Charger / Cable standards

[AnotherClarkey]

Would someone knowledgeable be so kind as to explain, in simple terms, the various EV charger and cable options?

I must admit that I am thoroughly confused about what can/cannot be plugged into a domestic 3 pin 13 amp outlet, what wall boxes are available, AC vs. DC, which plug standards are used etc. How much depends on the car?

For example if I bought a Tesla (although I am likely to wait for the small one to come out), could I use some or all of the existing charging points like Chargemaster or Ecotricity? Would I need to cart about 3 or 4 cables to achieve this? Or would I be limited to the promised Tesla Supercharger network?

[c2mike]

There are indeed multiple ways to charge your car.
"Mode 1" - slow charging from a household-type socket-outlet
"Mode 2" - slow charging from a household-type socket-outlet with an in-cable protection device
"Mode 3" - slow or fast charging using a specific EV socket-outlet with control and protection function installed
"Mode 4" - fast charging using an external charger

Remember that electricity is supplied at 230V AC and EV batteries require higher voltage DC, so the conversion has to either happen in the car (modes 1,2&3) or external to the car (mode 4). The reason mode 4 is external is that the required high power converter would be too heavy and expensive in a car.

Mode 1 is not an option on modern EVs and fundamentally less safe.
Mode 2 is convenient (plug into any household 3 pin outlet), but is slow (usually limited to 10A in the UK for safety - 13A continuous is asking too much for a lot of old home wiring!). Also the in-cable protection device is a heavy brick.
Mode 3 is the emerging standard. Usually 16A or 32A with a dedicated "wall charger" (EVSE) which includes the protection device. Still can use your household 230V AC, but with more amps. Faster than mode 2, but requires a dedicated wall charger.
Mode 4 is MUCH faster again and not suitable for home wiring. Typically a large cabinet located in motorway services or EV dealerships. Typically higher voltage DC, but also AC options (Renault). The cable is tethered to the charging cabinet, so you have to have a compatible car. The CHAdeMO connector is currently dominant, but this is slowly changing. Check before you plan your journey!

For home use you need either mode 2 or mode 3.
For mode 2 you will need a cable supplied by the manufacturer - if available. Mode 2 is great for emergency use (like charging at a friend's house) and some street chargers are still regular 3 pin outlets. I always have a mode 2 cable in the boot of my Leaf.
Mode 3 requires a wall charger to be installed. The cable can either be tethered to the charger or separate. If you want to avoid the standards debacle, buy a wall charger with a standard industrial connector (Mennekes) into which you can then plug a cable that fits your EV at the other end. If the EV plugs change (E.g. when you buy a new EV), you only have to buy a new cable (under £200 for 5m, 32A).
For mode 4, you have to have the right car to match the tethered charger cable. Even Renault and Nissan are not the same! Converters may be a possibility, but safety will prevail as we are talking 50kW (120kW for Tesla supercharger).

As for plug standards, it is already VHS Vs Betamax. How successful BMW and VW are with their EVs Vs Nissan will influence the final outcome.
Wikipedia: while the target to have only one charging connector has been lost in that the world is split on their main grid system with Japan and North America to choose a single-phase connector on their 100-120/240 Volt grid (Type 1) while the rest of the world including China and Europe is opting for a connector with single-phase 230 Volt and three-phase 400 Volt grid access (Type 2). The SAE and ACEA are trying to avoid the situation for DC charging with a standardization that plans add DC wires to the existing AC connector types such that there is only one "global envelope" that fits all DC charging stations - for Type 2 the new housing is named Combo2

more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEC_62196

Edited by c2mike on Friday 7th February 20:40

[RossP]

Really useful and informative post. Thank you!

[AnotherClarkey]

Yes, a great post and exactly what I was after. Many thanks.

[adamfawsitt]

Tesla sell a CHAdeMO (Mode 4) converter for £1k so if you get your Tesla this year you can take advantage of the large number of these chargers already in place around the UK before the SuperCharger network from Tesla is fully rolled out.

EcoTricity and Nissan have the majority of CHAdeMO units in the UK - check their websites for locations.

[spitty709]

Have a look at this document, makes interesting reading. Its all about harmonising the standard, have a look close to the end of the document all the manufacturers who have signed it.

http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/zevprog/2009symposium...

[c2mike]

spitty709 said:

Have a look at this document, makes interesting reading. Its all about harmonising the standard, have a look close to the end of the document all the manufacturers who have signed it.

http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/zevprog/2009symposium...

Agree, very interesting, but appears to be several years old (2009). CHAdeMO DC charging has expanded hugely since then and the "new" global standard is now Combo2. Bringing your own cable and plugging it into the charging station is great for lower power, but would be very bulky and expensive for 50+kW applications.

