Check out my mobile Level 2 charging kit!

[WattsUp]

After some research, several key purchases, and a little bit of DIY, I have created a "mobile Level 2 charging kit" for my FFE. The total cost was well under $1000.



The kit consists of a ClipperCreek LCS-25 charger, two 25-foot extension cords, and three "adapters" for a few of the more common 240V power outlets that one might find at a residence (dryer, stove, etc.) or even at public locations (and I can always create more as needed). The standard interconnect between all components employs heavy-duty, molded locking NEMA L6-30 plugs and sockets.

Using 240V @ 20A, the charger can deliver a theoretical maximum 4.8kW, which should fully charge an FFE from empty in 5 hours (PG&E seems to deliver only 236V to my house, but the charger still filled my FFE in about 5 hours). So, charging takes a bit longer than the 3-4 hours than can be expected using a more powerful charger but, needing only 20A, this kit should be safe with any household 240V outlet (most clothes dryers require at least 20A).

The charging cord attached to the charger is 20 feet long. This, plus the two 25-foot extension cords in the kit means that I could charge using a power source located as far as 70 feet from the car, if necessary.

Speaking of power sources, here's a closeup of the three adapters currently in the kit, which are really "six" since the pin configurations of the NEMA 6 and 10 adapters are switchable between 30A or 50A patterns (takes 5 minutes with a screwdriver). The NEMA 14 adapter simply omits one pin (the neutral, which isn't needed by the charger) which happens to allow it to be plugged into either a 30A or 50A outlet as-is.



One important DIY aspect of the kit involved attaching a plug to the ClipperCreek charger, which comes prepared for only a "hard-wired" installation (though its form factor just "begs" for a portable application). This modification was the most specialized as I had to disassemble the charger, unsolder and resolder the power connections, as well as carefully drill and trim the case to enlarge the exit hole for my power-supply cable. Modification to this extent isn't required (I could have also simply attached an L6-30P plug at the end of the supplied "conduit"-style power cable) but I preferred using my heavy-duty cable with molded plug.

The easiest DIY aspect was attaching the various NEMA plugs to the adapter cables, which just involved stripping lots of thick wires and turning screws.

One creative aspect of my whole approach was the purchase of the PowerFig 3-way Splitter Power Cord, which I actually cut apart, yielding one short cable with a molded L6-30P plug at the end (which I attached to the charger) and three short cables with molded L6-30R receptacles at their ends (which I used to create the adapters). I decided this approach was cheaper (or perhaps just a "wash", but certainly somewhat easier) than buying separate plugs/receptacles and raw lengths of cable to "build" the same things myself, but had the added advantage of leaving me with professional-looking, durable molded connectors. Plus, the extension cords I purchased are also made by PowerFig and have the same matching molded connectors.

Here is the "parts list", which contains links to places (but not the only places) where these parts can be purchased:

Charger

• ClipperCreek LCS-25 Level 2 Charging Station, 240V, 20A, 4.8kW

Cabling

• PowerFig PFL63010E300, Extension Power Cord x 2, 25 feet, NEMA L6-30P to NEMA L6-30R
  PowerFig PFL63010W120M24, Splitter Power Cord, 10 feet, NEMA L6-30P to three NEMA L6-30R

Plugs

• Leviton 931, 30/50 Amp Dual Power Plug, NEMA 6-30P/6-50P switchable
  Cooper Wiring Devices S80-SP, Universal Angle Plug, NEMA 10-30P/10-50P switchable
  Utilitech #4506, 4-Prong Plug, NEMA 14-30P/14-50P switchable

 

[jmueller065]

You may want to consider an adapter for NEMA TT-30 (TT = Travel Trailer). With such an adapter you could charge up at any public and/or private campground in the US & Canada. Note, though, that TT-30 is a 120V 30A plug.

A NEMA 14-50 plug gets you to the 50A 240V circuits in a campground.

RV Plugs

 

[WindPowered]

After some research, several key purchases, and a little bit of DIY, I have created a "mobile Level 2 charging kit" for my FFE. The total cost was just under $1000.

