Adjust rate of charge on public charger?

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Notacop

Member
Joined
Jul 5, 2018
Messages
8
This is an odd request... Is there a way to limit my 2016 Leaf SL to charge at 3.3kw rather than the full 6.6kw?

The charger where I work is a Schneider EV Link. It works fine until another co-worker with a Pacifica Hybrid parks next to me. When we both charge at the same time it trips the breaker. From what I can tell any time 2 vehicles charge at 6.6kw it trips the breaker. The electricians are getting frustrated with the calls to reset the breaker and are angling to make the chargers for fleet vehicles only, thereby blocking employee access.

Is there a way to limit my car to 3.3kw so that if a 6.6kw vehicle is using the second charger we don't trip the breaker? Alternately does anyone know if it is possible to do this on the Pacifica Hybrid?
 
This sounds like an installation problem. They've got a two 30A EVSEs connected to an incorrectly sized circuit.

The correct way to fix this is to fix the installation: put the two EVSEs on correctly sized circuits, or replace the EVSEs with ones that won't draw more than the circuit they are on. It may be possible that the Schneider units have an internal setting to limit the mount they advertise.

(no, you can't set the LEAF to pull less than the EVSE advertises it can output)
 
It looks like they may no longer offer the product, but eMotorWerks (JuiceBox company) used to sell a JuicePlug product. It looks like an adapter for a standard J1772 connection and sits inline between the EVSE and the car's OBC. If memory serves, one of its features was the ability to throttle the charging rate. Would be worth a phone call to them, perhaps they still have some in stock even if the product was pulled.
 
^^^^ I know what you are talking about and thought of that too. It was a cool little gizmo, not sure why they dropped it :?
 
@jjeff Yup, there was a thread on it awhile ago:

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=25048&hilit=juiceplug

They shot themselves in the foot, as it was only recommended for indoor use. With that restriction, the only use case was for people with an older indoor EVSE that wanted to add some smarts to it. The $200 US price tag certainly didn't help either...
 
Since the Pacifica has a much smaller battery and needs less time to charge, I'd suggest that a possible workaround would be to set the charge start timers in the two vehicles so that they don't overlap...
 
jlv said:
This sounds like an installation problem. They've got a two 30A EVSEs connected to an incorrectly sized circuit.

The correct way to fix this is to fix the installation: put the two EVSEs on correctly sized circuits, or replace the EVSEs with ones that won't draw more than the circuit they are on. It may be possible that the Schneider units have an internal setting to limit the mount they advertise.

(no, you can't set the LEAF to pull less than the EVSE advertises it can output)


Unfortunately it is a government building and the electricians would rather leave the breaker tripped than think about any hardware solution.


TomT said:
Since the Pacifica has a much smaller battery and needs less time to charge, I'd suggest that a possible workaround would be to set the charge start timers in the two vehicles so that they don't overlap...

When it's just the two of us, we know better than to plug in at the same time. The issue was when another Leaf plugged in to charge next to the Pacifica. We can adjust our patterns but there is always the chance of someone new that doesn't know the temperamental nature of the charger.

Unfortunately since it was primarily the Pacifica owner and myself who were calling the electricians to reset the breaker they decided that we were just troublemakers and they would no longer reset the breaker for us. They claimed that it is for fleet vehicles only despite no signage and unrestricted access. They said "everyone else has to buy your own gas, why should your electricity be free?". The Pacifica owner had inquired about using the charger before buying her van and was told it was open to the public. We had both been charging there for more than a month with no problems.

For now my charging strategy has changed from "Primarily at work" to "Primarily at home" . With a 50 mile round trip commute I am not at risk of being stranded but it is exceptionally frustrating to have the terms changed on us.
 
alozzy said:
It looks like they may no longer offer the product, but eMotorWerks (JuiceBox company) used to sell a JuicePlug product. It looks like an adapter for a standard J1772 connection and sits inline between the EVSE and the car's OBC. If memory serves, one of its features was the ability to throttle the charging rate. Would be worth a phone call to them, perhaps they still have some in stock even if the product was pulled.

I had ordered a JuicePlug a while back, but did not receive it. I also figured the product was canceled, but I just received the following email today;

"Your JuicePlug order is on its way!

Thanks for being an early supporter of eMotorWerks smart-charging solutions. We are excited to let you know that JuicePlug is now available, and your order is on its way!

JuicePlug transforms any EV charger into a smart, grid-connected charger.
• Attach JuicePlug to your charging station to get full control of your EV charging, anytime and anywhere.
• Take advantage of time-of-use tariffs with JuiceNet, our smart charging platform, to save hundreds of dollars per year. Optimize your charging times to reduce emissions.
JuicePlug requires no tools or assembly and is compatible with all EVs and EVSEs that use a J1772 cable.

What do I need to do to get my JuicePlug?

Nothing at all! Your JuicePlug will be shipped to you now, and you'll receive it shortly. If your shipping address has changed or you wish to cancel your order, please reply to this email with the relevant instructions.

JuicePlug has been a labor of love here at eMotorwerks. After extensive development and testing, we're thrilled to be bringing the new and improved JuicePlug to help you charge smarter!

Go Electric!

The eMotorWerks Team"
 
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