Charging from my garage away from house

[so called]

Frimley111R said:

You CAN use a granny cable but the wiring to your garage was never really designed to have such significant use. IMO just get a proper charger installed now while you still get £350 from the government to do this.

Are you saying a garage with supply for a 13 amp socket outlets and lighting can't handle a 3kW charger?
I think you'll find Regs., have been saying otherwise for at least 40 years.

[WarnieV6GT]

Unfortunately for me I have no choice due to the layout of my house.

Regarding the lead I could really do with a 10m cable due to another car being in front, but the ohme one supplied by octopus is only 5m.

Is there much difference between the masterplug supplied by screwfix and the ohme one?

[cheeky_chops]

so called said:

Frimley111R said:

You CAN use a granny cable but the wiring to your garage was never really designed to have such significant use. IMO just get a proper charger installed now while you still get £350 from the government to do this.

Are you saying a garage with supply for a 13 amp socket outlets and lighting can't handle a 3kW charger?
I think you'll find Regs., have been saying otherwise for at least 40 years.

exactly some people do talk rubbish

My garage has power, the electrician put in a 5M extension to the far side and a waterproof 3 pin plug put outside - i charged my leaf for 5 years and 30k miles no problems. You could use a regular extension cable too but it has to be unwound so it doesnt overheat - thats a risk point with any product drawing higher powers

[ZesPak]

SWoll said:

Just use 3 pin as you'll only need to charge weekly anyway with that mileage. We've managed 25k miles over the last 2.5 years with a 'granny charger'.

Whilst I agree 100%, I'd like to put a warning here.

An UK plug should be rated for 3000W (3kW). Your EV will probably pull something 2000-3000W.
It will however pull this continuously for 10h+.

This is what an overnight granny charge did to the EU plug at my inlaws, it was old and rusted inside so the extra resistance caused a lot of heat. We caught it in time as it already ruined the plug and my lead (the black in the picture was my lead melting into the plug), but was still charging and thus heating up.


So while in your case I'd probably go for a granny plug as well:

1. make sure your current installation is up to par (corrosion, dust,...)
2. see how much your car pulls and if you can regulate it, if you can, see if you can spread the charge over the night
3. do a test run and regularly check if heat is building up somewhere initially

[so called]

ZesPak said:

SWoll said:

Just use 3 pin as you'll only need to charge weekly anyway with that mileage. We've managed 25k miles over the last 2.5 years with a 'granny charger'.

Whilst I agree 100%, I'd like to put a warning here.

An UK plug should be rated for 3000W (3kW). Your EV will probably pull something 2000-3000W.
It will however pull this continuously for 10h+.

This is what an overnight granny charge did to the EU plug at my inlaws, it was old and rusted inside so the extra resistance caused a lot of heat. We caught it in time as it already ruined the plug and my lead (the black in the picture was my lead melting into the plug), but was still charging and thus heating up.


So while in your case I'd probably go for a granny plug as well:

1. make sure your current installation is up to par (corrosion, dust,...)
2. see how much your car pulls and if you can regulate it, if you can, see if you can spread the charge over the night
3. do a test run and regularly check if heat is building up somewhere initially

I can't argue with the point being made here but as pointed out, the condition of the outlet was somewhat neglected.
The OP stated his wife has a 20 mile daily commute so it will be on charge for 2 to 3 hours if charged daily.

[ZesPak]

so called said:

I can't argue with the point being made here but as pointed out, the condition of the outlet was somewhat neglected.

2 hours/day or 10+ hours/week.
I read "I have a plug somewhere at the end of my garden", so I shared my experience rather than have him burn down a shed in the garden.

We already have a great thread for that .

[JonnyVTEC]

so called said:

Are you saying a garage with supply for a 13 amp socket outlets and lighting can't handle a 3kW charger?
I think you'll find Regs., have been saying otherwise for at least 40 years.