Wikipedia again (this quote refers to your linked article):
Combined Charging System:
While the target to have only one charging connector has been lost in that the world is split on their main grid system with Japan and North America to choose a single-phase connector on their 100-120/240 Volt grid (Type 1) while the rest of the world including China and Europe is opting for a connector with single-phase 230 Volt and three-phase 400 Volt grid access (Type 2). The SAE and ACEA are trying to avoid the situation for DC charging with a standardization that plans add DC wires to the existing AC connector types such that there is only one "global envelope" that fits all DC charging stations - for Type 2 the new housing is named Combo2.
On the 15th International VDI-Congress of the Association of German Engineers the proposal of a "Combined Charging System" was unveiled on 12 October 2011 in Baden-Baden. Seven car makers (Audi, BMW, Daimler, Ford, General Motors, Porsche and Volkswagen) have agreed to introduce the Combined Charging System in mid-2012. This defines a single connector pattern on the vehicle side that offers enough space for a Type 1 or Type 2 connector along with space for a two pin DC connector allowing up to 200 Ampere. The prototype implementations for up to 100 kW were shown on the EVS26 in Los Angeles in May 2012.
The seven auto manufacturers have also agreed to use HomePlug GreenPHY as the communication protocol. The prototype for the matching plug has been developed by Phoenix Contact with the goal to withstand 10,000 connect cycles. The standardization proposal has been sent to the IEC in January 2011. The request to use a PLC protocol for the Vehicle2Grid communication was flagged back in September 2009 in a joint presentation of BMW, Daimler and VW on California Air Resource Board ZEV Technology Symposium. This is competing with the CAN Bus proposal from Japan (including CHAdeMO) and China (separate DC connector proposal) and notably none of their car manufacturers has signed up to the Combined Charging System so far. China had been involved in early stages of the development of the extra DC pins however. A test drive will begin in the fall of 2012.
Volkswagen has built the first public CCS rapid charge station with 50 kW DC in Wolfsburg in June 2013 to support the test drives of the upcoming VW E-Up that is supposed to be delivered with a DC rapid charger connector for the Combined Charging System. Two weeks later BMW has opened its first CCS rapid charge station in support of the upcoming BMW i3. On occasion of the second EV World Summit in June 2013 both a Chademo and a Volkswagen-group spokesperson have pointed out that a concurrency between Chademo and CCS is not required as the additional cost of a dual-protocol rapid charge station is a mere 5% - thus multi-standard DC chargers are being advocated by Chademo, Volkswagen and Nissan.

Combo2 pics here: (if this looks like it was designed by a committee...a.k.a. the "frankenplug"!)
http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/158408-recharge...

Meanwhile CHAdeMO continues:
http://insideevs.com/chademo-dc-fast-charger-rollo...
The downsides with CHAdeMO are the size, it is DC only and the user connection lock is non-intuitive.

In the near term we will see more Combo2 charging stations and dual CHAdeMO / Combo2 stations (when BMW, VW, etc. start matching the funding from Nissan). Ultimately Combo2 will probably win, but first the Germans will have to start selling some EVs.
http://www.plugincars.com/why-chademo-death-row-eu...

[c2mike]

adamfawsitt said:

Tesla sell a CHAdeMO (Mode 4) converter for £1k so if you get your Tesla this year you can take advantage of the large number of these chargers already in place around the UK before the SuperCharger network from Tesla is fully rolled out.

EcoTricity and Nissan have the majority of CHAdeMO units in the UK - check their websites for locations.

I read that Tesla did this for Japan (where CHAdeMo is very widely deployed). Would be useful in the UK too, although that's NASA pricing for an adapter!
Also a Tesla S spending over an hour at a 50kW charging station may not be too popular if another EV (with a much smaller battery) is waiting

[amstrange1]

Forthcoming EU regs will state all public DC charge infrastructure must support CCS Combo2 'as a minimum', i.e. CHAdeMO is optional. Still draft at the mo, so obviously subject to change. Nissan aren't happy as they have a lot invested in CHAdeMO, but ultimately the market will decide - presently most DC infrastructure is CHAdeMO as the PiPs funded installations are mainly around Sunderland...

[amstrange1]

c2mike said:

Mode 1 is not an option on modern EVs - fundamentally not safe.
Mode 2 is convenient (plug into any household 3 pin outlet), but is slow (usually limited to 10A in the UK for safety - 13A continuous is asking too much for a lot of old home wiring!). Also the in-cable protection device is a heavy brick.

Wouldn't really say that Mode 1 is unsafe, from a supply side it's really no different to Mode 2 in the UK - power is drawn through a BS1363 plug. Only difference being with Mode 2 you've got a charge coupling device communicating with the car to limit charge current and provide another layer of switching, whereas with Mode 1 you use the switch on the wall and the car's on-board charging system limits current.

Either of these methods is open to the same abuse from the end-user (e.g. DIY extension leads, charging through coiled-up extensions etc. etc.), but it's a necessary evil to provide EV owners with sufficient flexibility on where and how they can re-charge.

