200V AC Japanese EVSE on 230V AC NZ Power system: Any probs?

It's so much easier using the appropriate evse

Can i ask for some help from you to convert mine as well ? I have similar one and would like to get a similar conversion done. I have already used the Gen 1 charger in the past on 10 amps and burnt 2 plugs

noelho said:

m107 said:

To noelho or others:

Has anyone in NZ done this? I am considering it.

Click to expand...

I decided against modifying the EVSE since I dont have the experience or expertise to do it.

I did however order a custom adaptor online to adapt the japanese plug to a NZ commando plug.

theoretically it shouldnt be an issue since the wiring is all up to spec, but if there is an electrical shortcircuit/fire, insurance will be an issue.

I only ordered the custom adaptor so that I can have the EVSE as a back up. Will not leave it unattended.

Click to expand...

Sorry I know this is an old thread butI’m just looking at this now. Noelho I’m just wondering what the adaptor was that you got and where from? I’ve tried googling and search on Aliexpress but can’t seem to get any match for the Japanese 15 amp plug to commando plug adaptor. Do you have a link? I’m looking to do the same as you - just as a backup and if travelling.

Thanks

Just lop off the incorrect plug and install what you use there.

NZOldFart said:

noelho said:

m107 said:

To noelho or others:

Has anyone in NZ done this? I am considering it.

Click to expand...

I decided against modifying the EVSE since I dont have the experience or expertise to do it.

I did however order a custom adaptor online to adapt the japanese plug to a NZ commando plug.

theoretically it shouldnt be an issue since the wiring is all up to spec, but if there is an electrical shortcircuit/fire, insurance will be an issue.

I only ordered the custom adaptor so that I can have the EVSE as a back up. Will not leave it unattended.

Click to expand...

Sorry I know this is an old thread butI’m just looking at this now. Noelho I’m just wondering what the adaptor was that you got and where from? I’ve tried googling and search on Aliexpress but can’t seem to get any match for the Japanese 15 amp plug to commando plug adaptor. Do you have a link? I’m looking to do the same as you - just as a backup and if travelling.

Thanks

Click to expand...

Sure. I ordered this item and told them to customize the head to fit the EVSE.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32858196411.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.123b4c4doCNsdt

Before I placed the order, I messaged them privately to discuss if they could customize it. After they confirmed they could, I placed the order and added this additional note:
As per our conversation, please convert the IEC 320 C19 plug to Nema 6-20R. Thank you!

noelho said:

NZOldFart said:

noelho said:

I decided against modifying the EVSE since I dont have the experience or expertise to do it.

I did however order a custom adaptor online to adapt the japanese plug to a NZ commando plug.

theoretically it shouldnt be an issue since the wiring is all up to spec, but if there is an electrical shortcircuit/fire, insurance will be an issue.

I only ordered the custom adaptor so that I can have the EVSE as a back up. Will not leave it unattended.

Click to expand...

Sorry I know this is an old thread butI’m just looking at this now. Noelho I’m just wondering what the adaptor was that you got and where from? I’ve tried googling and search on Aliexpress but can’t seem to get any match for the Japanese 15 amp plug to commando plug adaptor. Do you have a link? I’m looking to do the same as you - just as a backup and if travelling.

Thanks

Click to expand...

Sure. I ordered this item and told them to customize the head to fit the EVSE.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32858196411.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.123b4c4doCNsdt

Before I placed the order, I messaged them privately to discuss if they could customize it. After they confirmed they could, I placed the order and added this additional note:
As per our conversation, please convert the IEC 320 C19 plug to Nema 6-20R. Thank you!

Click to expand...

Thanks for that. And you’ve found it to work ok? It seems a much simpler solution to cutting off the Japanese plug and fitting a commando plug with thermistor.

NZOldFart said:

Thanks for that. And you’ve found it to work ok? It seems a much simpler solution to cutting off the Japanese plug and fitting a commando plug with thermistor.

