EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) for Home Use

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2120 posts

Uber Geek

#2932205 20-Jun-2022 15:12

If it's a "Supply your own Type 2" cable kinda EVSE then you can buy cables with a Tesla button built in. EVChargeKing sell them if you fancy importing one from Europe

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Dingbatt

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#2932266 20-Jun-2022 16:02

Very interesting. It’s a shame Tesla don’t do this. Yet another revenue stream they are missing out on.
I had forgotten about the port unlock function as well. But at about $NZ700+ to get it here it may be just too ‘decadent’ 😁

“We’ve arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. Carl Sagan 1996

Obraik

2120 posts

Uber Geek

#2932274 20-Jun-2022 16:23

It is spendy...but if I didn't already have a Type 2 cable I would be tempted to get one, especially if it was being used everyday at home. It would save faffing around with the app at public AC chargers.

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SaltyNZ

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2degrees

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#2932360 21-Jun-2022 08:01

Obraik:

It is spendy...but if I didn't already have a Type 2 cable I would be tempted to get one, especially if it was being used everyday at home. It would save faffing around with the app at public AC chargers.

If I'd known they existed I probably would've gotten one instead of the (perfectly functional but no Tesla button) one that I do have.

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RobDickinson

1520 posts

Uber Geek

#2932374 21-Jun-2022 08:27

Sad thing is the tesla one doesnt have this feature..

https://shop.tesla.com/en_nz/product/mennekes-type-2-adapter---7_5m

cthombor

81 posts

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#2932464 21-Jun-2022 12:13

Dingbatt:

It is part of an overall strategy that I hope will eventually see solar panels and a battery added to the mix. So what I am trying to plan is to not have to re-do stuff in future. The Smappee system would allow control of our high load items as well as optimising solar and battery use. But it is definitely a 'nice to have' when the sums are done.

I have the impression that there's a battle-of-the-titans over the home-automation market which is shaping up in the usual way for modern technology -- if you're unlucky enough to be an early-adopter which falls by the wayside then you'll just have to lick your wounds and go with one of the "winners". It's pretty rare that there's only one "winner", and I can recall that happening only in a couple of 2-way contests e.g. Sony's Betamax vs JVC's VHS for videorecording on tape, and 8-track vs 4-track audio cassettes. For analogue colour TV broadcasting, the NTSC vs PAL "war" was fought country-by-country... and is *still* unresolved in digital video due to annoyingly-different frame sizes and refresh rates.

For home-automation, each smart device a consumer may want to purchase in the future will be designed around *some* communication protocol (e.g. zigbee, Z-Wave, BLE, Thread) which may -- or may not -- be supported by whatever "hub" device the consumer has already purchased. Furthermore each smart device will offer some controllability features, and some observability features, which may -- or may not -- be well-supported by the hub. The devices and the hub will have firmware which may -- or may not -- be actively updated by their manufacturer (without notice, at any time)... so... even if you manage to get an unsupported device working reasonably well with your hub, there's no guarantee that it'll remain functional after the hub's firmware is updated... and in most (but not all!) cases, the individual devices will be relying on the hub's connectivity to the internet to get security-updates and bugfixes for its firmware.

All to say that Smappee is definitely a player in the home-automation market; but it's up against some *really* big gorillas! The Smappee website reveals very little about its tech... googling on "smappee zwave" and "smappee zigbee" pointed me at comments on a dodgy-looking (because non-https!) e-commerce website called SmartHomeDB which suggest there's no provision for using zwave or zigbee in the communication stack of a Smappee product... but instead that it's using WiFi... making me *guess* that Smappee has been rolling-their-own IP stack and *may* someday jump into bed with Google by adjusting their product line so that will conform to the Thread spec? https://www.mouser.com/applications/IoT-protocols-growing-stack/, https://www.threadgroup.org/What-is-Thread/Thread-Benefits#certifiedproducts

SaltyNZ

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2degrees

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#2932740 21-Jun-2022 18:07

IoT: the 'S' is for security, and support.

