Search results

If your electricity is generated by an inverter, then it’s going to be very close to whatever it’s configured to be. If it’s from the grid, it should be +/- 5% of nominal, but I’ve seen grid voltages outside that range. I would not try to go higher than 277V nominal if grid connected. I...

BTW, the marketing limit is given in terms of power (watts). The physical limit is current (amps). Many nominally 240V inverters can be configured to produce 208V and many can produce up to 264V (240V + 10%). Changing the output voltage in the inverter’s configuration settings will normally...

A time factor as you suggested is possible, especially if the transformer is owned by Tesla. If the transformer is owned by the utility, then there is probably a simple limit and it won’t be very different from the rated capacity of the transformer. I think Tesla probably owns the transformer...

Transformers can safely operate well above (sometimes even two to three times) the rated capacity. Two problems arise with operating a transformer beyond rated capacity: inefficiency due to flux leakage and, if pushed beyond where flux leakage becomes significant, degradation of the transformer...

48A at 208V would be 10kW. 48A at 240V would be 11.5kW. 48A at 277V would be 13.3kW. I’m not sure why you want a 15kW inverter, unless you’re hoping that it will be stressed less by not operating at peak load. Thermal cycling is the main stressor of power electronics.

The video shows the Tesla charging from DockCharge at 216V. That’s odd if it’s being powered by the DockCharge’s inverter. Why is your inverter configured for less than 240V? Here is a suggestion if DockCharge has an integrated EVSE (which I believe it must based on the claim that it switches...

You appear to be confusing me with Tyl. The report that the circuit boards are being replaced at the Grant Road, Mountain View site is his report, not mine.

In that case, either Tesla planned this site to not support non-Tesla vehicles and then changed their mind or Tesla planned from the start of the project to install stations with older type circuit boards knowing that they would be changed later. Either of those is possible, but a bit outside...

I’m not suggesting that Tesla dropped support for their older (pre-CCS) protocol. I can’t imagine any reason why they would do that. I’m suggesting that when Tesla added support for the CCS protocol (ISO 15118 and DIN 70121) in 2021, they didn’t only add the capability for newer Teslas to...

https://chargedevs.com/features/ev-charging-is-changing-part-2-no-nacs-is-not-todays-tesla-connector/ Tesla switched from CANbus to PLC in 2021 according to the link (and others found easily via Google).

Didn’t Tesla change that a few years ago when they switched to the CCS protocol from their own proprietary protocol?

Yes, the CCS requirement in NEVI lasts for five years from commissioning of the site. After that, the owner is free to support or not support particular standards — or even close the site. So the last nail is already in CCS1’s coffin, but burial will have to wait several more years.

Thinking about this from both IT and electrical engineering perspectives, with some knowledge of the protocols, I’m not seeing how a circuit board change could be required to support NACS charging of vehicles produced by other manufacturers. Even if a software update would be needed (which...

I agree that Lee Vining would be a sensible place for superchargers. I seem to recall that a few years ago the Tesla Findus map used to show a planned supercharger site there. Does anyone else remember that?

In case anyone is interested, the Girdwood substation is on Gold Ave at Old West St. It is served by the Quartz Creek 115kV transmission line, which runs from Kenai Lake to Anchorage. The segment of the Quartz Creek line between the Girdwood substation and the Indian substation is due to be...

To clarify, NEVI funding has been approved for these four sites according to the Alaska Energy Authority, which expects them to be built in 2024.

The name Alyeska is a Slavic word (Алеска) that is a short form of Alexandra but it hasn’t been a Russian town for a very long time. More interesting to me is that this is the first time I’ve seen a 750KVA transformer for an 8 stall supercharger. Every 8 stall supercharger I’ve ever used has...

I vote for anything that helps make it practical to drive between Alaska and the lower 48. Taking Alaska seriously demonstrates a seriousness about ensuring that Teslas perform well in cold weather.

Another possibility is that they may have put more than one charging station on one circuit. Imagine two charging stations each trying to supply 32A at the same time while sharing a 40A breaker. The claims in the letter are nonsense. It’s possible that someone may have plugged in to charge in...

The difference is that the power cord to the television is only hot when everything is working correctly. When there is a fault, a circuit breaker trips in the panel and the television’s power cord is completely de-energized. That’s not what happens with Quick220. When there is a fault with...

I should have been more careful with my wording, but we’re all correct. I didn’t write that the Quick220’s receptacle (or any part of it) is still hot. I wrote that the leg is still hot — and it is — all the way from the breaker in the panel (which is where it ideally would be shut down) to...

Regarding the Quick220. Each leg is protected by a single pole 120V circuit breaker. If either one of those circuit breakers trips, then all current stops flowing through the Quick220 to the TMC, not just half the current. So the breakers not being ganged together isn’t optimal, but it’s not...

500kW is a large enough solar farm that the main costs are land, labor, and balance of materials. Solar panels have become so cheap that the cost of the solar panels is almost neglible. That’s why all solar farms over about 100kW built in the last few years use panels that are at least 500W...

A little bit of distributed generation reduces the need to upgrade distribution circuits — up to the point where the net flow of electricity is reversed during peak generation and low demand (typically around noon). Once the electricity starts flowing backward to the substation, then...

The only thing I can think of that might be considered an incompatibility is that very early Model S didn’t reliably charge at 277V, which is supported by NACS. Shutdowns would occur when voltage was on the high side, but still within the +5% required by ANSI C84.1. This was corrected before...

I just looked up annual electricity consumption for Walmart locations. Assuming they have about 14 or 15 opening hours per day, average consumption while open seems to be roughly around 700kW, which is roughly about the same as a fully utilized 8 stall Supercharger. One could confirm that by...

I just had a look at Google Street View. Route 170 has three-phase power running alongside both west and east of Terlingua. It looks like 12,470Y7200V, but I can’t be sure from the photographs. If that’s right, then probably Tesla would only have had to pay to extend from Route 170 to the...

How about Haines, Alaska, 148 miles (and on the other side of an International border) from Haines Junction, which is the nearest place with a connection to an electric grid? They won a (non-Tesla) NEVI grant of $1.4 million to install four chargers, two of which seem to be L2. I haven’t been...

Minimum size for NEVI funding is 4 stalls. The Tesla proposals for NEVI funding in Alaska seem to be 8 stalls, but they were approved under the Alternative Fuel Corridor program not the Disadvantaged Communities program. My guess is that very few if any of the chargers that have been or will...

The smallest propane generator I know is single-phase, too small for the range extender application, and weighs about 30 pounds. It’s made by a little company called ALP.

Now it’s becoming clear how you got such low efficiency results. I can see three problems (from most serious to less serious): 1. 25% load is terribly inefficient. For any rotating electromagnetic generator driven by an internal combustion engine (not talking about fuel cells, inverters...

I have not read this document, but I’m confident that the reason at least some of these locations, probably many if not all of these locations, can’t be economically justified is that the electricity distribution circuit from the substation to the location doesn’t have enough available capacity...

A theoretical 100% efficient generator would produce 27.8kWh from one gallon of propane. A 9kW propane generator would be between 25% and 30% efficient — probably nearer to 30% but I’ll use 25% to estimate very conservatively, so 7kWh per gallon of propane, though 8kWh is probably more...

Using your estimated run time at 9kw, that would be ~315-360kWh. That’s about three full charges in a Cybertruck. Should be over 1000 miles of added range, after deducting for losses due to inefficiencies in charging.

I believe Jim in Houston meant support in terms of electrical capacity. Some distribution circuits (especially in rural areas) are still 4160Y2400V from the substation to the proposed supercharger location. An eight stall V3 supercharger needs 500KVA which is about 25% of the total capacity of...

Demand is not a constant. Demand is a function of price. The highest price I’ve seen for a L2 charger was in the parking lot of a credit union. During business hours, charging was free. The minute business hours ended, the price was $20/minute (not $0.20). Demand at the price of $20/minute...

Loads can be either constant current, constant power, or constant impedance. L2 EV chargers are constant current loads (i.e. the current stays constant as the voltage varies) up to the maximum power capacity of the onboard charger. If one configures a wall connector for 48A, it will draw 48A...

A square wave has only two voltages, high and low, alternating at a frequency of 50Hz or 60Hz. A modified sine wave (which in my opinion should be called a modified square wave) has three voltages, high, medium, low, medium, high, medium, low, etc. with 50 or 60 cycles per second. A sine wave...

Economics 101 teaches that the reason why it’s important for prices to be adjustable is that price setting is (by far) the most efficient way to match supply and demand. Without congestion pricing, people will be stuck queueing for crazy times to get the charge they need. My wife worked for...

The reason why Tesla disables driving while charging is to keep drivers from damaging charging stations by driving off while still plugged in. Obviously, the Cybertruck’s range extender battery does not connect via the charging port. If one can connect a generator using whatever port the range...

Based on the information released so far, it’s fairly clear that charging (from AC) is done via a bi-directional inverter. This is how powerwall, powerpack, and megapack all work. The same MOSFET circuitry does DC->AC and AC->DC and such circuitry is normally called a bi-directional inverter...

Most utilities in US/Canada will not provide 3 phase power to residences. For those that do, it’s 208Y120V, so it would charge more slowly than 240V. 480Y277V is only available for large industrial customers. 3 phase 400 amp service would be 3x400x120 or sqrt(3)x400x208 = 144kw. That’s...

If not aware of any supercharger plans for Grande Prairie, but either Valleyview or Whitecourt should be enough for trips between St Albert and Beaverlodge. BTW, Dawson Creek is now a candidate in the new round of supercharger voting.

Of course, a new round of voting is open. Please remember to vote.