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[NoiseBoy]

I am considering doing a short trip to mainland UK perhaps next year on the S ZF9.  I would have to do 150 miles at reasonable speed on the first day for the trip to work so wondering what the options are for extra chargers.  Luggage isnt a major concern as I can carry enough clothing in a large backpack and a tank or rear bag or something.

IIRC Terry started off by having extra DeltaQ's screwed to the side of the battery box?  This could be a good option as I could probably just buy one and borrow a second.  Ideally a 2 hour recharge would be nice (I can DIY my own J1772 adaptor) which would mean at least 4 DeltaQ's.   

What are the options?  Rumour has it that an Elcon 2500 will mount in the original charger location with some slight modification.  I'm not much of a fabricator but i'd be OK with basic metalwork.  What is the cost like for these?   I'm tempted to get some luggage for general commuting duties and if the Givi wingracks aren't too pricey over here that could be one potential option for mounting DeltaQ's or something larger.

It would be good to have a collection of links or articles on the various methods of carrying chargers for future reference.

[benswing]

Here is my 2012 Zero S with 2 Elcon 2500W chargers which allows me to fully charge in under 2hrs.  I get 1kW in under 15 minutes (about 13.5min/kWh).  Talk with Harlan at Hollywood electrics to set this up.  The chargers are mounted to my motorcycle using Givi Wingracks2 using the universal mounting set.  I just used this today and can't wait to hit the road on a proper road trip!

Original mounting:


Current mounting to improve aerodynamics (wind goes through heatsinks):

[NoiseBoy]

That looks ideal, what is the weight like?  Im guessing one elcon is wired to the rear charging socket and the other one you just have to manually plug in to the side socket when you want to charge?   Is the onboard DeltaQ charger still connected?

Your top box mount plate looks to be at a pretty extreme angle.

[Zero.DS.Sweden]

I have 2x Delta Q quick chargers in Givi topbox on my S 2013. Works great but heavy. Will get a third and then place two in Givi side racks and one in topbox. Those new 2500W chargers with lower weight sounds good. But asume still limitation is 10A builtin charger and 30A on Andersson connector for quick chargers.

[NoiseBoy]

I have 2x Delta Q quick chargers in Givi topbox on my S 2013. Works great but heavy. Will get a third and then place two in Givi side racks and one in topbox. Those new 2500W chargers with lower weight sounds good. But asume still limitation is 10A builtin charger and 30A on Andersson connector for quick chargers.

Are they permanently wired into the box or do you take them out to use them?

[Zero.DS.Sweden]

I just them into the Givi topbox. 2x Delta Q fit nicely. They get abit warm but keep open while charging works fine. I take the entire topbox for shorter daily trips and put it on for longer roadtrips. An extra topbox cost EUR 70 at Louis.de so I consider to get an extra for daily use.

[Zero.DS.Sweden]

Benswing: how sensitive are they for rain with this mounting? Do you park with those 2x USD 1.300 on? My insurance does cover when in locked Givi on bike. I like the size and weight of yours!

[benswing]

Each Elcon charger is 15lbs, I think, so it does add some weight, but it only requires 1 J1772 plug to get the full 4.5kW of electricity.  The added weight doesn't change the feel of the bike much.

The Delta Q charger is still connected, but I only use one charging setup at a time.  Either the Elcons OR the Delta Q, but not both together (together they would blow a fuse).  The Elcons are only for road trips and I normally charge overnight using a regular outlet to avoid heating the battery.

Regarding rain, I plan to cover them in heavy plastic.  Also, I have been considering how to lock them onto the bike.  Right now I'm hoping that potential thieves will look at it and be afraid that they'll get electrocuted if they mess with it.  :-) 

[NoiseBoy]

I think for the next few years at least, 2012 Zero chargers won't be very desirable to thieves so not a major concern.  Vandalism is probably more likely.  Id think changing the bolts for something less common like Torx head would be a decent deterrent to any opportunists.

J1772 should do up to 6.6KW so you should be able to run all 3 chargers.  Maybe just leave a length of lead with the standard IEC connector coiled up behind the J1772 socket and then you could just unravel it and plug into the original delta Q charging socket to gain that extra KW on your road trips.

If you don't mind me asking how much did each charger cost? PM me if you prefer.