Nice job! I'm working on something similar myself, only I've added a little more DIY to keep the cost down even further. I'm building my own EVSE based on the OpenEVSE project. My total cost will be about $700 when I'm done, including extra cords and adapters. The advantage of this approach (beyond cost) is that I can take any power source from 90V-260V, so it's really a portable L1/L2 charger up to 30A. i.e An all in one unit, which is what I was after.

Like you I chose the L6-30 as the base cord attached to my EVSE, and adapted from there. I found it cheaper to buy the 6' L6-30 cord and cut it in half. I'm using the male end as the permanently attached part to my EVSE, and the female end becomes one of my adapters (initially with a 6-50P attached to it so I can use it at home).

I then bought a few L6-30R 1' cord cuts for $14 each and some plugs like you to make other adapters. Did you consider this vs. the 3way splitter cord because it seemed cheaper to me? Then again, sometimes the cost is outweighed by the "DIY fun factor".

I'll post a picture when I get finished, but it'll be another week or two because I'm tied up with other projects. So many projects, so little time.


WP

 

[WattsUp]

You may want to consider an adapter for NEMA TT-30 (TT = Travel Trailer). With such an adapter you could charge up at any public and/or private campground in the US & Canada. Note, though, that TT-30 is a 120V 30A plug.

A NEMA 14-50 plug gets you to the 50A 240V circuits in a campground.

RV Plugs

Thanks, unfortunately the ClipperCreek charger is 240V only, so a TT-30 adapter couldn't be used with it. It might be interesting to have one for the Level 1 charger included with the car, though.

My NEMA 14 adapter, which is missing the neutral pin, fits both the 14-30 and 14-50 socket configurations.

 

[WattsUp]

I then bought a few L6-30R 1' cord cuts for $14 each and some plugs like you to make other adapters. Did you consider this vs. the 3way splitter cord because it seemed cheaper to me?

To be honest, I hadn't noticed that area on the site, which I shall keep in mind for future needs. Thanks! It does make sense that they would have piles of left over "bits" like that, though. Probably would have been a little cheaper to have picked up some of those instead. But, I still think I made out cheaper than buying the equivalent "screw-together" housings and raw cable... those NEMA components are surprisingly expensive!

I'll post a picture when I get finished, but it'll be another week or two because I'm tied up with other projects.

I think someone pointed out OpenEVSE to me before (maybe it was you), but I didn't feel like a electronics project right now... just wanted to get functional quick. But, looking forward to when you post your results.

 

[WattsUp]

This weekend I had the first real test of my portable Level 2 charging kit. I drove to my sister's house, a 65 mile trip, after which I only had 12 miles of range left (I drove at 55-65 mph, with A/C for most of the way, in 80-degree heat).

At my sister's, I was able to charge for 3 hours, and gained back 50 miles of range, which was more than plenty to reach my next charging point. So, a successful portable charging outcome... feels very independent to be able to fuel my car wherever I go!

Charging at my sister's, however, required the creation of a new adapter for my kit that I hadn't anticipated:



This adapter allows me to plug into a NEMA 6-20 outlet. My sister has a window A/C unit which uses this connector, apparently a common one in that application. (Her place is quite old, with a gas stove and dryer, and so the A/C socket, having been installed in recent times, is the only source of 240V on the premises.)

Here's a closeup of the NEMA 6-20 plug.



The NEMA 6-20 looks like and is sized similar to a normal household grounded plug, only with the flat pins at right-angles. So, it is smaller than other common 240V plugs, such as "beefier" 6-30 and 14-30 used with dryers and stoves, but it obviously rated sufficiently for use with my ClipperCreek LCS-25 power supply (which can draw up to 20A).

The specific plug pictured above is the Hubbell 20 Amp 250-Volt 3-Wire Grounding Plug, which is available at Lowe's, and I'm sure elsewhere.

The circuit that my sister's A/C unit is on is protected by 20-amp breakers in the electrical box. I was a little concerned that the ClipperCreek might operate at the borderline of tripping the breaker. But, it worked just fine. Interesting note: I measured 244V at the A/C socket. Slightly high, but not a bad thing.

