Is there an alternative to the Juicy Brucie EV Cable?

[Guigsy]

DC rapid chargers that use CCS plugs are horribly complex. They effectively connect your car's battery directly to the charger and let the charger have complete control.

But AC chargers with the smaller Type 2 connector are much simpler. They aren't much more than a contactor that opens to connect AC from the mains to your car. And your car's onboard charger then does all the control. It's basically a big wall plug to the mains. Anything that can plug into a 3 pin socket ought to be able to plug into a Type 2 charger with just a simple adapter. There is a data signal to turn it on, but it can be convinced with just a resistor.

At the moment, if I want to plug the van in before I go away, I have to run the cable under the garage door. It's bit of a faff. It'd be far easier if I could plug the van into my EV charger. But I'm not prepared to pay £200 for it!

 

[ian27]

Also there is a charger built into the electric vehicle, and that charger can draw power much less than the maximum amount if that's what it decides to do. Typically the charging power decreases in the final 20% of filling, and the last few percent can take a long time. So it's quite possible for a 'fake car' charger to request up to say 7kW, then only use 1.5kW all the time it is charging.

Or as I do, take 1.7kW for the battery charger, and run a microwave or air fryer from the EV charge point at the same time to cook a meal while waiting for the charging to complete.

yep makes sense. I'm very familiar with the slow down at the end, I've had EV's for 9 years now.

which of these cable types that we've been discussing do you use?

 

[autorouter]

which of these cable types that we've been discussing do you use?

None of them, actually. I sorted it out before these things came on the market. I have a Type 2 socket mounted in the side of the MH, very near the ordinary mains inlet. There are a few resistors and a diode mounted inside the Type 2 socket, and a switch near the door (next to the step switch) that tells the EV charge point the battery is ready for charging. I have wired a generator-type transfer switch to switch the whole mains inlet between the standard EHU inlet and the EV charge point.

In some ways it's the best solution because I have a standard 10m Type 2 to Type 2 charging cable, and the whole thing looks quite authentic to the average bystander.

 

[Bandos]

Do you have a schematic for the resistor and diode?

 

[ian27]

None of them, actually. I sorted it out before these things came on the market. I have a Type 2 socket mounted in the side of the MH, very near the ordinary mains inlet. There are a few resistors and a diode mounted inside the Type 2 socket, and a switch near the door (next to the step switch) that tells the EV charge point the battery is ready for charging. I have wired a generator-type transfer switch to switch the whole mains inlet between the standard EHU inlet and the EV charge point.

In some ways it's the best solution because I have a standard 10m Type 2 to Type 2 charging cable, and the whole thing looks quite authentic to the average bystander.

that sounds even better. as per Bandos, would you mind sharing your schematic?

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