40 Amp Level 2 Charger

[PennBruce]

The overload capability of the onboard charger is irrelevant, as the car will limit the rate to 6.6kw. The external connection for the J-1772 port is not a "charger" BTW: it is a "charging cable" or "charging station" or "EVSE.

Go to the Nissan website and view the LEAF specs. Try not to miss it since it is on the second line.

Finally the message has gotten through my thick skull. The charger is built into the Leaf not the EVSE .

Bruce

 

[SageBrush]

Finally

.
That is correct, although the EVSE also has a max amp rating.
Max Amps during charging is the **lesser** of the circuit, EVSE, OBC; and car alllowed max-Amps that can change during the charging session.

 

[LeftieBiker]

The overload capability of the onboard charger is irrelevant, as the car will limit the rate to 6.6kw. The external connection for the J-1772 port is not a "charger" BTW: it is a "charging cable" or "charging station" or "EVSE.

Go to the Nissan website and view the LEAF specs. Try not to miss it since it is on the second line.

Finally the message has gotten through my thick skull. The charger is built into the Leaf not the EVSE .

Bruce

Just to confuse you again: a DC "Quick Charger" actually is an external high voltage, high amperage DC charger that bypasses the car's onboard charger, and directly, externally, charges the pack.

 

[PennBruce]

Just to confuse you again: a DC "Quick Charger" actually is an external high voltage, high amperage DC charger that bypasses the car's onboard charger, and directly, externally, charges the pack.

I definitely cannot afford a home DC charger. I'll have to be content with 6.6kw.


Bruce

 

[Oilpan4]

A new setec 10kw chademo is only around $3,500 for a new one last time I checked. That's why I bought a broke one.
But I only average 7.2kw charging from 10% to 90%.
So not really worth it if you already have 6.6kw built in charging.

 

[PennBruce]

A new setec 10kw chademo is only around $3,500 for a new one last time I checked. That's why I bought a broke one.
But I only average 7.2kw charging from 10% to 90%.
So not really worth it if you already have 6.6kw built in charging.

This is a quote from EVSEadapters.com web site in their listing for the CHAdeMO DC Quick Charger, "Vehicles with 6.6KW charging capability, which normally charge in 3-4 hours, will not experience a significant benefit."

Bruce

 

[SageBrush]

My Tesla has an OBC that takes up to 48 Amps, so 11.5 kW on a 240 volt line.
Sometimes I think about upgrading my current 32 Amp EVSE and then I remember that my marginal benefit is darned near zero. In fact, I've yet to be in a situation where I thought "too bad, a faster charge would have been welcome."

 

[webeleafowners]

My Tesla has an OBC that takes up to 48 Amps, so 11.5 kW on a 240 volt line.
Sometimes I think about upgrading my current 32 Amp EVSE and then I remember that my marginal benefit is darned near zero. In fact, I've yet to be in a situation where I thought "too bad, a faster charge would have been welcome."

I hear ya. When we got our first EV 5 years ago we needed the biggest baddest EVSE. We got the 40 KW Juice box. Wifi etc. Had a 14-50 plug installed in the garage. Woohoo. Now we do the majority of our charging with a Clipper Creek LCS 15. 240 volt 15 amp unit (actual output 12 amps. Thats all we had left for capacity on our 100 amp panel. We still use the Juice box to charge the smart car and of course once in awhile it comes in handy for the leaf but since I park outside my daily charge is done by the clipper creek. 6 kw or 2 hours per day from 1 to 3 in the morning...every day. Nice and small unit.

Heres the venerable old Juice Box. They didn't look as cool back then.

The outside Clipper creek.

If you look above the workbench cabinets you can see the 14-50 adapter. The 50 amp 25 foot RV extension cord is laid in vented conduit and then goes to the Juicebox on the right. Is we change vehicles and the charge port is on the other side we just move the conduit and flip the 14-50 receptacle to the other side. Kinda pre-prepared for a Tesla...just in case.

