Type 2 charging leads - Which is best for the ZS EV?

[steve1973]

Type 2 changing leads which is best for the ZS EV

I have a question about charging leads type 2 to type 2 . The question is should I go for the lead that is 7.4kw or 22kw will this affect the car or would the car affect the lead? Connections the same on both 1 is 1 phase the other is 3 phase.

 

[Nutnut]

Explained here much better than I can:

But bear in mind UK MG ZS (both 1st gen and 2nd gen facelift) and MG5 all have single phase 7 kW on-board chargers which means they'll still only draw 7 kW from a 22 kW 3 phase charger point.

I bought 5 m single phase 32 amp Type II cable when I took delivery of my car. I was very tempted at the time to buy a shorter cable and I wish I had since the mg has the charge Paul in the middle at the front so that the 3 m cable would have been more than adequate on every occasion I've needed to use it! 3 m cable would have been lighter and easier to store and I'd find it hard to recommend buying a 5 m cable. 3 m cable all will also be cheaper.

Well said as are "Power" and "Energy". 10+ years back I used to sell Solar PV and the confusion amongst people who should have known better was bad than mixing up kW and kWh !!! And now, there is still more when people talk about X number of kW storage instead of kWh storage!!!

Let's be clear kW is Power
kWh is Energy

Motors have Power
Storage is of Energy

What is called a Home Wall Charger is an "Electrical Vehicle Supply Equipment" (EVSE)
What we call a "Granny Charger" is a "Portable EVSE" and enables "Level 1" charging via a domestic 3 Pin Plug

Level 1 charging on Portable EVSE works at up to 10 Amp ie around 2.4 kW

Level 2 charging is at 3.6 kW or usually 7.2 kW Also known as 3 or 7 kW or "Fast Charger"
NB: Simple public and workplace charging are usually "Level 2" and it is the norm in the UK to require the EV Driver to provide their own "Type 2" charging cable.

"Type 2" describes the EU wide standard "Mennekes" or "IEC 62196 Type 2" AC plug connector on the Car's end of the cable and distinguishes it from the smaller "Type 1" or "SAE J1772" developed for the Japanese market (hence the "J") and found on earlier 24 kWh and 30 kWh Nissan Leaf and some hybrids such as the Outlander. In the US Type 1 is still the standard.

Side note the Renault Zoe when launched had an unusual charging system called Chameleon which only used Type 2 both for 7 kW single-phase but also had 3-Phase AC charging capability up to 43 kW but this wasn't adopted. Early Teslas had the proprietary "Tesla Connector" based on the Type 1 connector but I'll say no more as in line with the EU ruling Tesla now also uses Type 2 CCS.

CCS is the "Combined Charging Standard" which all new EVs in Europe must be fitted with the "Type 2 CCS Socket or CCS Charging Port which is a Type 2 AC socket with 2 Pin DC port beneath. Note when Rapid DC Charging the DC Pins provide charging while the safety checks and communication between car and charger go via the small connections in the Type 2 section of the "Combined plug".

EVs have "Onboard Chargers" that convert AC (Alternating Current) into High Voltage DC (Direct Current) which is then used to charge the "Battery Pack" controlled by the BMS (Battery Management System)

"Battery Packs" also called an "HV Battery" or "Traction Battery" comprise numerous low-voltage "Battery Cells" (ie on the Gen 1 ZS there are 108 "Cells" in the "HV Battery Pack")
Rapid and Ultra Rapid Chargers are Level 3 and truly are "Chargers" providing DC by-passing the onboard AC to DC onboard charger and pumping DC directly into the vehicle's HV DC battery pack

There are a lot of terminologies involved with EVs and I know people develop short cuts because we don't want to become an engineer just to drive our EVs but sometimes it helps to be clear. I guess if when you pull up at a Rapid charger and call it an "Electric Pump" it's okay as long as you then know to use the CCS Tethered Cable so you can get the full benefit of your MG to charge DC rather than grabbing the AC Type 2 Cable because it looks familiar and will plug into the top of your CCS without realising your MG (in UK) can only charge at 7 kW and take several hours to charge rather than minutes on the CCS. I kid you not I've seen it at the motorway services.

 

[Gadget Geek]

There is already a thread on this. Maybe it could be merged.

 

[N2STY]

Type 2 changing leads which is best for the ZS EV

I have a question about charging leads type 2 to type 2 . The question is should I go for the lead that is 7.4kw or 22kw will this affect the car or would the car affect the lead? Connections the same on both 1 is 1 phase the other is 3 phase.

The qwick answer is 32amp single phase is the best for the UK mg zs

 

[Kithmo]

Something to bear in mind is that the single phase is lighter than the 3 phase to lug around.

 

[BarryH]

Something to bear in mind is that the single phase is lighter than the 3 phase to lug around.

Also, note that although ZS and MG4 (possibly MG5) sold in Europe support 3-phase charging via Type 2 Connector and Cable the UK spec cars do not and have 7 kW single phase charging so it is absolutely pointless buying or carrying a heavier 3 Phase cable since the car charging circuit is only a single phase

 

[steve1973]

Cheers for all the info thought you would give me better advice than dealership.

 

[Hotlush]

Also, note that although ZS and MG4 (possibly MG5) sold in Europe support 3-phase charging via Type 2 Connector and Cable the UK spec cars do not and have 7 kW single phase charging so it is absolutely pointless buying or carrying a heavier 3 Phase cable since the car charging circuit is only a single phase

Playing devils advocate; your next car might support 3 phase AC and the weight (~3 vs ~3.5 kg) isn't that much more.
If you do go for the 3 phase make sure it is a 22kWh cable though, a 3 phase 11 kWh cable will actually charge slower on single phase than a 1 phase 7 kWh cable...

 

[BarryH]

Playing devils advocate; your next car might support 3 phase AC and the weight (~3 vs ~3.5 kg) isn't that much more.
If you do go for the 3 phase make sure it is a 22kWh cable though, a 3 phase 11 kWh cable will actually charge slower on single phase than a 1 phase 7 kWh cable...

True the next car may have 3-phase but the majority of public charging posts where you need your own type 2 cable are only single phase 7 kW in any case. The only time you would make use of the cable (in the UK in any case) are on those rare occasions that you roll up to a Rapid Charger and find the DC Rapid side is in use but you can get your car close enough to the Charger to piggy-back a for an untethered AC 22 kW charge. If you were that desperate then even a single phase cable would give you a 7 kW get out of Jail emergency charge until the DC Rapid became free. If your future car did have 3 Phase then unless it was a ZOE 40 or discontinued Merc or earlier it would also have DC Rapid charging facility anyway. And for the time you have a ZS, you'd be carrying a heaver and incidentally more cumbersome 3-phase to manhandle. To be truthful, I bought a 5 m Single phase for my ZS and from the very first time I used it I wished I'd bought a 3m cable. I have never found the need for any more than 3m since the ZS (and MG5) have front charging ports, different of course for the MG4 driver where it is on the rear kerb side flank