Click to expand...

I've only used it once for a full charge, and it worked without issue, and didnt even feel warm to the touch. I'm keeping it to use as a backup, just in case my EVSE fails and I need a charge.

Yeah, I was wary of trying to modify the EVSE, and to my non-technical mind, the adaptor itself should never be an issue, since all of the parts have a higher rating than the EVSE requires.

I reckon the only point of failure would be the transformer in the EVSE, but with the safety features of the EVSE, I assume it will shut down if there are any overheating issues.

noelho said:

Before I placed the order, I messaged them privately to discuss if they could customize it. After they confirmed they could, I placed the order and added this additional note:
As per our conversation, please convert the IEC 320 C19 plug to Nema 6-20R. Thank you!

Click to expand...

Sorry to be a pain - Looking at the plug on the evse one of the prongs isn’t straight - it’s bent 90 degrees sort of like an L shape looking straight down. I’ve looked at the Nema 6-20P plugs I can find on line and they are all straight prongs. The receptacle 6-20R has one slot that can accommodate a horizontal or vertical prong to suit both 6-20P and 5-20P plugs from what I could see - but not sure if the L shaped prong of the evse would fit. Does your evse have the same sort of prong - or is it straight?

NZOldFart said:

Sorry to be a pain - Looking at the plug on the evse one of the prongs isn’t straight - it’s bent 90 degrees sort of like an L shape looking straight down. I’ve looked at the Nema 6-20P plugs I can find on line and they are all straight prongs. The receptacle 6-20R has one slot that can accommodate a horizontal or vertical prong to suit both 6-20P and 5-20P plugs from what I could see - but not sure if the L shaped prong of the evse would fit. Does your evse have the same sort of prong - or is it straight?

Click to expand...

Haha. No worries. I went through the exact same headache researching for the correct plug heads. It was a real pain since I didnt know the technical names for any of these things.

I can confirm that my EVSE has the exact same plug head as yours, and that the 6-20R fits perfectly. Here are some pictures for your reference =)

https://imgur.com/a/u4XHFZG

You shouldn't see any more of these 15 A 200 VAC Leaf EVSEs in NZ.

See https://gazette.govt.nz/notice/id/2020-au5440

I don't dare to plug mine in for fear of the explosion hazard, and I certainly wouldn't let it charge unattended due to the fire hazard. It is rated only for 200 VAC, but my power is routinely above 240 VAC and (under my understanding of NZ regulations) my "230 VAC" power is allowed to go as high as 250 VAC and as low as 180 VAC!

The pasted-on labels that claim my EVSE will accept "230 VAC 50 Hz" were not persuasive -- even before I peeled them off to reveal the manufacturer's spec "AC200V 15A 50/60 Hz" ;-)

Also, the caravan plug is not rated for continuous use at 16 A. *Much* safer to run it at -20% of its rated max; unless it's fitted with a temp-sensor that'll stop the charge if the plug (or socket) overheats -- as is required for 15 A EVSEs under WorkSafe guidelines for EVSEs. That said, if you're confident the voltage will stay above 230 VAC then the current through this EVSE will (I think!) be limited by the 3.3 kW AC max-charge-rate of a standard Leaf.

The good news is that I can salvage the caravan plug for use on a 10 A EVSE -- which really shouldn't be plugged in overnight to a standard AC powerpoint. Even if the house wiring is sound, the pins on the plug aren't pitted... have you inspected the socket lately? Does it get warm when you charge?

A final note of caution when using EVSEs outside their safe limits: a friend of mine recently immobilised his Leaf when he (attempted an) overnight charge at a motel using a dodgy 10 A socket (which he subsequently described to me as "feeling loose"). Fortunately, a towie was able to get him going again -- after confirming that the 12 V battery was adequately charged, and after plugging his diagnostic laptop into the OBD2 port on the Leaf... perhaps clearing some fault code?