Campground charging checklist? What do I need?

[Newton]

Although the Webasto Go has a NMEA 14-50 plug, it is only a 32A charger. It does not limit amperage based on the plug, it limits it based on the voltage. It is either 15A or 32A, nothing else.

I agree that It is pretty frustrating that a TT-30 does not work as a 30A EVSE, that has caught me out even with a charger that allows me to set the amperage. There isn’t a good solution unless you want to involve some sort of transformer. Realize, though that a 30A circuit will be derated by 20% at 120V, so at best you are getting 2.8kW rather than the 1.0kW that I get when I plug into a 120V circuit. Yes, it is more than twice as fast but it wouldn’t be a fantastic improvement to get 56 miles overnight rather than 20.

EVSEs that allow you to set the curent limit and potentially draw more current than the circuit allows are a bit of a minefield for liability, the consequences of a fire are not trivial even without lithium batteries involved. I think that the Grizzl*E looks for voltage drop which is better than nothing, I guess, but I wish that somebody had an EVSE that would detect the converter plug being used and set the amperage accordingly.

Sponsored

 

[potato]

I wish that somebody had an EVSE that would detect the converter plug being used and set the amperage accordingly.

That is certainly how the Tesla UMC works, and I was under the impression that's how the Ford (Webasto) does it too. The whole point of this discussion is that the Lightning ignores that and limits it to 12 amps on the car side on 120V, no matter what the EVSE says.

I mean, none of them "set the amperage" as they just have a relay to connect the input to the output. But they give the appropriate duty cycle signal on the pilot to tell the car how much current is available, depending which plug adapter is connected.

 

[Newton]

You can supply the 5-15 plug end 240v and it will deliver 240v 12a.

WTF?

Yes in the end it is just a contactor, you can put whatever voltage and amperage you want on it and it will pass through. You could wire it directly to your incoming power lines if you wished for a really high voltage experience. I don’t think that you should.

Shade tree engineering works for ICE vehicles (or used to work) but it is too damn dangerous to mess with the safeties of EVs. They are very safe by design, but they are not intrinsically safe so I really don’t think that anybody should recommend hacks to get around the safety and design of any components associated with charging.

You may be very smart and all that but unless you have disassembled the EVSE and understand exactly how it works - and can guarentee that some engineering change down the line doesn’t change your assumptions - nobody should be recommending violating the basic common sense safety protocols and practices (such as a 120V plug ONLY supplying 120V) that the engineering department relies on. Especially when the proper EVSE is just an Amazon order away.

 

[Maquis]

WTF?

Yes in the end it is just a contactor, you can put whatever voltage and amperage you want on it and it will pass through. You could wire it directly to your incoming power lines if you wished for a really high voltage experience. I don’t think that you should.

Shade tree engineering works for ICE vehicles (or used to work) but it is too damn dangerous to mess with the safeties of EVs. They are very safe by design, but they are not intrinsically safe so I really don’t think that anybody should recommend hacks to get around the safety and design of any components associated with charging.

You may be very smart and all that but unless you have disassembled the EVSE and understand exactly how it works - and can guarentee that some engineering change down the line doesn’t change your assumptions - nobody should be recommending violating the basic common sense safety protocols and practices (such as a 120V plug ONLY supplying 120V) that the engineering department relies on. Especially when the proper EVSE is just an Amazon order away.

A basic understanding of how EVSEs function in conjunction with the J1772 standard tells us that your fears are unwarranted.

Sponsored