weber wrote: The portable EVSE that comes with the Leaf has a tag on its cord near the plug saying "Don't use an extension cord or adapter" in 6 different languages. So the myth you're busting comes via the car manufacturers, and good on you for busting it. With the switchboard and wiring standards we have in Australia it is indeed little more than paranoia.
In a way yes, but two points.
Panasonic and the J1772 folk not Nissan or Mitsubishi have set the EVSE requirements AFAIK.
As with many things, the guide line (Don't s) are subject to the knowledge of the user. Using an extension lead can be done. There are losses, heating, water etc to be considered. You are right, Oz is perhaps a safer place with ELCBs etc, but then probably one of the highest domestic voltages in the world.
The manufacturers are playing it safe, for general public, for a world market.
weber wrote:
Acmotor, if or when you use your portable EVSE without an extension lead, and the powerpoint is more than 600 mm from the ground or floor, do you consider it unsafe the way the weight of the EVSE tends to pull the plug partway out of the socket?
I don't expect you to agree, but I hope other readers can see that if it's OK to plug your EVSE into an extension lead, the logical conclusion is that it would also be OK to have the EVSE built into the car, in which case the combination of J1772 EVSE controller and J1772 EV controller could be replaced by a simple interface in the car for choosing how much current to draw.
To make this foolproof it could be based on resistor-coded plug adapters as I suggested, using a fourth wire that I will call the "sense" wire from now on, to avoid confusion with the J1772 pilot wire, and to suggest that it makes more "sense" than tying a brick to your plug.
Mass production EV charging by the public is evolving and on a world wide platform. At least there is a standard !
The short lead from the EVSE brick to the 3 pin plug is part of the J1772 standard. (<300mm from memory). This was to provide the least unprotected amount of lead. i.e. there was a good reason. In practice it may not be convenient. I respect the best intention and expect it may well evolove in the future to please users.
Keep in mind that the 'emergency use' charger was not intended by the manufacturer to be the regular use charger.
You are pointing out why you will end up with a proper EVSE wall mounted. A DIY EVSE that's fine, just meet the J1772 standard.
The (iMiEV at least) EVSE brick comes with a lanyard and user instruction not to hang the brick on the cord. You quite rightly decided to support the brick.
In your particular setup in the earlier pics if the lead was longer then the brick would sit on the ground/garden and be wet and muddy to then be returned to the boot. (the IP67 would be OK though).
Your assumption that I, and clearly all EV manufacturers, would disagree with the (un)safety of placing the EVSE inside the vehicle is correct.
A power cord that is live before connecting to a vehicle and is only protected by an ELCB (in probably a minority of markets) is no match for a charging cable with IP54/IP67 connector that is inert from the EVSE out until a series of go/no go safety checks including EV earth are done after the EV is connected. But wait, you could turn the power switch off ! but what if you don't ?
Homework:
Why was PWM used for the pilot signal and not just resistor/DC voltage (they are there as well to be sure) ? It may answer to yourself how simple yet safe the J1772 system is.
True the CAN coms of the CHAdeMO is a step further but that would have put the EVSE cost up even more and you are complaining already.
edit: typo
