Adjustable EVSE

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Kenny

Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2019
Messages
21
Can anyone recommend a good adjustable EVSE for my 2018 Leaf? I would like the ability to toggle between 6.6kW, 3.3kW & 1.4kW charging. I plug in to a NEMA 14-50 receptacle. Also, are there any EVSE out there that can stop the charge at a preset % of my choosing?
 
I don't know of any EVSE that will stop at a fixed % SOC but OpenEVSE allows you set the charging current and start/stop times which is close enough for me. I think I remember Dala (the great) that was working on or considering a muxsan bridge-enabled way to do this but I don't know if that ever made it to production. And that wouldn't be a full EVSE IIRC.
 
JuiceBox also will supposedly let you specify stopping % SoC but it has to make an educated guess based upon user input + numerous other parameters it should know about already.
 
I think the basic problem is that any L2 EVSE only supplies 240V AC power (or 208V, in the US at least). This is converted to DC by the car's charger. The SOC is based on the DC voltage of the traction battery so an external L2 EVSE can't monitor that.

You can do the math yourself (my plan with OpenEVSE), you can have the EVSE do the math given some input parameters (as above) or something like LeafSpy might be able to monitor the DC voltage and then report that back to the EVSE. That last bit is the tough part IMHO. Maybe the CANBUS could signal the charger to to send some sort of message to the j1772 plug to terminate the charging or WIFI or bluetooth could be used to transmit to the EVSE to terminate. Either way, it's not a simple problem.
 
I picked up the Duosida 32amp adjustable EVSE from an Ebay seller a month ago for right at $200 (free shipping). It's been great.
https://duosidaevchargers.com/

I have fully tested it and it works with the following:
240 volt AC
208 volt AC (this is what my work has)
120 volt AC

It works with all the above voltages with any of the adjustable amps; 10,13, 16, & 32 amps. Leaf's max is 27.5 amp on 240 volt.

I just made two adaptors which covers anything I'll run into. 14-50R to TT-30P (Travel Trailer 120v 30amp) & TT-30R to 5-15P (standard 120v 15amp US house outlet).


-Sean
 
You shouldn't use 13 amps for a 120 volt, 15 amp circuit, so that leaves choosing between 10 and possible hot wiring. It also doesn't offer the optimum amperage for charging a Leaf, or even anything close to it...
 
LeftieBiker said:
You shouldn't use 13 amps for a 120 volt, 15 amp circuit, so that leaves choosing between 10 and possible hot wiring. It also doesn't offer the optimum amperage for charging a Leaf, or even anything close to it...
Somewhat agree although the 13a setting is probably closer to 12a, they always seem to be a bit low. The 16a setting would be good for a 20a circuit but what I'd miss would be a 24a setting for a 30a circuit. 27.5a for a TT-30 outlet the OP mentioned is just too much current! Note the EVSE isn't the one limiting it to 27.5a in the case of the Leaf but rather the Leaf itself which maxes out at 27.5a, hooking this EVSE up to another car that could draw more on 120v would really be a bad idea for a TT-30 outlet!
Personally I'd like to see:
12a, 16a, 20a, 24a and maybe 30 or 32a max. The 20a being somewhat sketchy but I've found out at least with my EVSEs is a 20a setting results in about a 19a draw, too much for continuous use on a 20a circuit but OK if you know the circuit is dedicated and in good quality for short periods of time to get the maximum charge you could. I used to regularly charge at that current at a building I went to, I monitored the plug and breaker temps the first few times I did this and everything seemed OK, again it was for occasional short term(less than a couple hours) charging when I wanted the maximum Kw I could get from a 20a circuit, again on a dedicated circuit and quality wiring/outlets.
 
I know it's not to code, but in retrospect I should have ordered my Zencar EVSE with a 26A setting, rather than the 24A setting, for my 30A circuit.

At 24A, the cable never even gets warm. Also, the 14-30R is right beside the panel, so it's a super short run. I realize 26A exceeds 80% of 30A, but I seldom if ever charge for more than 3 hours continuously, usually for less than 90 minutes.

24A is safer though and provides 87% of the full charging rate, whereas 26A would provide 95% of the full charge rate.

As jjeff mentioned, the actual draw, shown on the Zencar's display, is always a bit under the set point which adds a margin of safety
 
Hey that 10 amp setting sounds good. I could set my leaf to simmer all night on these long cold winter nights and be hitting 80 to 90% maybe 100% when I wake up to go to work.
Instead of hitting max charge 2 or 3 hours before I wake up.

If the entire length of the wire is exposed r in a metal conduit with lota of room don't worry about it. The wire amp capacity charts are made using worst case scenario, such as a wire sealed up in a wall buried in fiberglass insulation on a hot summer day.
 
alozzy said:
I know it's not to code, but in retrospect I should have ordered my Zencar EVSE with a 26A setting, rather than the 24A setting, for my 30A circuit.

At 24A, the cable never even gets warm. Also, the 14-30R is right beside the panel, so it's a super short run. I realize 26A exceeds 80% of 30A, but I seldom if ever charge for more than 3 hours continuously, usually for less than 90 minutes.

24A is safer though and provides 87% of the full charging rate, whereas 26A would provide 95% of the full charge rate.

As jjeff mentioned, the actual draw, shown on the Zencar's display, is always a bit under the set point which adds a margin of safety
Truthfully on a good 30a circuit where I know the outlet and the run isn't that far from the panel, I use the 30a setting charging my Leaf, knowing the Leaf will limit the maximum charge rate to 27.5a. Yes this isn't code for continuous use but again I've monitored things and other than the breaker getting a bit warm(not hot) things seem fine. If I had a 60kwh battery that would require charging for many many hours I probably wouldn't charge at 27.5a for an extended period of time if the battery were low but for a brief(~ couple hours) charge I'd be OK with it. Plugging into an outlet not mine for the first time and not knowing anything about it and where I might not have access to the panel I'd probably be satisfied with 24a.
 
The adjustable Duosida is my spare that I keep in the car with the 2 adaptors I made, it's not my primary EVSE. Being that it's not my primary I just couldn't justify the added $100 to $150 more for the next step up (Zencar) which does have that 24amp setting which is perfect for 30amp max circuits if usage of such is regular.

While at work I plug into a 14-50R (208v commercial 2 out of 3-phase used) which so far has been it's only use besides testing the other voltages and amp settings at home. And yes I did test it on my TT-30 at home running for 1 hour at the max rate the leaf can pull of 27.5 amps. No issues and heat was verified with an infrared thermometer on feed wires, breaker, & EVSE plug & cord. Same operating temps I see running at 240v 27.5 amp on 40 amp breaker.

Regarding the TT-30 (120v 30amp) option... We are talking emergency on the road oh crap I'm running out of juice because I didn't plan ahead better or non-operational public charging stations. I've owned recreational vehicles for 18 years... 24 amp max continuous is rare in campgrounds... Someone needs to inform the RVIA and associated member recreational vehicle manufactures of this! Our 2011 32ft motorhome is pretty standardly equipped with a 15,000btu HVAC pulling 14 amps (running amps not startup), 6 gallon electric water heater pulling 10 amps (when heating), microwave pulling about 8 amps, DC converter pulling 1-7 amps, fridge pulling 5 amps. Sure not all of those loads run continuously, but you can bet for at least the first couple hours of pulling into a campsite they are on. In Texas your HVAC runs 100% in the summer during the day and so does your fridge, that's 19-20 amps right off the top.

To summarize in all my 18 years of camping in the Texas heat with only a lonely TT-30 outlet for days on end where these are abused public use outlets have I never had to think about how much of a max load I am putting on the wiring and\or plug nor do I suppose does another typical weekend warrior camper whos like myself.

When such an emergency does occur when I find myself needing to plug in to a TT-30 at the max setting the 6.6Kwh leaf charger can take (27.5 amps @ 120 or 240 volts) at a charging rate of only about 12 miles per hour it won't be an issue. Why, because who in their right mind would sit around a campground charging at a rate of only 12 miles per hour for any longer than needed to get them to a DC charger or 6.6Kwh L2 charger?
 
My understanding is that the weak points in most home electrical circuits are the connections. For the old AL wiring, it was the connections that eventually failed. Just because the wire or breaker doesn't get excessively warm doesn't make the circuit safe, IMHO.
 
The evse is supposed to be ran on a dedicated circuit where the only connections are at the breaker and then andthe receptacle or hard wired to the evse junction box.
 
1byte said:
The adjustable Duosida is my spare that I keep in the car with the 2 adaptors I made, it's not my primary EVSE. Being that it's not my primary I just couldn't justify the added $100 to $150 more for the next step up (Zencar) which does have that 24amp setting which is perfect for 30amp max circuits if usage of such is regular.

While at work I plug into a 14-50R (208v commercial 2 out of 3-phase used) which so far has been it's only use besides testing the other voltages and amp settings at home. And yes I did test it on my TT-30 at home running for 1 hour at the max rate the leaf can pull of 27.5 amps. No issues and heat was verified with an infrared thermometer on feed wires, breaker, & EVSE plug & cord. Same operating temps I see running at 240v 27.5 amp on 40 amp breaker.

Regarding the TT-30 (120v 30amp) option... We are talking emergency on the road oh crap I'm running out of juice because I didn't plan ahead better or non-operational public charging stations. I've owned recreational vehicles for 18 years... 24 amp max continuous is rare in campgrounds... Someone needs to inform the RVIA and associated member recreational vehicle manufactures of this! Our 2011 32ft motorhome is pretty standardly equipped with a 15,000btu HVAC pulling 14 amps (running amps not startup), 6 gallon electric water heater pulling 10 amps (when heating), microwave pulling about 8 amps, DC converter pulling 1-7 amps, fridge pulling 5 amps. Sure not all of those loads run continuously, but you can bet for at least the first couple hours of pulling into a campsite they are on. In Texas your HVAC runs 100% in the summer during the day and so does your fridge, that's 19-20 amps right off the top.

