EV Charging

[Ian Jackson]

In message <bhFlWiAWs$ [e-mail]>, tony sayer [e-mail]> writes

Fascinating!

[tony sayer]

More like they don't know its there! If they smell Copper its not long around.

We wanted a bit of Copper plate a while ago, Mackays in Cambridge who do a good range of metals said that they can't afford the insurance to keep it in stock!..

[F]

We may be in need of a 7kW EV charging point in the fairly near future.

Anyone got any advice on makes, installers (I assume it's not DiY to a competent DiYer), what to avoid, what to ensure? It's all new to me.

[Andy Burns]

To qualify for the grant they have to be installed by someone on the scheme.

Rolec?

There are specific requirements about earthing for EVs, possibly requiring a separate earth rod, particular RCBO type and carefully keeping apart the house earth and car earth.

There are now several chargers that do all the earth handling internally, and might be OK for DIY e.g.

Look at a couple of EV videos on youtube by John Ward or Artisan Electrics.

[Tim+]

We were recommended a Pod-point by our dealer, which we bought. Rather regretting it now as it?s a ?dumb? charger with no programming abilities (although that can be circumvented). Rolec chargers seem prone to electrical failures (but that may just be a reflection of the relatively high numbers of them). It was discounted though and seems to work fine. I?ve ordered a ?smart relay switch? to allow me to control it from my phone.

Some need an earth rod, some don?t. Looks ?tidier? without but that might not be important to you. Some cars (Zoe in particular) seem very fussy about earth.

Worth checking also if there are any discounts associated with your vehicle make. Lots of manufactures have links to various chargers with some quite good discounts.

Also, do you have solar panels? Some smart chargers allow charging from your panels.

Worth joining an owners Facebook group for more advice.

Tim

[nothanks]

About 4 years ago I looked at a DIY solution but the then subsidy persuaded me to get someone to instal a Rolec, which I took with me and reinstalled when I moved house. I modified it to include an MCB, relay and 13A socket (so the security switch could control the 13A socket as well as the charging cable) but I've never used the security switch so the relay was a waste. The Rolec has been fine. I think they appear on feeBay from time to time so, if the subsidy has gone or been reduced, that might be a DIY route (don't forget TT earthing). Recently I've added a cheap electricity meter in series with the charger so I can work out the real cost per mile of running a hybrid, but it's too early to have answer.

[F]

Thanks. All noted and, yes, we have solar PV so summer motoring will be free.

[F]

Thanks, I'll have a look at the Rolec.

[F]

Thanks. Understood!

[Andy Burns]

until road-pricing per mile comes in ...

[Tim Streater]

Only if you employ LibDem/Socialist accounting.

[Andrew]

Bugger. Does that mean I would need two separate supplies for EV and normal garage power (which might include an Air->water heat pump at some point) ?

At the moment my garage is detached and separated from the house by a metre wide path and the original builder? ran power into the garage via some of that TUFF cable (not swa), 'professionally' installed inside a 4 foot length of yellow plastic gas pipe, buried under the original concrete path and curled up 90 degrees at each end. The house side is clipped to the outside wall and goes through the cavity wall and into the back of a single socket connected to the ring main via an FCU. Garage end has another 13 amp FCU feeding lights and single socket.

I am about to replace the gas pipe with some 25mm black conduit but if I need two separate cables then some 38mm stuff might be better.

The cable that Doncaster sell has 2-core or cat5E signal cable in the same sheath, but how would the cat5e be 'split out' so that it connects to the house network ?. This must be cutting the sheath of the main cable and pulling the cat5e out before the cable enters a consumer units or junction box ?.

I've been waiting for Adam to install one so he can illuminate us.

[Andrew]

Last saturdays BBC CLick was about EV cars. They mentioned the test group of OVO customers who are using their EV cars to store power during periods when it is ?windy and power is 'cheap' and then supplying that power back to the grid during peak periods.

Not sure if it is cost effective to use a £30K+ EV car with a ?non-replaceable battery like this. Supply power to your own property maybe. I thought that is what the Tesla storage system did anyway.

[Andrew]

'Free' as in the FIT's appear on your neighbours bills though :-(

[Andrew]

Including all the cable and stuff related to the consumer unit, or just the wall box ?.

Does the next owner get another grant to go through the same process ?.

To me, something like that is a 'fixture and fitting' that you should not have taken, surely ?.

[Andy Burns]

Depends whether you listed as something included or excluded on the TA10 form?

[F]

Our neighbours have Solar PV too. They made the same decision to invest as we did. It was an open offer. :-)

We wouldn't need the FiT to pay for the car's consumption in the summer. We have sufficient panels to keep it charged out of export then.

Don't bother replying: I killfile such as you.

[ARW]

I fitted one on Monday.

We are OLEV registered and can organise the grants. But you need to buy/order a car before you can apply for the grant. Work can be done without a grant. As to what is needed I really would have to make site visit as it is not as simple as a new shower circuit.

[Tim+]

A few options from Octopus. The Ohme charging lead seems popular amongst those with solar.

Tim

[Andy Burns]

Yo Dawg! We heard you like charging, so we plugged a charger into your charger, so you can charge while you charge ...