapters to plug lower amperage cords in as needed.
     
  16. TEG

    TEG Teslafanatic

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    You think Top Gear did a number of the Roadster on their show?...
    Did you see the episode where they went caravan camping?
    They ridiculed the culture then literally set fire to the place.

    Intentional outrageousness or careless camping? Either way it wasn't pretty.

    Sometimes watching Top Gear is like driving by an accident scene. Rubbernecker TV.
     
  17. dpeilow

    dpeilow Moderator

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    #57 dpeilow, Dec 19, 2008
    Last edited: Dec 21, 2008

    I looked at that too, but you will notice that the camp sites only provide 16A versions of those connectors (they come in 16, 32 and 63A single and three phase and 125A three phase only).

    It probably isn't worth going out of your way for those extra 3 amps.


    This is a 125A three phase cable. Not too unwieldy.

    [​IMG]
     
  18. malcolm

    malcolm Active Member

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    Unless you're visiting friends/family.

    I assume it's poor EV etiquette to recharge your vehicle from your host's supply?
     
  19. DaveD

    DaveD EVs Kick Gas!

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    Oh, I don't know about that. If you leave a quid or two on the counter, they're probably making a profit.
     
  20. dpeilow

    dpeilow Moderator

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    Not only are they making a profit, they are getting the message too: "It costs you how much to fill that up?"
     

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