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EV home charging

Peter David Rieden
My Better Third recently bought an electric car (Renault Zoe). Our intention is to get a fast-charger installed, but we currently [sic] can't find anyone who will quote for it so she is dependant on the "slow" or "travel" charger which runs from a 3-pin plug. When we got it home the instructions were quite explicit about the special requirements for an EV charging socket even for the "travel" charger. The main things were the need to be connected directly to a dedicated 32A breaker in the consumer unit via at least 2.5mm solid wiring via a dedicated 30mA type A RCD and additional C20 breaker physically close to the socket. 


So I duly installed a new breaker in the CU, ran the wiring through to the garage (using 4mm cable because it's what I had to hand) to an RCD & C20 breaker and from there through the wall of the garage to a weatherproof mains socket on the outside wall of the garage. The job was overseen and signed off by a neighbour who is (amongst other things) part-P certified. It took me a day to do, but I have no problem doing the job properly for this sort of thing.


I happened across a set of videos on owning and operating EVs under the banner "The Fully Charged Show" which seems to use an organisation called "Rightcharge.co,uk" as their technical advisor. In these videos we are shown the new owner of an EV plugging the same charger (it's made by panasonic) into an ordinary mains socket in the kitchen (running the cable out through an open kitchen window!). So I'm moved to ask whether either:


(a) I've just wasted a day of my time and the coffee and buns supplied to my supervisor doing something that was completely un-necessary, or;

(b) There is an organisation promoting unsafe (legal?) practices to the EV-buying public.


I emailed rightcharge asking a couple of questions but haven't received a reply, so I thought I'd ask the professionals.


Regards,


Pete
  • 0
    The vehicle manufacturer's instructions are probably generic for most of Europe, and there will be a warning about following national wiring rules - in the UK this is BS 7671, or the "Wiring Regulations".


    Whilst the "travel charger" (known in the industry as "Mode 2") may well fit into an ordinary socket-outlet, there have definitely been cases of overheating.


    Where a standard socket-outlet is provided with the intention of charging an electric vehicle, the socket-outlet must be marked "EV" on the rear, so that the socket-outlet manufacturer confirms it is tested in accordance with the relevant British Standard BS 1363-2 for the long-term use for EV charging. The RCD should also be a minimum of "Type A", meaning it will have this symbol on it (it's present also on Type F and Type B RCDs): https://www.iso.org/obp/graphics/grs/ccd864e4-af28-46c1-965c-3523de675821_200.png


    In addition, if it is known that the socket-outlet may be used for charging a vehicle outdoors (in the case of a standard socket-outlet, it is always assumed the vehicle may be charged outdoors via an extension lead), additional provisions are required for many domestic electrical installations in the UK, as they are connected to what we call a "PME" system.


    So, it's entirely possible you have a signed off "socket-outlet in a garage", which is not, according to BS 7671, deemed suitable for permanent use for charging electric vehicles.


  • 0
    I bet you will end up using your new socket for far longer than you are expecting to and really doubt that you have wasted your time.


    Andy Betteridge
  • 0
    Sparkingchip:

    I bet you will end up using your new socket for far longer than you are expecting to and really doubt that you have wasted your time.


    Andy Betteridge 


    I think that's the practicality of the situation.


  • 0
    So, it's entirely possible you have a signed off "socket-outlet in a garage", which is not, according to BS 7671, deemed suitable for permanent use for charging electric vehicles.


     


    I don't think that's the case - I discussed the whole installation with my neighbour and he confirmed that I was in line with the EV parts of 18th edn as well as the manufacturer's instructions. At least that's what I asked him to do.


    Pete


  • 0
    That's good, of course we can't see the installation and are only going off your brief description. We also don't know the means of earthing used in your electrical installation - we just know that many domestic installations are PME.

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