Be Careful

Of course, the adapter I created (L6-30R to 6-20P) is only safe to use because my ClipperCreek will only draw 20A. (I employed 30-amp cabling and connectors in my kit just to be on the safe/rugged side.) If I actually had 30-amp equipment connected, "adapting" it to a 6-20 socket would not be appropriate. In the best case, a breaker will trip somewhere, shutting off power. In the worst case, the socket's wiring (possibly only rated for no more than 20A) might get very hot and start a fire.

:arrow: So, if you create adapters like I did, make sure you understand what you're doing and that you use them appropriately.

 

[jeffand]

Can you reset the current setting on the ClipperCreek Charger?
:arrow: As a rule of thumb, you should never continuously load a circuit more than 80% of the breaker rating.

15 amp circuit breaker max load is 12 amps.
20 amp circuit breaker max load is 16 amps.
25 amp circuit breaker max load is 20 amps.
30 amp circuit breaker max load is 24 amps.
40 amp circuit breaker max load is 32 amps.
50 amp circuit breaker max load is 40 amps.

 

[WattsUp]

Can you reset the current setting on the ClipperCreek Charger?

You mean set it to operate at some other amperage(s)? Not that I am aware of. The unit has no external control for doing so, and I didn't notice anything obvious on the circuit board (jumpers, etc.) but I also wasn't really looking.

ClipperCreek offers other units that operate at different amperages (LCS-15, LCS-20) and I would presume they use a common board design. This suggests that amperage hackery might be possible.

As a rule of thumb, you should never continuously load a circuit more than 80% of the breaker rating.

You are right, but "continuous operation" is normally defined as 3 or more hours. So, while the occasional 3-5 hour charging session might skirt the guidelines slightly, it shouldn't present a problem. At my sister's, during my 3-hour charge, I periodically checked the socket and cabling, and both were cool to the touch.

From my understanding, UL requires that any listed circuit-breaker operate properly at 100% of its rating (e.g., a 20A breaker can safely pass a 20A load indefinitely). In other words, it is not particularly dangerous to operate a 20A load on a 20A circuit, even for long periods.

The "80% rule" from the NEC is intended to offset the effects of heat on the operation of circuit-breakers (which can slow with higher temperatures) by striving to keep continuously-loaded circuits generally somewhat under-utilized, and therefore generally cooler, and therefore more likely to react faster to an over-current scenario. The rule increases the margin of safety.

But, yes, I wouldn't use a 20A circuit for a permanent installation of a 20A charging station. I would use at least a 25A (or more likely a 30A) circuit, to follow the NEC guidelines.

I found this article useful:
http://ecmweb.com/basics/sizing-circuit-breaker

 

[WattsUp]

You may want to consider an adapter for NEMA TT-30 (TT = Travel Trailer). With such an adapter you could charge up at any public and/or private campground in the US & Canada.

Thanks ... It might be interesting to have one for the Level 1 charger included with the car ...

jmueller, thanks again for the suggestion.

So... I found a good TT-30 adapter that can be used with the car's Level 1 charger:



I picked one up for $5 from campingworld.com. I threw it in the "secret bin" (with the charger) in the back on my FFE where it might be a lifesaver some day.

Product page: http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/15-amp-rv-female-to-30-amp-male-adapter/69605

 

[hcsharp]

Can you reset the current setting on the ClipperCreek Charger?

You mean set it to operate at some other amperage(s)? Not that I am aware of. The unit has no external control for doing so, and I didn't notice anything obvious on the circuit board (jumpers, etc.) but I also wasn't really looking.

ClipperCreek offers other units that operate at different amperages (LCS-15, LCS-20) and I would presume they use a common board design. This suggests that amperage hackery might be possible.

As a rule of thumb, you should never continuously load a circuit more than 80% of the breaker rating.

You are right, but "continuous operation" is normally defined as 3 or more hours. So, while the occasional 3-5 hour charging session might skirt the guidelines slightly, it shouldn't present a problem. At my sister's, during my 3-hour charge, I periodically checked the socket and cabling, and both were cool to the touch.