To summarize in all my 18 years of camping in the Texas heat with only a lonely TT-30 outlet for days on end where these are abused public use outlets have I never had to think about how much of a max load I am putting on the wiring and\or plug nor do I suppose does another typical weekend warrior camper whos like myself.

When such an emergency does occur when I find myself needing to plug in to a TT-30 at the max setting the 6.6Kwh leaf charger can take (27.5 amps @ 120 or 240 volts) at a charging rate of only about 12 miles per hour it won't be an issue. Why, because who in their right mind would sit around a campground charging at a rate of only 12 miles per hour for any longer than needed to get them to a DC charger or 6.6Kwh L2 charger?

Over the past couple of years, NY has gradually been adding TT-30 outlets to all of the campsites in the state parks. The downside is that I now have to share campgrounds with more RVs than ever before (and for whatever reason, RV "campers" are incredibly rude and inconsiderate to tent campers, but that's another issue). The upside is that I can charge my EV while I camp.

As much as I have tried, the Bolt EV simply does not accept more than 12A on a 120V circuit. If I could get 24A from that TT-30, it would double my charging speed, allowing more side trips during the days.

Is the above also true with a Leaf? I never tried more than 12A when I had a Leaf. Can a 2020 Leaf, for example, charge at 24A / 120V? Asking more for a friend than myself. He has a 2019 40kWh Leaf, so less range than my Bolt. If he could charge faster while we camped, that could make up the difference.
 
Yes, Leaf's with the 6.6kW charger can charge up to half of the chargers max kilowatt rating if only being feed 120 volts. So, for 120 volts that's 3.3kWs or 27.5 amps. I am not sure about older Leafs that came with the 3.6kW charger, my guess is it would be the same for them with only half the max output when feed 120 volts...15 amps.

I personally would only charge on 120 volts as a last resort and only at the rate required to meet my immediate needs. If charging overnight 24 amp max (if your EVSE has this setting) or 16 amp (most adjustable EVSE's have this setting). If it were me I would leave 27.5 amp charging for time periods I'm able to check on it often to ensure the campsites breaker hasn't tripped. Then at bedtime reduce it down to 16 amp. It's 'free' juice so efficiency of charge wouldn't be of the highest concern of mine.
 
1byte said:
Yes, Leaf's with the 6.6kW charger can charge up to half of the chargers max kilowatt rating if only being feed 120 volts. So, for 120 volts that's 3.3kWs or 27.5 amps. I am not sure about older Leafs that came with the 3.6kW charger, my guess is it would be the same for them with only half the max output when feed 120 volts...15 amps.

I personally would only charge on 120 volts as a last resort and only at the rate required to meet my immediate needs. If charging overnight 24 amp max (if your EVSE has this setting) or 16 amp (most adjustable EVSE's have this setting). If it were me I would leave 27.5 amp charging for time periods I'm able to check on it often to ensure the campsites breaker hasn't tripped. Then at bedtime reduce it down to 16 amp. It's 'free' juice so efficiency of charge wouldn't be of the highest concern of mine.
Yes and no.
My '12 Leaf with the 3.3kw charger maxes out at 15a @ 240v but 12a @ 120v :x
My '13 Leaf with the 6.6kw charger maxes out at 27.5a on either 120 or 240v.
I'm not positive what a modern(post '12) Leaf with the 3.3kw would do on 120v, I'm guessing 12a but it's possible it could do 15a, I just don't know.
I personally like the 27.5a @ 120v option where 240v isn't available, such as 120v only generators or campgrounds with just a single TT-30 outlet.
From what I understand charging at more than 12a?? @ 120v isn't really part of the J1772 standard so I'm guessing the Volt purposely limits 120v charging, not that it couldn't do it. I mean if the wiring is capable of 27.5a @ 240v the same wiring could do 120v no problem.
 
jjeff said:
From what I understand charging at more than 12a?? @ 120v isn't really part of the J1772 standard so I'm guessing the Volt purposely limits 120v charging, not that it couldn't do it. I mean if the wiring is capable of 27.5a @ 240v the same wiring could do 120v no problem.
Limit is 16 Amps at 120V.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAE_J1772#Charging
 
Except for

Some EVs have extended J1772 to allow 120 V charging at greater than 16 amps. This is useful, for example, at RV parks where TT-30 ("Travel Trailer" - 120 V, 30 A) receptacles are common. These allow charging at up to 24 amps. However this level of 120 V charging has not been codified into J1772.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAE_J1772#Charging
 
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