This has to have some way of automatically dealing with the earthing issue as well? Can you remember what current it delivered?
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16A home charging while visiting in France
- Thread starter vitesse
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I built a 16A adapter myself. It’s pretty simple.
IP rated French plug, 2.5mm2 SY armoured flex and a 16A commando trailing socket.
I’m pretty sure I’ve read that the latest UMC is insensitive to polarity, so this should reliably supply 16A single phase, which is enough to get me out of trouble.
IP rated French plug, 2.5mm2 SY armoured flex and a 16A commando trailing socket.
I’m pretty sure I’ve read that the latest UMC is insensitive to polarity, so this should reliably supply 16A single phase, which is enough to get me out of trouble.
This is what I'm inclined to do
But I have the old UMC so I will need two cables with the earths wired oppositely.
What current do you reliably get via a 16A socket in France?
This is what I'm inclined to do
But I have the old UMC so I will need two cables with the earths wired oppositely.
What current do you reliably get via a 16A socket in France?
16A. The French plugs are a little more capable than our compromised UK plugs. No fuse in them to overheat.
you’ll want to wire the Line and Neutral opposite, leave the earth where it is!
That's encouraging - overnight charging from 30-90% is realistic at 16A - 60% faster than with 10A.
For weight and cost savings, you only need one cable. Plus, a short length of cable with a 16A commando plug at one end, and a 16A commando at the other. Wire one of them the “wrong” way round, and you have a polarity reverser that just plugs in to the longer cable.
Well, everything is a compromise, but I'd not be too concerned about an extra commando in the circuit - compared to all the other possible connectors, they have the most robust contacts.
Other solutions with their own pros and cons:
- One cable, plus a screwdriver.
- UMC with the Tesla Schuko adapter plus a Schuko-Schuko extension cable with the type of plug that will fit both French and Schuko sockets. The extension lead will only plug into a French socket one way round, but the UMC will plug into the other end of it either way round and you can get the reversal there.
I got mine from the Amsterdam Service Center as a free swap for the old NL Schuko type. The old type couldn’t be reversed into all sockets.
The UMC recognizes the adapter and limits charging to 13A.
The Tesla part number for the item is 1024005-02-B. So either get it from an UK SeC, or during your vist to the continent. Besides the French SeC’s, probably Belgian and Dutch centers will have it in stock just as well.
OK, but I will try the DIY project first as that might work at 16A and act as an extension, too. And making the cable up will be fun
And by the way everyone - sorry for my confusing technical references - it's not earthing, it's the randomness of which terminal is live or neutral in France and I think, Belgium.
These aren't supposed to be random in Belgium. Nor in France. Since 2002 they are supposed to have the correct polarity for the official CEE 7/7 "Schuko" adapter that fits on the UMC.
That is neutral on the left and live on the right when facing the wall socket.
It's just that some people have houses with the wiring done wrongly, especially in older houses that were wired pre-2002 (and haven't been audited for compliance since).
Oh, if you're in the Czech republic then the sockets are indeed wired differently -- you'll need to reverse polarity there.
As for the current the Schuko adapter (which does fit French/Belgian type E and German/Dutch type F sockets, as it has a CEE 7/7 plug) delivers: 13A.
Which, TBH, is roughly what's safe -- I wouldn't want to draw 16A on most household Schuko sockets (they are usually fused at 16A; while they are supposed to be rated for 16A many of the cheapo Chinese ones do get quite hot at 16A).
That is neutral on the left and live on the right when facing the wall socket.
It's just that some people have houses with the wiring done wrongly, especially in older houses that were wired pre-2002 (and haven't been audited for compliance since).
Oh, if you're in the Czech republic then the sockets are indeed wired differently -- you'll need to reverse polarity there.
As for the current the Schuko adapter (which does fit French/Belgian type E and German/Dutch type F sockets, as it has a CEE 7/7 plug) delivers: 13A.
Which, TBH, is roughly what's safe -- I wouldn't want to draw 16A on most household Schuko sockets (they are usually fused at 16A; while they are supposed to be rated for 16A many of the cheapo Chinese ones do get quite hot at 16A).
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OK, thanks - I mentioned the house is pretty much new
I also mentioned there are no public charging points (Fontenay-le-Comte, Sud Vendée) - which is rather amazing as the town is not small.
I will certainly look at the EU Traveler kit, thanks.
Chargemap is your friend Chargemap - charging stations for electric cars There are 22kw destination chargers and a rapid at Fontenay.
Is 2.5mm flexible cable adequate for long periods of 16A/up to 250V current? It only seems to be rated for 13A? If I went for 4mm, would it fit the connectors?
Apologies to @arg once again - if you have a moment to advise - much appreciated! No hurry though, I just need to get the bits by the end of next week.
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