[benswing]

There is a way to get the Delta Q involved in charging simultaneously, but both Harlan and Terry started explaining things that I don't want to deal with on a regular basis.  Also, it would only decrease my charging time by about 15 minutes.  If I had time & resources to rip my bike apart and put it back together, then I would get all 3 going, but I'm happy with it as it is for now. 

Each Elcon charger cost about $1,000 plus $400 for the J1772 connection.  (I was surprised at first, but all the EV drivers I have spoken to says that's just what J1772 connections cost.)  Buying 1 2500kW Elcon charger ends up being a better deal than getting Delta Q's because each Elcon charges at a real 2.25kW rate, while each Delta Q charges at 0.9kW (on average).

To get the same power out of Delta Q's you would need 5 at $600 each plus the J1772 plug. 

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO GET STARTED is get a 2500W Elcon charger with a J1772 plug and use it simultaneously with your onboard Delta Q and as long as you have both a Level 1 & Level 2 plug available (like at many chargepoint stations), then you can charge at 3.1kW.  However, this only works when both Level 1 & Level 2 plugs are available. 

Even just having one 2500W Elcon charger is a significant step up and it cuts your charging time in less than half.  For a while, I just strapped one Elcon charger on the back section of my seat.  It wasn't particularly comfortable for longer trips, but it got the job done.

[protomech]

The Elcon chargers are IP46 rated (per this pdf).

4 is the mechanical ingress protection rating. It protects against all objects > 1mm: wires, screws, etc.

6 is the liquid ingress protection rating. It protects against powerful water jets, for example from a common garden hose.

I don't know how reliable that rating is, and of course any custom wiring will need to be protected to maintain that level of protection.

Maybe Terry can comment on how reliable his chargers have proven; I don't know if he employed anything to protect against weather.

[frodus]

Ouch, is that $1000 for each charger or total for both chargers? Aren't they just the Elcon 2500's?

The $400 for the J1772 is normal, although you can do it for cheaper, you'll do more work trying to source parts and get them shipped to the USA + integrate it. The $400 is drop in plug and play for the most part. I can get receptacles shipped to me for under $150 plus add a little pilot/signal board for another $50... then wire it up and throw an IEC connector on it for the DeltaQ/Elcon... you're ~$200 with no warranty and a bit of footwork. Still working on evaluating them and maybe I'll buy some stock to resell.

To do 6kw+, you'll need a different J1772 connector I think. I think the one they use is 3kw max... so just keep that in mind, or confirm with Zero before going higher.

[Zero.DS.Sweden]

With 2x Delta Q on my 2013 S I get 1.8 kWh. Cost 2x USD 600 + 1x Y cabel USD 250 = USD 1.450 = USD 800 per kWh

With 3x Delta Q I would get 2.7 kWh.
Cost 3x USD 600 + 2 Y cabel USD 250 = USD 2.300 = USD 850 per kWh

What would Elcon cost if you dont have J1772?

Can you run 2x Elcon? On 2013 the 30 A is the limit. Is it the same on 2012?

Elcon breaks warranty and that you have to consider.

[benswing]

Just got a message from Terry saying that he has not had issues with water protection on his Elcons. 

They are about $1,000 each and Harlan at Hollywood Electrics programs them so they cut off at 90% charging so they avoid damaging the battery.  He's worked hard, and done some testing, to make them foolproof and I'm happy with the result.

Each Elcon on my bike is plugged into a different port.  One is connected to the back port (split with the Delta Q) and one is connected to the side port.  I think that's how we get around the 30A limit.

Here is a quick cheatsheet for adding chargers.  There are also other combinations.  (Average measured values):

Device              Extra cost      Total Charging kW         Charge time (8kWh)
(1) Onboard Delta Q                0         .9                                 8.9hr
(2) Delta Q      + (1)             600         1.8                               4.4hr
(3) Elcon 2500 + (1)           1000         3.2                               2.5hr
(4) 2 Elcon 2500                 2000         4.5                               1.8hr

[frodus]

Ok, so he does some of the integration.... that makes sense. I thought you just bought chargers for $1000 standalone. I guess he orders them from Elcon with a pre-programmed algorithm and ensures they're wired up correctly. That and his support is worth it IMHO.