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timbosan

2137 posts

Uber Geek

#2937369 1-Jul-2022 20:32

So, I thought I would add to the mix. Today I had the sparky back to do some more work after a recent whole-house rewire, with the main job being installing a Halo 16amp level 2 - https://chargeamps.com/product/charge-amps-halo/

I brought this second hand from Trademe (turned out the seller and I work at the same company!!!) - I brought this as the unit is quite small, amp controlled but also can just use RFID (less dependency on cloud services), very weather proof, and of course is quicker than the 8amp EVSE that comes with the car.

Really impressed with the look, app was easy to install, but unfortunately my Leaf is getting repaired so no way to test it!

Anyone else have one of these?

Dingbatt

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#2937398 2-Jul-2022 06:05

Is it certified for installation and use in NZ?

I’m still waiting to hear from Zappi on the same question.

“We’ve arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. Carl Sagan 1996

everettpsycho

610 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2937406 2-Jul-2022 09:23

I got my evnex boxes installed and they seem pretty good. Just set up a 9-7 schedule on them and plug the car in when I get home and forget all about it. I started a new job too and they have about 10 of them outside our building.

The installers were great, did exactly what was expected of them and it's a neat job with no exposed cabling or conduit at all. We are hoping to collect the second leaf this weekend so will see how the power loads go charging both. Plan is to put the one doing a shorter commute on the load balanced one so if it throttles back overnight we only need 50% on that one. That will mean the longer commute one should always hit the higher charge it needs. Worst case scenario I can charge at work for a bit to top up if I absolutely need to but so far I've avoided doing that and charging twice in a day.

jonathan18

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#2944450 20-Jul-2022 21:03

At the risk of going slightly off-topic: I’m trying to work out the value of purchasing a second charging cable to keep with our new car (MY).

We’re sticking with Tesla’s UMC for home charging (with 16A caravan adapter if I need to charge faster than 8A/10A): I had thought about buying a T2>T2 cable to keep in the car, but am now wondering whether a second UMC* would be more flexible, and save the need to remember to unhook and stick the UMC in the car when needed.

TBH, I really don’t see many situations where this will be needed, but thinking of it more like insurance. Obviously on organised trips I’ll take the UMC, but it’s for those situations where I forget to do so.

Which one (UMC or T2>T2) would be more useful/flexible? Or am I just being overly cautious, and should I be comfortable I’ll always be able to find somewhere with fixed (or supplied) cables to charge?

What do you other EV owners do - always carry a cable, or only in certain situations? (This isn’t something I’ve need to think about with our Leaf, as it’s only used for short-distance travel.)

* or put in a wall charger in the garage and put the original UMC in the car)

Obraik

2120 posts

Uber Geek

#2944501 20-Jul-2022 21:15

You would likely get more use out of a Type 2 cable over a second UMC. Many malls, car parks, hotels and motels have a Type 2 connector that you can use and this will increase as it's the government recommended way to provide AC charging. A UMC requires that there be a standard wall outlet where you need to charge.

The worse case if you forget your free UMC is that you might need to charge at a DC charger where you're staying.

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everettpsycho

610 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2944523 20-Jul-2022 21:41

I agree with obraik, I've used the evse once elsewhere and that was at a holiday rental. The type 1 to type 2 cable we need for the leaf at least gets used from time to time at Public AC chargers. The big difference will be the public AC chargers will charge far faster than the wall charger so if you're out and about it's a better option and for now at least it's often free. Also not the easiest thing to find random plug sockets to plug in to safely with the wall ones, I've never seen one designed for that use where the cable wouldn't be in the way and be a trip hazard.

jonathan18

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#2944547 20-Jul-2022 22:02

Thanks, you two have convinced me of a type 2 cable over another UMC.

Would any of these do the job (noting all are three phase and of a decent length)?

