EV charging? How many amps?

[megaphone]

I have a limited power supply, around 20amps, can someone explain the type of charging point I can use and also how long to charge the average EV?

Also how many amps are the roadside/car park type commercial plug-in points?

Thanks.

[rdj001]

Hi,

My laymans understanding.....

20 amps is 4.8 kilowatts (kW). This will charge slightly faster than a 'grannie charger' which uses a normal 13 amp plug. More than sufficient for a home charger to keep the car toppped up.

Public AC chargers using Type 2 connectors range from 7, 11, 22 kW etc. DC chargers are faster, most common connector is CCS and 50 kW is typical. Tesla through their supercharger network can get silly speeds.

Thanks
Rod

[kambites]

Assuming you mean 20 Amps at UK mains voltage, that's a power of somewhere between 4.3 and 5kw depending on your exact voltage (it varies) before any losses. Most EVs can manage around 3-4 miles per kwh so you'd get somewhere in the 13-20 miles per hour of charging, minus losses.

Say 12-18 miles per hour depending on the car, mains supply, etc?

Edited by kambites on Friday 15th May 14:09

[megaphone]

OK makes sense, so it really is a full overnight charge then.

[kambites]

megaphone said:

OK makes sense, so it really is a full overnight charge then.

Obviously depends on how long you leave it plugged in and how big the battery is. You'd need about 12 hours to fully charge an eNiro, more like 20 hours for a 100kwh Tesla. Of course unless you're doing a massive mileage, you wouldn't need to fully recharge a 100kwh Tesla every day.

At that charging speed, a 12 hour overnight charge will probably give you about 150-200 miles of real-world range so unless you do more than 150-200 miles a day it'll be adequate.

Edited by kambites on Friday 15th May 15:06

[anonymous-user]

How would you use 20A? Chargers tend to be 16A or 32A and I think if you put a 32 on, the car will suck it as dry as it can

[megaphone]

JPJPJP said:

How would you use 20A? Chargers tend to be 16A or 32A and I think if you put a 32 on, the car will suck it as dry as it can

It will probably need to be a standard 13 amp plug, I don't think the supply will cope with any more. It's at a holiday cottage, so 20 amps is the max for all power, adding in a kettle/shower etc will likely knock out the power.

Location is about 120 miles from home, so am working out if an EV is feasible. We tend to go for weekends so 10 hour charges are workable. Maybe one outing over the weekend, localish maybe 50-60 miles total.

Edited by megaphone on Saturday 16th May 10:31

[anonymous-user]

rdj001 said:

Hi,
My laymans understanding.....
20 amps is 4.8 kilowatts (kW). This will charge slightly faster than a 'grannie charger' which uses a normal 13 amp plug. More than sufficient for a home charger to keep the car toppped up.
Public AC chargers using Type 2 connectors range from 7, 11, 22 kW etc. DC chargers are faster, most common connector is CCS and 50 kW is typical. Tesla through their supercharger network can get silly speeds.
Thanks
Rod

DfT were warbling on about EV chargers yesterday https://www.intelligenttransport.com/transport-new...

[Frimley111R]

JPJPJP said:

How would you use 20A? Chargers tend to be 16A or 32A and I think if you put a 32 on, the car will suck it as dry as it can

No, its doesn't work like that. You can't 'suck' power from other things. You only have, typically, 100amps in total to a home. If you only have 20 amps spare your charger should be set to charge at a max of, say 15amps.

If you have 80 amps or even 60 amps to your home you may be able to speak to your electricity supplier and get them to change the main fuse in your home.

Our chargers have variable settings, not just 16 or 32amp.

Its a bit more complex than I've outlined above but hopefully this helps.

[andy43]

megaphone said:

JPJPJP said:

How would you use 20A? Chargers tend to be 16A or 32A and I think if you put a 32 on, the car will suck it as dry as it can

It will probably need to be a standard 13 amp plug, I don't think the supply will cope with any more. It's at a holiday cottage, so 20 amps is the max for all power, adding in a kettle/shower etc will likely knock out the power.

Location is about 120 miles from home, so am working out if an EV is feasible. We tend to go for weekends so 10 hour charges are workable. Maybe one outing over the weekend, localish maybe 50-60 miles total.

Edited by megaphone on Saturday 16th May 10:31

If all you have available is 20A even a basic 13A plug in brick charger that usually sucks 10 amps or so IIRC is going to trip your supply when you put the kettle on. Are you sure it's only 20A? As above, an upgrade is in order if you want to both live and charge there.
If chargebase chargers are adjustable between the usual 3.6 and 7.2 kw that's very clever!

