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Author Topic: Level 1, 2, and 3  (Read 341 times)

Motoproponent

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Level 1, 2, and 3
« on: May 13, 2023, 04:46:31 AM »

I know Energicas have "Level 3" DCFC through the CCS port

I know, at least here in the states, the Level 2 uses a J1772 plug into the top part of the CCS plug. This is from a 240vac source and the max charge rate is 3.3kw because of the capacity of the onboard charger.

Is there a separate plug for Level 1? Does it just feed the 120vac into the same receptacle, the J1772 plug? Is it just a NEMA 5-15 to J1772 cord?

I ask because my wife's DSR has a separate receptacle for the level 1. Even though it's slow its a compact cord that you can plug in anywhere you can plug in a phone. Pretty convenient for on-the-sly charging at hotels and what not.

Which leads me to the next question....

If the circuit can handle it, could the bike pull 27.5 amps and get the same 3.3kw charge rate from a household outlet?
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Motoproponent

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Re: Level 1, 2, and 3
« Reply #1 on: May 13, 2023, 04:56:07 AM »


Which leads me to the next question....

If the circuit can handle it, could the bike pull 27.5 amps and get the same 3.3kw charge rate from a household outlet?

Nevermind, that's a dumb question. It would take 10 or 12 guage wire to handle that amperage without catching fire. 5-15 outlets arent wired that way.

But the other question...does 120vac and 240vac go through the same receptacle?
« Last Edit: May 15, 2023, 10:40:13 PM by Motoproponent »
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MVetter

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Re: Level 1, 2, and 3
« Reply #2 on: May 13, 2023, 05:35:57 AM »

This should answer all your questions:

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Specter

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Re: Level 1, 2, and 3
« Reply #3 on: May 13, 2023, 07:00:14 AM »

Morgan's video is a very good one to explain everything you need to know on how that all works.

I was in your spot a few months ago and he helped me as well.  Let me also add a few things.

Your bike will pull 15 Amps MAX, no matter what AC voltage you put in, that's just it's limit on the AC side.

It's just the one plug,  the J1772 that whatever voltage you plug it into, goes thru, no additional plugs.
Ideally you could get yourself a 240 volt charger with a plug that fits whatever plug you have in the garage that's 240, and then put a pigtail on it so you can also plug it into a 115 receptacle as well and charge the bike.  This way you can charge the bike on 115 OR 240 using the same charger and not have to get two of them.

if you have a 115 volt charger from another device and it fits, it should work.  Just remember though, even though the 'charger' you get may claim to be rated at 40 amps or whatever.. the MAX the bike will ever accept from it is... 15 amps.

If you Do decide to go the 115 volt pigtail route, be warned that most of them online are NOT wired properly and will not work, even though they claim they will.  I tried several and none of the 'conversion plugs' worked properly.  I had to return them all

The problem is, they put the hot lead on both sides of the 115 plug, so in essence there is no return leg to complete the circuit.  What they need to do is put hot on one side and the neutral on the other side  It's easy to build one though.   Get a female receptacle for what ever form factor your 240 plug is, (to plug your charger into), some 3 conductor wire, id recommend 12 gauge, and a male 115 volt 15 amp plug head.



Wire it together as follows. 

L1 off the charger female plug goes to L on the 115 male plug (the black wire in the us), 
L2 on your 250 female charger (which would be the other hot on 240 volt) goes to the N on the 115 volt side plug (N is white in us)
The L and the N on a 115 will be shaped the same, they are rectangularish.
The ground, which universally should be a green wire. goes to the round prong on the 115 volt plug.

screw it all together and when you need 240 volt charging just plug the charger in directly, when you need 115 volt, plug the charger into your pigtail,and the pigtail into the 115 volt wall socket and you are good to go.

I would also recommend making the pigtail maybe a few feet long.  The 115 volt receptacles are fairly small and light weight, and having the weight of a huge honking 240 receptacle head that may be built to take up to 50 amps, may pull on the plug and cause stress / loosening issues.  By having the cord a few feet long, all the heavy stuff is laying on the ground, and just the light 115 volt made for the socket plug, is really hanging off it, it's not supporting the weight of all that.

any questions please feel to ask or dm me if you don't want to ask in public :D

Aaron
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Motoproponent

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Re: Level 1, 2, and 3
« Reply #4 on: May 15, 2023, 03:24:39 AM »

Thanks. Thats what i wanted to know.

I already have a L2 charger in the garage and one on the outside wall of my house. Just wondering what to take with me on road trips. Like for my wife's zero we have an extra long cord. When we stop somewhere without an advertised charger, i have a look around for outlets. Just a regular cord is more inconspicuous than the 120 volt portable EVSE cord that came with our Chevy or Nissan, or what I expect to get with the Experia.
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Specter

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Re: Level 1, 2, and 3
« Reply #5 on: May 15, 2023, 04:32:28 AM »

You are right, a regular cord IS more inconspicuous.  So get yourself a charger that only has like a 4 or 6 foot cord on it from the control head or even shorter, and then just use an extension cord to bring it to your charger from the plug and bring it to the bike to charge.   A pigtail adapter to go from whatever plug to the 'input' to an extension cord only needs a few inches of wire.  Adapter into wall, other end of adapter into extension cord, cord runs to bike (looks a lot more inconspicious) at bike, jumps to charger which plugs into the bike.

What I'd LOVE to see is an integrated 'male' 115 vac built right into the bike, kind of like when you look at the back of your computer, you see that going into the power supply.  That way all you need is to bring an extension cord, a normal cord, it plugs right into the bike, and the CCS1 control head blech is right there built in.   Lets say you have a 240 outlet available, ok fine, make a pigtail to convert from that to your cord, to bike.  No more big bulky charging head, which is rediculous anyways, all it does is 'switch' on and off the AC going to the bike.  Let the BIKE do that!   Also double up the chargers in it so it can handle 6 kw of charge!  That's way less than the standard 30 amp breaker you see on most any 240 v circuit, for a dryer, water heater, stove, etc etc. and 6k would be a MAJOR plus for the bike and it's 'rapid charge' moniker.

just rabbling, not like anyone listens :)

Aaron
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