Level 1 charging

[rmoyao]

I am new on this forum so I am not sure if this has been discussed before. I am just a few weeks away to receive my new MG ZS EV 2022, and I have been doing modificatorios at home to provide a charging point. I am in Costa Rica and the standard power system here is 120/240 VAC 60 Hz (pretty much the same as in the US).

The dealer includes with purchase of the EV a 7 KW 240 VAC level 2 charging adapter for at home charging. But I also would like to have the possibility to charge at a level 1 120 VAC rate when I am at away.. I do understand that the charge will be slower than with the 240 VAC adapter but in general I do not mind just to add 10% or 15% more charge while I am traveling.

I have been looking and I found something like this; Amazon product ASIN B08HHBDQ88
So my question is basically if anybody knows if the MG ZS EV will charge with a level 1 adapter.

Any help will be greatly appreciated

 

[Gomev]

I do not know what the connection is on that cable but in the UK the car is a type 2 fitting and the car comes supplied with one (known as a granny charger).

 

[rmoyao]

Gomev. Thanks for your answer. The granny charger that comes with the MG ZS EV is a level 2 charger and connects to 240 VAC. In my region the common (all appliances) outlets are 120 VAC.

The actual charging at home is not a problem because I do have a 240 VAC 7 Kwh outlet, but my question was mostly for the cases when I am out of my home and the access that I will have to power will be on a 120 VAC outlet and that will be level 1 charging. (1.9 Kwh).

Obviously the charge will be very slow since is a fraction of the total power. In other EVs it can take up to 24 hours to get to 80%. So the actual question will be if the MG ZS EV will receive a level 1 power adapter (even when it will take forever to charge) or if there any technical reason for the charging system not to accept that kind of charge

Any help will be appreciated


Thanks

 

[rbpasapera]

Gomev. Thanks for your answer. The granny charger that comes with the MG ZS EV is a level 2 charger and connects to 240 VAC. In my region the common (all appliances) outlets are 120 VAC.

The actual charging at home is not a problem because I do have a 240 VAC 7 Kwh outlet, but my question was mostly for the cases when I am out of my home and the access that I will have to power will be on a 120 VAC outlet and that will be level 1 charging. (1.9 Kwh).

Obviously the charge will be very slow since is a fraction of the total power. In other EVs it can take up to 24 hours to get to 80%. So the actual question will be if the MG ZS EV will receive a level 1 power adapter (even when it will take forever to charge) or if there any technical reason for the charging system not to accept that kind of charge

Any help will be appreciated


Thanks

The granny charger pulls about 2 kW, so if your level 1 charger pulls 1.9 kW it won't be an issue for the ZS EV.

IMO, I think what matters when charging the car, is the power delivered by the charger not the type of charger (L1 or L2).

BTW, kWh = energy and kW = power.

Pura vida!

 

[Coulomb]

So the actual question will be if the MG ZS EV will receive a level 1 power adapter (even when it will take forever to charge)

I'm sure that if you have an EVSE ("charger") with a 120V plug at one end and a type 2 plug at the other end, it will work fine.

The more interesting question to me is whether you can use a mains cord adapter with your already supplied "charger", i.e. will it operate successfully and safely from 120V, when it's designed for 240V? Granny "chargers" often vary by market, obviously the actual 3-pin plug has to be customised for the market, but I think the electronics does too. For example, I seem to recall that the UK "chargers" look different from the ones supplied in Australia.

 

[Deleted member 2439]

This is quite an interesting one as in parts of the world with a US supply system, homes are actually fed with 240v. This is supplied to a local transformer on the property which then produces 120v x 2, with their consumer units having essentially 2 lives which with the common, centre tapped, neutral are used to supply individual circuits in the home. This arrangement is called split phase. It’s also possible to obtain 240v and this arrangement is used for higher powered services such as aircon, water heaters, ovens & washer/dryers.

A local electrician will be able to provide a 240 volt outlet specifically for EV charging.

Try searching for split phase on YouTube & all will be revealed

 

[Gomev]

Most devices these days seem to be suitable for 110/220v. Is the granny ?

 

[Coulomb]

Most devices these days seem to be suitable for 110/220v. Is the granny ?

Mine (supplied with an Australian ZS EV) says 230 V ±15%.

 

[rmoyao]

I'm sure that if you have an EVSE ("charger") with a 120V plug at one end and a type 2 plug at the other end, it will work fine.

The more interesting question to me is whether you can use a mains cord adapter with your already supplied "charger", i.e. will it operate successfully and safely from 120V, when it's designed for 240V? Granny "chargers" often vary by market, obviously the actual 3-pin plug has to be customised for the market, but I think the electronics does too. For example, I seem to recall that the UK "chargers" look different from the ones supplied in Australia.

My local dealer assures me that the Granny charger included with the car will not work on 120 VAC. That is why I am looking for a granny charger that can take 120 VAC.

 

[rmoyao]

This is quite an interesting one as in parts of the world with a US supply system, homes are actually fed with 240v. This is supplied to a local transformer on the property which then produces 120v x 2, with their consumer units having essentially 2 lives which with the common, centre tapped, neutral are used to supply individual circuits in the home. This arrangement is called split phase. It’s also possible to obtain 240v and this arrangement is used for higher powered services such as aircon, water heaters, ovens & washer/dryers.

A local electrician will be able to provide a 240 volt outlet specifically for EV charging.

Try searching for split phase on YouTube & all will be revealed

In Costa Rica for residential installations use the same standard than in the US. The power is provided from the street on two "live" (hot) lines of 120 VAC and a neutral (center tab) plus the ground wire from the bonding point in the main breaker box (fuse box) at the service entrance on a single phase 60Hz frequency.

The combination of the two "live" lines will give you the 240 VAC required for major appliances like HVAC unit or a range. For small appliances like a TV or lighting will use one of the lines and the neutral line to get 120 VAC. The normal (small appliance) outlets are on a NEMA 5-15 or NEMA 5-20 connector those are the wall outlets that will be around any building.

On most of parking installations you will have those 120 VAC outlets. That is why I was wondering if the MG ZS EV will take a Granny charger powered by 120 VAC. I am aware that the charge will be extremely slow but is just in cases where I spend the night on a facility where I do not have access to a 240 VAC outlet. If I connect the 120 VAC granny charger for a few hours and I get 10% or 15% charge out of it, it will be enough to get to the next Fast charging DC power station.

Thanks . .

 

[Coulomb]

In Costa Rica for residential installations use the same standard than in the US.

I'm curious about the charge port on your vehicle. Is it type 1 (J1772) as would be expected in the USA, or is it type 2 as in most of the markets where the ZS EV is sold?

In any case, you should probably get an inexpensive EVSE ("charger") from Ali Express or the like that works with 120V. Preferably one where you can set the current limit, as you should not pull more than 13A from a circuit protected by a 16A breaker. I'm making assumptions about typical house wiring in Costa Rica. Less if there are other loads on the circuit. If most circuits are protected by a 20A breaker, then you might get away with a fixed 16A EVSE. Obviously, order one with plugs to suit local outlets and whatever port your car has. An inexpensive model should suffice for the occasional use that you envisage.