The NEC defines ANY load by and EV as being a continuous load, whether it's greater than 3 hrs or not. The problem with your DIY portable charger is that you will end up using an adapter for a circuit that is not rated for the amps that the Clipper Creek unit is signaling to the car. The reason it's illegal (violates code) and unsafe is that it can burn your house down and seriously injure somebody. I'm not trying to discourage DIY portable chargers, but to do it safely you must have a way to automatically limit the amps signaled by the EVSE depending on which adapter you are using. At a very minimum, as jeffand said, you should have a way to manually adjust the amperage down to 80% of the breaker rating. Even then you will still be in violation of the NEC.

You will probably be OK with that charger because it only draws 20A. But if you or somebody tried to build this with a more powerful EVSE, I'm sure you can see the safety issue.

 

[WattsUp]

The NEC defines ANY load by and EV as being a continuous load, whether it's greater than 3 hrs or not.

Why would the guidelines be different for EVs? What makes an EV charging load different than any other continuous load at the same amperage?

The problem with your DIY portable charger is that you will end up using an adapter for a circuit that is not rated for the amps that the Clipper Creek unit is signaling to the car. The reason it's illegal (violates code) and unsafe is that it can burn your house down and seriously injure somebody. I'm not trying to discourage DIY portable chargers, but to do it safely you must have a way to automatically limit the amps signaled by the EVSE depending on which adapter you are using. At a very minimum, as jeffand said, you should have a way to manually adjust the amperage down to 80% of the breaker rating. Even then you will still be in violation of the NEC.

You will probably be OK with that charger because it only draws 20A. But if you or somebody tried to build this with a more powerful EVSE, I'm sure you can see the safety issue.

Your points are valid, but I never told anyone to build my exact kit with a more powerful EVSE. Everything was very specifically about the ClipperCreek LCS-25 and adapters I chose to create for it. And, I believe it was already mentioned somewhere along the thread that, if you decide to do the same, you should only attempt it if you, A) know what you're doing, and B) know what you're doing.

And to be fair, the 30A and 50A plugs in my kit are obviously no problem when using a 20A EVSE (unless somebody has miswired their sockets for much lower amperages... but then the problem would be with the miswired sockets, not the kit). But, point taken that the NEMA 6-20 plug that I created (with the LCS-25 potentially drawing the full 20A) is something that I should be careful using.

But, are you saying it is illegal to connect a 20A load to a socket marked 20A protected by breakers rated for 20A?

 

[hcsharp]

Why would the guidelines be different for EVs? What makes an EV charging load different than any other continuous load at the same amperage?

Not sure. I wasn't at that meeting. I could make some educated guesses. I think it was a good decision based on my experience charging EVs for the last 2.5 years. I would not have said that 2 yrs ago.

Your points are valid, but I never told anyone to build my exact kit with a more powerful EVSE.

Yes but I don't think you warned anyone not to, or of the dangers if they used a more powerful EVSE (unless I missed it). I wasn't even sure if you were aware of the danger yourself. That's partly what motivated me to post.

...And, I believe it was already mentioned somewhere along the thread that, if you decide to do the same, you should only attempt it if you, A) know what you're doing, and B) know what you're doing.

I used to think this way too. The problem is that someday somebody will borrow your portable charger who doesn't realize it has to be manually adjusted down for circuits with 15 - 20A breakers. Or somebody else will build one and always be careful until they sell their car, along with the portable EVSE, and the new owner may not be aware. Or you will die (God forbid) and the new user will not have been adequately educated on the safety precautions. That's why the amp setting really needs to be automated based on the adapter that you choose.

Now I think differently because I've seen some close calls. I'm also a big EV advocate and I'm worried about how the press is dying to publish sensational stories about things like houses burning down because the owner plugged in his EV.

And to be fair, the 30A and 50A plugs in my kit are obviously no problem when using a 20A EVSE (unless somebody has miswired their sockets for much lower amperages... but then the problem would be with the miswired sockets, not the kit). But, point taken that the NEMA 6-20 plug that I created (with the LCS-25 potentially drawing the full 20A) is something that I should be careful using.

But, are you saying it is illegal to connect a 20A load to a socket marked 20A protected by breakers rated for 20A?

