EVSE Basics
I see new owners of Leaf S base cars over spending on level two EVSE's.
There are two parts to the J1772 Specification. First the EVSE tells the car how much current it can supply using the pilot duty cycle. Second the EV charger takes what it needs ignoring the rest.
When I was working I charged with a 16A L2 EVSE. It charged my 2012 Leaf to its 16A max. When I switched to a 2013 Leaf SL it still charged my car at 16A. The car could charge at 27.5A but is obeyed the current limitation.
At home I charge from a 32A OpenEVSE. My Leaf takes its 27.5A and ignores the rest. In fact I could set my EVSE to the J1772 max of 80A and I would get away with it since my Leaf will only take the 27.5A it needs. It will not cause a fire since the real current is unchanged.
As long as the EVSE tells the EV that there is enough current all is fine. I could have a 15KW 50A JuiceBox and my car would still only charge at 27.5A.
If I had a base 16A S connected to a 15KW JuiceBox it would charge no faster than Ingineers 20A conversion. Both supply more current than the EV charger requires.
No current EV draws 50A. A dual charger Tesla S will exceed the normal J1772 current but it uses its own power plug. Tesla based cars like the Mercedes B can draw 40A. All other cars that I am aware of draw 30A or less. A Soul EV or a Honda Fit EV will charge at 30A. A leaf charges at 16A or 27.5A. Any excess current is ignored. A 16A leaf will not charge any faster on a 15KW EVSE.
Clipper Creek makes quality EVSE's at a variety of current levels. Unless I had a Tesla based EV and wanted to charge at 40A then buying a 40A EVSE is a waste of money. The EV will charge just fine at 30A a little slower but you will have spent hundreds less. Most of the time you charge over night and as long as there is enough energy to charge the car fully in the morning you are golden.
If I spent a thousand plus dollars on a 40A Clipper then I might experience the placebo effect and I might be convinced it would charge my old 2012 SL faster. All a higher current EVSE gets you is a very heavy awkward J1772 cable.
https://code.google.com/p/open-evse/wiki/J1772Basics" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I see new owners of Leaf S base cars over spending on level two EVSE's.
There are two parts to the J1772 Specification. First the EVSE tells the car how much current it can supply using the pilot duty cycle. Second the EV charger takes what it needs ignoring the rest.
When I was working I charged with a 16A L2 EVSE. It charged my 2012 Leaf to its 16A max. When I switched to a 2013 Leaf SL it still charged my car at 16A. The car could charge at 27.5A but is obeyed the current limitation.
At home I charge from a 32A OpenEVSE. My Leaf takes its 27.5A and ignores the rest. In fact I could set my EVSE to the J1772 max of 80A and I would get away with it since my Leaf will only take the 27.5A it needs. It will not cause a fire since the real current is unchanged.
As long as the EVSE tells the EV that there is enough current all is fine. I could have a 15KW 50A JuiceBox and my car would still only charge at 27.5A.
If I had a base 16A S connected to a 15KW JuiceBox it would charge no faster than Ingineers 20A conversion. Both supply more current than the EV charger requires.
No current EV draws 50A. A dual charger Tesla S will exceed the normal J1772 current but it uses its own power plug. Tesla based cars like the Mercedes B can draw 40A. All other cars that I am aware of draw 30A or less. A Soul EV or a Honda Fit EV will charge at 30A. A leaf charges at 16A or 27.5A. Any excess current is ignored. A 16A leaf will not charge any faster on a 15KW EVSE.
Clipper Creek makes quality EVSE's at a variety of current levels. Unless I had a Tesla based EV and wanted to charge at 40A then buying a 40A EVSE is a waste of money. The EV will charge just fine at 30A a little slower but you will have spent hundreds less. Most of the time you charge over night and as long as there is enough energy to charge the car fully in the morning you are golden.
If I spent a thousand plus dollars on a 40A Clipper then I might experience the placebo effect and I might be convinced it would charge my old 2012 SL faster. All a higher current EVSE gets you is a very heavy awkward J1772 cable.
https://code.google.com/p/open-evse/wiki/J1772Basics" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