Tessories - $308 for 7.5m: https://tessories.nz/product/type-2-charging-cable-22kw/?attribute_pa_length=75-metre
Smart EV Chargers - $314 for 8m: https://smartevchargers.co.nz/shop/charging-cables/type-2-to-type-2-cable-22kwh/
OEM Audio - $335 for 7m: https://oemaudio.co.nz/ev-power-type-2-type-2-lead-32-amp-3-phase-7m-greywhite-handle
Tesla - $350 for 7.5m: https://shop.tesla.com/en_nz/product/mennekes-type-2-adapter---7_5m

I'm still interested to know if you guys always carry a T2 cable in the car, or only when travelling or similar. Cheers!

Scott3

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#2944557 20-Jul-2022 22:31

jonathan18: At the risk of going slightly off-topic: I’m trying to work out the value of purchasing a second charging cable to keep with our new car (MY).

We’re sticking with Tesla’s UMC for home charging (with 16A caravan adapter if I need to charge faster than 8A/10A): I had thought about buying a T2>T2 cable to keep in the car, but am now wondering whether a second UMC* would be more flexible, and save the need to remember to unhook and stick the UMC in the car when needed.

TBH, I really don’t see many situations where this will be needed, but thinking of it more like insurance. Obviously on organised trips I’ll take the UMC, but it’s for those situations where I forget to do so.

Which one (UMC or T2>T2) would be more useful/flexible? Or am I just being overly cautious, and should I be comfortable I’ll always be able to find somewhere with fixed (or supplied) cables to charge?

What do you other EV owners do - always carry a cable, or only in certain situations? (This isn’t something I’ve need to think about with our Leaf, as it’s only used for short-distance travel.)

* or put in a wall charger in the garage and put the original UMC in the car)

You could do just fine with nothing extra, rely on fast charging for long trips (and take your current UMC only if staying overnight).

I would say the T2 > T2 is far more useful. Gives you access to AC charge stations that are following the governments BYO cable guidelines (malls, city car parks, some accommodation), and these generally have an OK charge rate (32A single phase is most common. cira 7kW, giving something like 50km of range per hour).

Charging at 8 amps from a domestic socket gives something like 10km of range per hour. Obviously worth it, if you are able to plug in for several hours or overnight, but not really worth it as insurance in my view. If you suddenly need to drive the length of the country or whatever, just rely on fast charging networks. If you are going away overnight, pulling the mobile cord off your wall doesn't seem to onerous.

Should note the T2 - T2 cord is much cheaper than a UMC too.

Should note that I have used my T2 - T1 cord on my leaf only about 10 times in nearly 2 years. For me, absolutely worth it to be able to plug in at the likes of Piha Cafe, and the Auckland downtown carpark (although last time I had to try 3 chargers to find one that was working). But for others, it would not have been worth the cira $270 I paid for the cable, and the space and weight of carrying it around.

Note some malls, like Siliva park, ignore the government recommendation to have type 2 sockets, and instead have a mix of type 1 & 2 tethered chargers (catering for EV drivers that have decided it is not worth the cost to buy the cable). Tauranga crossing only has type 2 teathered chargers. Tough luck to those with ex japan EV's, or NZ new EV's with type 1 plugs like the Lexus UX300e.

On home charging, with a domestic socket it will take many hours (like 40+) to charge your car from flat. Quite fine if your daily commute is under say 80km, and you don't make long trips back to back. If you want to fit your charging into off peak hours on a power plan, or are planning to do back to back long trips, then faster charging is really desirable.

If you are going to get a sparky out to install a 16A caravan outlet so you can charge faster at home (likely will need a new circuit), I would say to pony up the $800 for a wall charger in the garage. The Tesla wall charger is one of the cheapest ones on the market. Outcome will be much neater, safer and faster then the UMC. Will mean your car can fully charge overnight, if you ever happen to want to do 400km+ day trips back to back... (get the gen3 not gen2 so it can be set to work with other brands of car - I think.)

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