It's illegal if the load is an EVSE producing a 20A pilot signal like yours. It's not illegal if the load is a 20A toaster. You can make your own judgements about whether the NEC is right or wrong. I actually think it's right on this issue, but I didn't used to.

 

[WattsUp]

Your points are valid, but I never told anyone to build my exact kit with a more powerful EVSE.

Yes but I don't think you warned anyone not to, or of the dangers if they used a more powerful EVSE (unless I missed it). I wasn't even sure if you were aware of the danger yourself. That's partly what motivated me to post.

Well, I didn't go out of my way to tell people to not do the obvious wrong thing (hook a high amperage electrical device to a lower amperage circuit), so your comments/warnings are appreciated, but I did sound a note of warning at the end of my posting dated Sat Apr 27, 2013 8:30 pm, or so I thought.

The problem is that someday somebody will borrow your portable charger who doesn't realize it has to be manually adjusted down for circuits with 15 - 20A breakers.

Okay, but why would circuits advertised via NEMA 6-30 and 6-50 sockets have only 15-20A breakers? I would expect them to have 30-50A breakers. And even if the breakers were dreadfully undersized, they'd trip, no? -- besides, the real problem would be insufficient wiring (that can overheat and start a fire). But, again, why would 30-50A sockets be hooked up with insufficient wiring? I would imagine only if the house had been improperly wired, but that's no fault of the kit.

Except for the 6-20 adapter I created, the rest of the kit is perfectly safe and sensible, is it not? The EVSE draws 20A and all of the other adapters I created can only be connected to circuits that should (under normal circumstances, in a properly wired house) support at least 30A, which is at least 150% of the expected continuous load of my EVSE.

But, are you saying it is illegal to connect a 20A load to a socket marked 20A protected by breakers rated for 20A?

It's illegal if the load is an EVSE producing a 20A pilot signal like yours. It's not illegal if the load is a 20A toaster. You can make your own judgements about whether the NEC is right or wrong. I actually think it's right on this issue, but I didn't used to.

Okay, but why? You mentioned that you had some educated guesses... share one or two?

 

[hcsharp]

Well, I didn't go out of my way to tell people to not do the obvious wrong thing (hook a high amperage electrical device to a lower amperage circuit), so your comments/warnings are appreciated, but I did sound a note of warning at the end of my posting dated Sat Apr 27, 2013 8:30 pm, or so I thought.

I see that now. My apologies I missed it before. I also noticed that somebody else made a 30A unit. Hope they don't get in trouble...

The problem is that someday somebody will borrow your portable charger who doesn't realize it has to be manually adjusted down for circuits with 15 - 20A breakers.

Okay, but why would circuits advertised via NEMA 6-30 and 6-50 sockets have only 15-20A breakers? I would expect them to have 30-50A breakers. And even if the breakers were dreadfully undersized, they'd trip, no? -- besides, the real problem would be insufficient wiring (that can overhead and start a fire). But, again, why would 30-50A sockets be hooked up with insufficient wiring? I would imagine only if the house had been improperly wired, but that's no fault of the kit.

Yes I agree with all that in theory. If the house is wired wrong then even an automatic scaling down of the pilot signal based on sensing which adapter is being used would fail. But just because bad house wiring is no fault of the kit doesn't necessarily mean your kit shouldn't be expecting bad wiring and account for it to some degree, like scaling to 80%. More below.

Except for the 6-20 adapter I created, the rest of the kit is perfectly safe and sensible, is it not? The EVSE draws 20A and all of the other adapters I created will only allow themselves to be connected to circuits that should (under normal circumstances, in a properly wired house) support at least 30A. That's at least 150% of the expected continuous load of my EVSE.

Yes I agree except for the 6-20.

But, are you saying it is illegal to connect a 20A load to a socket marked 20A protected by breakers rated for 20A?

It's illegal if the load is an EVSE producing a 20A pilot signal like yours. It's not illegal if the load is a 20A toaster. You can make your own judgements about whether the NEC is right or wrong. I actually think it's right on this issue, but I didn't used to.

Okay, but why? You mentioned that you had some educated guesses... share one or two?

