Charging Station standards - Page 6

SByer · 12-19-2008, 11:57 AM

80 amps doesn't seem like it's planning for the future. I get that there are tradeoffs with handling larger current, but this seems like it's wiring in a pretty harsh limitation.

WarpedOne · 12-23-2008, 11:18 AM

80 Amps could be very little or it could be a lot, it depends on voltage.
80 Amps at 500Volts is 40kW, more than twice the Roadster's max charging power.

malcolm · 12-23-2008, 03:58 PM

SAE to launch program to create standard plug for EVs - AutoblogGreen

Quote:

The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) is expected to release a new set of standards that plug-makers will need to adhere to so that their prospective units are, as Popular Mechanics points out, sleek, safe and smart.

The Electric Car's Perfect Plug - Choosing the Plug for Electric Cars - Popular Mechanics

Quote:

The vehicle cord of the future, now being developed by Yazaki, is about one-fourth the size of previous models. About 45 millimeters in diameter, it will handle 80 amps of energy. Although earlier, direct-current (DC) models handled more than twice the energy—600 volts DC, 400 amps—the modern, alternating-current (AC) cords should still provide enough juice for even luxury electronic vehicles such as the Tesla Roadster.

Quote:

The traditional three-prong plug will be replaced with a five-prong plug, so current electric vehicles will need a converter or owners will have to replace their car's socket entirely. The two additional prongs allow charging stations and vehicles to communicate with each other—a capability that common electronics now lack. "The devices on both sides of the connector are not just dumb things like a light bulb," EPRI's Alexander says. "Both sides have intelligence."

If they aren't already, Tesla need to be in on the ground floor with this one.

vfx · 12-27-2008, 09:23 AM

Elektrobay Charging Station

dpeilow · 12-28-2008, 04:07 AM

The Elektrobay stations use standard UK domestic type 13A sockets.

At the Greenfleet event (where Damon Hill drove the Roadster), I asked one of their engineers why they were not offering 32A or higher connections - pointing out the 16 hour charge time for the Roadster on their current offering - and I was told that they would love to do this, but it was regulatory problems that were holding them up. Apparently the powers that be do not trust the public with more than 13A on the street, yet.

malcolm · 12-29-2008, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dpeilow

Apparently the powers that be do not trust the public with more than 13A on the street, yet.

Since these devices will become just pieces of street furniture, there's the issue of vandalism to consider.

Are any of these systems chav-proof?

TEG · 01-02-2009, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hailstorm

Better Place Plug:

Notice the similarity to the cable from the Tesla motor that connects to the Tesla PEM:

graham · 01-02-2009, 07:50 PM

I wonder if this means there will be a simple way to plug a Roadster into a Better Place charger? Possibly you normally have some sort of adapter as part of the mobile charger - but in a pinch you could pop the trunk and plug straight into the PEM?