13A sockets useless for charging electric cars?

[Rob Morley]

No, the solution is to wire a 32A socket (like the blue ones you see in caravan parks, but the next size up) into the consumer unit and then connect it with 4mm^2 flexible cable.

[R D S]

I've seen a lot of worrying things after having electric heaters plugged in for long periods at work.

It's presumably why it's one of the questions our insurer asks, 'do you use portable heating?'

[nothanks]

There isn't much tech info available but my guess is that there's the usual 3-phase rectifier to a DC bus and then an inverter to generate whatever is needed to charge the battery. I vaguely recall that the HV battery in my car operates at 130V, but I can't find the info to confirm that.

[Andy Burns]

No, just talk of not installing new gas boilers in new builds, place bets now ...

[nothanks]

It isn't quite that simple. You also need a special control module to handle the (very simple) signalling protocol between the car and the charger, a contactor and a type A RCD.

[Scott]

I thought cookers were to be banned too.

[harry]

My Mitsubishi draws 10 amps on charge. I have had the car for six years, no problems. Typical charging times between two and four hours. Plugged into 13A socket on ring main.

[dennis]

You hard wire a charging point to a 32A circuit. The charging point provides the required protection. You get a subsidy to do it, wasting more taxpayers money.

[dennis]

Effectively as they are planning on not running gas to new builds.

You can still get bottled gas if you need a gas cooker, I don't think they can ban that.

[Scott]

And how many miles does that give you running on electric power?

[ARW]

Not driven many miles then?

[ARW]

Three phase installations are available.

Three phase EV's are plugged into the socket next to the steaming mound of rocking horse shit.

[charles]

There's a perfectly good standard 32A connector. (or 63A if you must).

[ARW]

That would leave the travelling community without a source of cooking after a hard days thieving or after a hard days ripping off a load of customers with dodgy tarmaced driveways.

[mechanic]

You are thinking of the 2025 proposed ban for new build; just govt talk at the moment.

[Brian Reay]

It depends on the charger.

My Outlander came with a ?free? (supplied by Mitsubishi) charger which you can use with a normal 13A socket- as I do almost every time it needs charging. It takes about 5 hrs or so. (The car has a timer so I set it to use economy 7 over night.)

The Gov. also paid for a ? quick ? charger to be fitted to my house- it has a dedicated 16A spur etc. It charges in about 3 hrs. I use it when needed.

I have run the ?slow ? one during the day and checked the socket. It didn?t get noticeably warm.

[Scott]

Would it not be possible to wire the quick charger to Economy 7 and use the slow charger at other times only when needed?

[Steve Walker]

Probably more a case of fire risk if a heater is knocked over or has something put in front or even on it.

Sockets can get fairly warm with no risk of overheating.

SteveW

[newshound]

I discovered that after putting MK plugs and sockets into a mate's "light industrial" application with 3 kW immersion heaters running typically for up to 12 hours. (Having plugs and sockets added flexibility when elements or controllers failed). Since going over to the standard 16A industrial plug and socket (no switch or fuse) there have been no problems at all.

[Brian Reay]

Yes.

For various reasons, I opted to have the quick changer outside. As I normally park the car in the garage, I use the slow charger. The timer is a function of the car system, so it will work with either charger.

I could have had the quick charger in the garage but it seemed a good idea to have it outside, in case we bought another car and wanted to put that in the garage or a visitor needed to use a charger on the drive.