Okay here's a couple of reasons. In the last 2.5 yrs I've discovered that house wiring is far from perfect. This is the case much more often than I would have guessed. One of the wires might be corroded somewhere, insulation chewed by rodents, worn out plugs, terminal screws or crimps that have loosened over time, homeowners acting as their own electricians and making mistakes... It's not your EVSE's fault that these flaws exist, but your EVSE use has to account for their existence because it’s such a powerful device. I've had a few close calls that wouldn't have happened at 80%. The internet is full of pictures of melted wires on EV cords. EVs will soon become the norm. There will be millions of them in the US alone (I hope). At what point do you say the odds of an accident are not worth the risk?

I tried an experiment recently with a brand new 60A breaker. I kept increasing the load on the breaker to see when it tripped. It never tripped after holding the load at 72A for over 30 minutes. Most breakers are mass produced as cheaply as possible and are not as reliable as UL would have you think. I've seen breakers that were stuck and would never trip. You really shouldn't rely on breakers except as a last resort. That's why I think we should attempt to limit amps to 80% of rated capacity.

I was at a campground last weekend with 4 other EVs. When all 4 were plugged in and charging, the whole campground was drawn down below 210v from 240. I kept waiting for one of the transformers to blow. They were undersized by a factor of 3! Not a single car was charging at more than 80% of the breaker's rating. What if they were?

Those are my thoughts.

 

[WattsUp]

Fyi, ClipperCreek has dropped the price of the LCS-25 another $100 to $495. Awesome deal. :shock:

Click here for the product page.

 

[hcsharp]

+1. ClipperCreek makes the best charging equipment and that's a really good price.

Fyi, ClipperCreek has dropped the price of the LCS-25 another $100 to $495. Awesome deal. :shock

 

[jstack6]

good notes hcsharp, being safe is very important or someone may give plugin vehicles a big black eye by creating a problem. Having a way to adjust the amps is very important and the Focus should have that built in. The Tesla can do that along with setting the charge limits and many other simple ideas.

We all need to keep asking FORD to have variable change amperage and variable change limits set in the car. Others like the Nissan LEAF, BMW i3, and GM spark also don't have that feature and should.

Watching the cords and making sure they don't get warm is a good step but it's the wiring hidden in the walls that could be the biggest problem.

 

[hcsharp]

jstack6 all good points. I'm surprised none of those other models you mentioned have settings to limit amps and/or charge level. It's a popular feature with Tesla owners - almost hard to get along without it!

 

[jstack6]

C sharp, no flats,

Since the original LEAF only pulled 3.3 Kw on 240 it never went over the limit like a 70 amp Tesla can. Even the new 6.6 Kw that the LEAF now has along with many other plugins isn't too high for 99% of the 240 outlets. Tesla is another world and sets the standards for all others.

On 120 most only pull 12 amps so it can run on even older house hold 15 amp circuits. It's only when they start pushing the fast charging that is then becomes an issue.

Now if we could have just one standard for QC Quick Changing it would be a wonderful world. What a wonderful world. :lol:

Jim :idea:

 

[WattsUp]

Even the new 6.6 Kw that the LEAF now has along with many other plugins isn't too high for 99% of the 240 outlets.

Well, for 30-amp household appliance circuits, which are very common, 6.6 kW is actually a bit higher than is considered safe.

6.6 kW at 240v draws 27.5 amps, which is 91% of the maximum rating of a 30-amp circuit. The NEC requires that a "continuous load", such as EV charging, utilize only 80% of a circuit's maximum rating. Therefore, 6.6 kW charging is best done on a 35 amp or higher circuit, likely part of permanent installation. For safe portable plug-in charging at 6.6 kW, though, you'll probably need to find a 50-amp socket, since the NEMA standard connectors jump from 30-amp up to 50-amp, with nothing in between.

6.6 kW charging is great for permanent installations, but this is why I really like the ClipperCreek LCS-25 for portable use. Drawing only 20 amps, it still yields a decent 4.8 kW charging rate and is exceptionally safe for use with virtually all household appliance 240v circuits. I can plug it in almost anywhere and have no real concerns.