[aestetix1]

If you have 20A available then you have have either a 16A charger (3.3kW) or just a basic 13A socket and an EVSE (also called a granny charger).

[NeoVR]

Think granny (3-pin) chargers top-out at 10amps. - about 3Kw.
Most cars can also have internal settings for charge speed while using the granny charger.. (BMW has 3 power settings)

[RobDickinson]

JPJPJP said:

How would you use 20A? Chargers tend to be 16A or 32A and I think if you put a 32 on, the car will suck it as dry as it can

Depends on the car and the charger, on the tesla I can select between 5 and 32 amps.

Some chargers you can set the desired amps too.

I charge my 3 on an 8amp plug 2 or 3 times a week overnight and not yet felt the need to fit the 32/48amp wall charger that came with it.

[M4cruiser]

megaphone said:

I have a limited power supply, around 20amps, can someone explain the type of charging point I can use and also how long to charge the average EV?

Also how many amps are the roadside/car park type commercial plug-in points?

Thanks.

I'm guessing you mean the most you can get, from the property you are in, is 20 amps.
That's not the same as the most you can put into the car; that depends on the car and the type of charger it has.
Without knowing more details I'd say you're stuck with the normal household 3-pin plug type, which is max 13 amps. As an example it takes 12 hours to charge an old-style Nissan Leaf like that.
If you can install a 3.3 Kw charger (i.e. on a separate spur) then you can charge at 15 amps into an old Leaf, which will take 8 hours to charge it. If it has a 6.6Kw charger on-board then it can take 30 amps from an uprated separate-spur socket, charging in about 4 hours, but your property can't supply that.

Yes, as others have said, the roadside/service station ones are a different thing and can give 80% charge in 30 minutes, which must be running at about 200 amps (ish).

[essayer]

megaphone said:

I have a limited power supply, around 20amps, can someone explain the type of charging point I can use and also how long to charge the average EV?

Also how many amps are the roadside/car park type commercial plug-in points?

Thanks.

Roadside ‘fast’ chargers are usually 7kW single phase so 32A, same as a home charger

Roadside rapid chargers are three phase AC (for Zoe, some i3) up to 43kW (3x64A) or DC (Tesla, CCS, Chademo)

I think Tesla superchargers are mostly 150kW per pair (approx 350A) some 250kW (approx 500A)
Most CCS/Chademo is about 50kW (120A) but there are some CCS 150kW and even 350kW chargers now (only the Taycan can charge at that rate and I think it’s 800v so presumably ‘just’ 400A!!)

[Frimley111R]

Just to add, even if you only have 20amp now it's worth getting a home charger (assuming you can inc the power you have available to it at some point) as the charger could be turned down for now and then turned up later on. You can get a £350 OLEV grant now, you never know when this may cease...

[anonymous-user]

Frimley111R said:

Just to add, even if you only have 20amp now it's worth getting a home charger (assuming you can inc the power you have available to it at some point) as the charger could be turned down for now and then turned up later on. You can get a £350 OLEV grant now, you never know when this may cease...

By the way, what’s the situation just now with getting chargers installed? We have an e-Niro on order but haven’t, of course, yet had a charger installed. Not that I’ve heard from Kia for some time as the dealers are all closed and things could easily change all round by the time it’s here but I was wondering if installations are being carried out.

Ours will be in a detached garage, no need to go near the house.

[aestetix1]

Installations can be done, the main issue is if you want the Kia offer you need the dealer to process it in good time. If you arrange it yourself then you can just get a qualified electrician who I'm sure will be eager to do the work.

[anonymous-user]

aestetix1 said:

Installations can be done, the main issue is if you want the Kia offer you need the dealer to process it in good time. If you arrange it yourself then you can just get a qualified electrician who I'm sure will be eager to do the work.

Thanks. Not sure what you mean about a Kia offer? All they’ve said so far, several months ago, is that they recommend PodPoint.

[IanJ9375]

REALIST123 said:

Thanks. Not sure what you mean about a Kia offer? All they’ve said so far, several months ago, is that they recommend PodPoint.

If there's no offer for you just go direct to PodPoint - they will obtain the charger grant on your behalf once you've supplied some details etc.
If you live somewhere quite populated you'll probably have them do the install rather than them subbing it out as they did in North Wales.

Didn't bother with a tethered connection as we'd need to buy a cable for use out and about as well - jumped for the 32a version for future proofing here.

https://pod-point.com/guides/vehicles/kia/2019/e-n...