 

[SageBrush]

^^ I want your garage

 

[webeleafowners]

^^ I want your garage

Three coats of future floor wax once a year.

 

[Oilpan4]

All the circuits in a panel don't have to add up to what the panel is rated for as long as it's protected by a main breaker.
The only reason people say that is from back in the day when code allowed for you to run service straight to a main panel with out a main breaker.
But that hasn't been allowed since at least the 1980s.

For example a 40 space 200 amp panel found in a typical house is likely going to add up to a lot more than 200 amps when half the spaces are full.
When a 40 space panel is full, its normal to see around 500 to 600 amps worth of circuits.

 

[webeleafowners]

All the circuits in a panel don't have to add up to what the panel is rated for as long as it's protected by a main breaker.
The only reason people say that is from back in the day when code allowed for you to run service straight to a main panel with out a main breaker.
But that hasn't been allowed since at least the 1980s.

For example a 40 space 200 amp panel found in a typical house is likely going to add up to a lot more than 200 amps when half the spaces are full.
When a 40 space panel is full, its normal to see around 500 to 600 amps worth of circuits.

Well, its a townhouse. So we used an electrician to do the load calculation. His numbers allowed for an additional 240 volt 15 amp circuit. He did run 6 gauge cable though. Technically we we could switch the outside EVSE circuit to the 50 amp and the inside EVSE circuit to a 15 amp 240 volt circuit. Good to have options. Its our retirement downsized lock and leave home so we didn't mind spending the money and doing it right. Although technically we are not retired until next fall.

 

[Oilpan4]

6 gauge is the largest practical size for most evse installs.

 

[martyscholes]

6 gauge is the largest practical size for most evse installs.

I ran 8/3 UF wire from the breaker panel so that it could lay flat under the garage door when closed and I could charge my car overnight using the EVSE that came with the car. The cable runs directly into the panel at the front of the garage and lays along the inside wall. When I am sure that I will be keeping my house, I will have an electrician install a proper run to an outdoor-mounted EVSE. 8 AWG will safely supply the 32 amps that the Nissan EVSE uses. It has worked for a year now.

 

[LeftieBiker]

6 gauge is the largest practical size for most evse installs.

I ran 8/3 UF wire from the breaker panel so that it could lay flat under the garage door when closed and I could charge my car overnight using the EVSE that came with the car. The cable runs directly into the panel at the front of the garage and lays along the inside wall. When I am sure that I will be keeping my house, I will have an electrician install a proper run to an outdoor-mounted EVSE. 8 AWG will safely supply the 32 amps that the Nissan EVSE uses. It has worked for a year now.

I hope that it's a lightweight aluminum door with a rubber bottom seal.

 

[martyscholes]

6 gauge is the largest practical size for most evse installs.

I ran 8/3 UF wire from the breaker panel so that it could lay flat under the garage door when closed and I could charge my car overnight using the EVSE that came with the car. The cable runs directly into the panel at the front of the garage and lays along the inside wall. When I am sure that I will be keeping my house, I will have an electrician install a proper run to an outdoor-mounted EVSE. 8 AWG will safely supply the 32 amps that the Nissan EVSE uses. It has worked for a year now.

I hope that it's a lightweight aluminum door with a rubber bottom seal.

Indeed it is. The gap when the door is closed exceeds the height of the cable.

 

[LeftieBiker]

I ran 8/3 UF wire from the breaker panel so that it could lay flat under the garage door when closed and I could charge my car overnight using the EVSE that came with the car. The cable runs directly into the panel at the front of the garage and lays along the inside wall. When I am sure that I will be keeping my house, I will have an electrician install a proper run to an outdoor-mounted EVSE. 8 AWG will safely supply the 32 amps that the Nissan EVSE uses. It has worked for a year now.

I hope that it's a lightweight aluminum door with a rubber bottom seal.

Indeed it is. The gap when the door is closed exceeds the height of the cable.

Good! If I tried that with my wooden doors I'd have a squashed cable.