I think you need to re read what you posted

[ZesPak]

JonnyVTEC said:

so called said:

Are you saying a garage with supply for a 13 amp socket outlets and lighting can't handle a 3kW charger?
I think you'll find Regs., have been saying otherwise for at least 40 years.

I think you need to re read what you posted

spotted that as well.

[LordGrover]

Does the Zoe have the ability to adjust the rate of charge?
My i3 has three settings for the granny charger/type 1 which is full whack Max, Reduced and Low (13A, 10A and 5A I think).

[Michael_B]

ZesPak said:

old and rusted inside so the extra resistance caused a lot of heat.

I have in-laws like that too

[so called]

ZesPak said:

JonnyVTEC said:

so called said:

Are you saying a garage with supply for a 13 amp socket outlets and lighting can't handle a 3kW charger?
I think you'll find Regs., have been saying otherwise for at least 40 years.

I think you need to re read what you posted

spotted that as well.

OK, you got me.
The only mistake I can see is the letter 'a' before '13 amp'.
I meant sockets plural.

[ZesPak]

so called said:

OK, you got me.
The only mistake I can see is the letter 'a' before '13 amp'.
I meant sockets plural.

I don't know what the voltage is in the UK, but at 13 amps you'd need over 230V to get 3000W, so your 3kW charger might struggle before you add any other peripherals on that circuit.
That's what I spotted.

[JD]

I think most portable chargers are 10A not 13A anyway, mine certainly is.

[JonnyVTEC]

JD said:

I think most portable chargers are 10A not 13A anyway, mine certainly is.

Yep and hence ~ 2.3-2.4kW. Some headroom to offer sensible continuous loading.

[ZesPak]

JonnyVTEC said:

Yep and hence ~ 2.3-2.4kW. Some headroom to offer sensible continuous loading.

Tesla charger pulls 13A with the regular Schuko plug. But you can change it with 1A increments from the touchscreen.
Lowest I ever went for a fuse not to blow (through trial and error) was 8A, and that was with in a blue plug (16A) at a camping site .

[JD]

ZesPak said:

Tesla charger pulls 13A with the regular Schuko plug. But you can change it with 1A increments from the touchscreen.
Lowest I ever went for a fuse not to blow (through trial and error) was 8A, and that was with in a blue plug (16A) at a camping site .

Yes but sockets in Europe are rated for 16A Max, so 13A allows head room, in the UK sockets are 13A so chargers are 10A.

[so called]

ZesPak said:

so called said:

OK, you got me.
The only mistake I can see is the letter 'a' before '13 amp'.
I meant sockets plural.

I don't know what the voltage is in the UK, but at 13 amps you'd need over 230V to get 3000W, so your 3kW charger might struggle before you add any other peripherals on that circuit.
That's what I spotted.

240V in the UK with the domestic outlet sockets rated at 13A.
My 7kW charger outlet is drawing 30A which is what the installation is designed for.
I've always understood the domestic outlet chargers were 3kW.

I'll go and check it.

[ZesPak]

so called said:

240V in the UK with the domestic outlet sockets rated at 13A.
I've always understood the domestic outlet chargers were 3kW.

I'll go and check it.

It's simple maths. 13A*240V = 3120W, so yes, 3kW sounds about right. Doesn't leave much headroom though.

JD said:

ZesPak said:

Tesla charger pulls 13A with the regular Schuko plug. But you can change it with 1A increments from the touchscreen.
Lowest I ever went for a fuse not to blow (through trial and error) was 8A, and that was with in a blue plug (16A) at a camping site .

Yes but sockets in Europe are rated for 16A Max, so 13A allows head room, in the UK sockets are 13A so chargers are 10A.

That makes sense. Still burnt through that plug at 13A though

[ndtman]

For those doing the calculations, isnt the UK domestic supply 230 volts now?

[so called]

ndtman said:

For those doing the calculations, isnt the UK domestic supply 230 volts now?

The supply voltage hasn't really changed, only that they now state 230 instead of 240.