13A continuous in theory is supported by a BS1363 plug, but in reality there's a wide variety of plug and socket designs out there - and they're not all completely compatible if you want to run them at 13A for 8-10 hours. I've seen a few reports and plenty of photos showing the results of trying to pull 13A continuous, hence the auto industry seeming to self-regulate to circa 10A. If you speak to BEAMA they'll tell you this is because the OEMs want parity with Europe, in reality it's because they don't want their customers going round to Granny's and burning her house down because the wall sockets are cheap and get a bit melty at 13A continuous.

[c2mike]

amstrange1 said:

Wouldn't really say that Mode 1 is unsafe, from a supply side it's really no different to Mode 2 in the UK - power is drawn through a BS1363 plug. Only difference being with Mode 2 you've got a charge coupling device communicating with the car to limit charge current and provide another layer of switching, whereas with Mode 1 you use the switch on the wall and the car's on-board charging system limits current.

Note that the 3 pin public charging points don't have a switch. Combine that with outdoor location and exposure to rain - to me that is unsafe. Regardless, modern EVs do not support mode 1.

[XTR2Turbo]

amstrange1 said:

Forthcoming EU regs will state all public DC charge infrastructure must support CCS Combo2 'as a minimum', i.e. CHAdeMO is optional. Still draft at the mo, so obviously subject to change. Nissan aren't happy as they have a lot invested in CHAdeMO, but ultimately the market will decide - presently most DC infrastructure is CHAdeMO as the PiPs funded installations are mainly around Sunderland...

It really is a mess, and atleast for the next few years, IMHO really undermines the i3 by not being able to use the UK rapid charger network. In the UK it would have made sense for BMW to offer the option of CHAdeMO. It doesn't help that even the BMW dealers haven't followed the Nissan model of installing fast chargers at the dealerships.

I think BMW see the i3 electric as a second car for short journeys and the i3 Rex as the route if you want added range and aren't backing mobile fast charging.

Edited by XTR2Turbo on Sunday 9th February 11:16

[RossP]

However, Ecotricity are committed to rolling out i3 compatible rapid charging very soon.

"2014 sees the introduction of a new standard for charging – CCS or combi charging. We plan to introduce it during the next 12 months at selected sites. The first cars able to use this are the BMW i3, Volkswagen e-up! and eGolf."

[XTR2Turbo]

RossP said:

However, Ecotricity are committed to rolling out i3 compatible rapid charging very soon.

"2014 sees the introduction of a new standard for charging – CCS or combi charging. We plan to introduce it during the next 12 months at selected sites. The first cars able to use this are the BMW i3, Volkswagen e-up! and eGolf."

Selected sites doesn't sound promising to me though.

[amstrange1]

c2mike said:

Note that the 3 pin public charging points don't have a switch. Combine that with outdoor location and exposure to rain - to me that is unsafe. Regardless, modern EVs do not support mode 1.

Ours at work do, along with waterproof cover. Some of the early public points are worse than others, I know Pod Point went through several design iterations as their early ones wouldn't accept most molded plugs! Either way, mode 2 isn't really any safer - the contactor in the charge coupler doesn't really add much value IMO.

[amstrange1]

The EVSE manufacturers have finally got together and formed a UK EVSE professional body, so hopefully they'll start pulling together with some joined-up thinking.

Most of the newer EV models in the UK seem to support CCS Combo2 for rapid charging, so one would assume if people buy them then the EVSE providers will have to take notice.

In reality, your main expense of installing charge points is digging up your car park and sticking the copper in the ground, so having two different rapid charge connectors (CHAdeMO and CCS) on the same post isn't going to break the bank. Hopefully that's the way newer EVSE installations will go.

[andywaterfall]

Reminds me of this:

[RossP]

I stopped at Woolley Edge services the other day and looked at the ecotricity charging station. It looks like there is a 7 pin charging cable and a the other sort (chademo). Can this charge an i3? The ecotricity website is a bit confusing...

[XTR2Turbo]

I think yes but only at 16 or 32 a depending upon spec.

[chandrew]

c2mike said:

I read that Tesla did this for Japan (where CHAdeMo is very widely deployed). Would be useful in the UK too, although that's NASA pricing for an adapter!
Also a Tesla S spending over an hour at a 50kW charging station may not be too popular if another EV (with a much smaller battery) is waiting

The Tesla adapter is CHF 1000 here (Switzerland). However, it also needs the car to be Supercharger enabled (standard on the 85, not on the 60). It's CHF 2400 if not Supercharger equipped.

It seems that the inboard tech needed to support CHAdeMo is the expensive bit. BMW, VW etc obviously think that EVs will be city cars and therefore expensive recharging isn't needed.

In Switzerland the Model S is by far the biggest selling large car over the last half of 2013 when it was on sale. It's just had a CHF 10,000 price reduction so the price of a Model S 85 is now about the same price as a BMW 535d but with significantly less running costs. We get no real tax rebate.

It will be interesting to see if the market agrees that EVs should be city cars