undefined | Better HN

0 pointsfemto1y ago0 comments

Having just bought an EV, the charging requirements seem to be exaggerated. I'm able to put a bit over 100km range into the car with an overnight charge (9 hours) from a standard power point that can deliver 2.4kW. I'm just using a portable 10A/240V plug-in charger: no fixed infrastructure.

My typical charging regime is: charge to 80%. Drive until the car has done 100km (down to ~50% capacity), then charge back up to 80%. If we go over 100km in a day the car drops below 50%. That can't be topped up in a single night, but it just means the charging accumulates over the next few nights until it's back to 80%. It works as long as the average is less than 100km per day and the peak is less than 300km per day.

Whilst it wouldn't do for a taxi, it's perfectly okay for the driving we do.

0 comments

8 comments · 4 top-level

zdragnar1y ago· 2 in thread

You won't find easy access to 240v in most US homes. They're usually put in for very specific appliances like electric laundry dryers or hot tubs. To get your level of charging, most people will need at least some electrical work done.

Your 100km limit is also less than my wife's round trip commute to work, nevermind adding in running errands after or any of the regular travel we do to visit family, though at least some of that would be easy with upgraded charging.

Edit: to be more specific, most US outlets top out at 1.5kw to be safe, though they can usually be temporarily pushed to 1.8 for things like an electric kettle.

rsynnott1y ago

That’s essentially _just_ a North America thing (and a couple of countries in South America), tho.

In most countries standard mains outlets are 220-240V, usually 10-15amp depending on country.

> Your 100km limit is also less than my wife's round trip commute to work, nevermind adding in running errands after or any of the regular travel we do to visit family

Even by US standards, that is somewhat unusually high.

zdragnar1y ago

Eh, the average US commute is 27 miles according to a recent WSJ article, though this is somewhat recent as it was a bit shorter before COVID.

With that said, ignoring 600 million people, including the single most car-centric cultures, seems a bit silly when talking about EV adoption challenges, no?

nickpeterson1y ago· 1 in thread

The problem in the US is that outlets run at 120v and an overnight charge is closer to 30-40 miles of range assuming 12amp on a 15amp circuit.

In countries with most outlets at 220v it’s probably easier, plus usually less long distance driving than the US.

Obviously if you put a 240v, 50amp outlet in a garage you can ignore everything I just wrote.

redserk1y ago

I've been using a 120V outlet for a few years. I recoup about 50-60mi overnight without an issue. I figured I'd get around to installing a 240V outlet but it just hasn't been necessary.

jfengel1y ago· 1 in thread

In the US our regular outlets are more like 1.5kW (110V 15A).

There are also 30A circuits, usually for a dryer or stove. An electrician can set it up for a car, but it's not as easy as running an extension cord to a regular outlet.

m4631y ago

and 50a circuits.

jdeibele1y ago

I have a Chevy Bolt EUV and charged it on an ordinary US 120V circuit. Because there was nothing else on the circuit, I could tell the Bolt to charge at 12A at home, otherwise it limits itself to 8A anywhere that's not-home. It seemed to be about 3 miles of range per hour at 12A, 2 mph at 8A.

It actually worked pretty well for me. There were a couple of times I ended up "fast" (the Bolt is slow at DC charging) charging but very few in more than a year. The garage didn't have 240V power and we knew we were moving.

At the new house, I have a 240V 60A hardwired circuit for the EV charger so I can charge much faster, probably 25 miles of range per hour, maybe more. I haven't used a fast charger in probably six months.

It is a shock seeing what cold temperatures do to range in the Bolt. We have an Equinox EV and it seems to do better plus it has a longer range to start with.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse