Third party cables
Discussion
I have used https://evonestop.co.uk/ for cables and found the quality good and prices fair.
CheesecakeRunner said:
Yes, that’s what I’ve got. And yes, exactly for that reason. The one that came with my car is quite short, which is ok for 99% of the time, but I travel for work a lot and if I need to charge, I really need to charge. So it’s a mitigation against an ICE’d space or where the charge point is in an awkward place. 10m is a heavy old beast, but it’s saved my bacon a couple of times.
Thank you. The only thing that concerns me is a lower IP rating (44) than some, e.b. IP55 for a Masterplug, and Ring do one at IP65. I'm not too worried about 6 for dust protection, but 5 for water seems sensible given some of the downpours we can get!
CheesecakeRunner said:
Must admit, I never gave that much thought. Mine has been used in the rain, but nothing torrential.
That Masterplug one is only single phase, so most you’ll get through it is 7kW. Public chargers are usually 3-phase and most cars can do 11kW on 3-phase. Some will do 22kW or 46Kw, the latter being cars that only charge via AC.
Good catch on the phase limit; thank you.That Masterplug one is only single phase, so most you’ll get through it is 7kW. Public chargers are usually 3-phase and most cars can do 11kW on 3-phase. Some will do 22kW or 46Kw, the latter being cars that only charge via AC.
ashenfie said:
Maybe a strange question, but does the car/charger know the limit of the cable i.e. its 7 or 11kw?
There is a resistor between the PP pin and the Earth pin on the end that goes to the EVSE. This effectively tells the EVSE the maximum current that the lead is good for.Based on this, the EVSE 'broadcasts' the available current to the EV via a signal on the CP pin.
Of course, the vehicle can draw less if it wants to.
ashenfie said:
Maybe a strange question, but does the car/charger know the limit of the cable i.e. its 7 or 11kw?
Adding to this; there are 3 phase pins in the cable, L1, L2, and L3.In the event of a single-phase charger (as would be at most homes, or any 7kW public one), you'll only connect L1. So a single-phase only cable would not bother with the two extra conductors for L2 and L3, meaning a cheaper, thinner cable.
The standard nowadays seems to be to have three 16 amp chargers on board. In the event of 3 phase charging, that's one per phase; 16A broadly translates to 3.7kW, three times 3.7 = 11.1kW. For single phase, the vehicle will connect two of these chargers to that phase, permitting up to 32A to be taken. Two times 3.7 = 7.4kW.
Fitting bigger onboard chargers to take advantage of a 3 phase 32A supply is a fair bit of cost and weight, so you won't see it commonly. Some vehicles do have this, though (Some Tesla Model S, iPaces, and Audi eTrons spring to mind as having had it as an option, I believe!)
CheesecakeRunner said:
Still Mulling said:
Thank you. The only thing that concerns me is a lower IP rating (44) than some, e.b. IP55 for a Masterplug, and Ring do one at IP65. I'm not too worried about 6 for dust protection, but 5 for water seems sensible given some of the downpours we can get!
Must admit, I never gave that much thought. Mine has been used in the rain, but nothing torrential. That Masterplug one is only single phase, so most you’ll get through it is 7kW. Public chargers are usually 3-phase and most cars can do 11kW on 3-phase. Some will do 22kW or 46Kw, the latter being cars that only charge via AC.
The odd thing is, I can't work out how the masterplug cable linked above achieves IP55 anyway... there's no seal. I'm sure it's passed the test of course but it doesn't look like it does anymore to keep out driving water than an x4 rated plug. A typical c-form plug/socket requires a rubberised seal and lock ring to exceed x4 rating.
ashenfie said:
Maybe a strange question, but does the car/charger know the limit of the cable i.e. its 7 or 11kw?
This is where it can get confusing, as ratings are based on current (Amps) and 11kW is supplied at a lower current (3 x 16A on 3 phases) than 7kW which is 32A on a single phase.Thus, you need a higher rated cable to do 7kW than 11kW
This threw me in the early days when I used a cable (supplied with the car) to get 11kW from a commercial charger but then couldn't get more than ~4.5kW on my new home charger. It turns out it was rated at 20A and was probably intended to be supplied with a PHEV but substituted by an unknowing dealer.
Edited by theboss on Friday 19th May 17:25
Thanks for the info, Folks. Hopefully this thread can be a useful resource for others. There are certainly some nuances that the average punter won't think to consider or be aware of! Another hurdle on the path to EV adoption. 
I've taken a punt on what appears to be a genuine cable from a well-rated seller on eBay. Fingers crossed!
I've taken a punt on what appears to be a genuine cable from a well-rated seller on eBay. Fingers crossed!
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