ᐅ Future-Proof Garage Wiring: Electric Vehicles, Conductor Cross-Section
Created on: 11 Jan 2017 11:52
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world-e
Hello everyone,
What conductor cross-section would you recommend for future-proof wiring to the garage? So far, a 16A CEE socket and several 230V outlets are planned for the garage. My concern is about the required capacity and cross-section in case an electric vehicle needs to be charged there later. It’s speculative, but perhaps someone else has already considered this. The cable length between the distribution board in the house and the garage is about 15 meters (50 feet). A sub-distribution panel in the garage is not planned at this stage. The individual outlets will be protected from the main distribution board in the house. The larger conductor cross-section for the future electric vehicle charging can initially have a lower circuit breaker rating.
Thank you.
What conductor cross-section would you recommend for future-proof wiring to the garage? So far, a 16A CEE socket and several 230V outlets are planned for the garage. My concern is about the required capacity and cross-section in case an electric vehicle needs to be charged there later. It’s speculative, but perhaps someone else has already considered this. The cable length between the distribution board in the house and the garage is about 15 meters (50 feet). A sub-distribution panel in the garage is not planned at this stage. The individual outlets will be protected from the main distribution board in the house. The larger conductor cross-section for the future electric vehicle charging can initially have a lower circuit breaker rating.
Thank you.
B
Bieber081512 Jan 2017 14:29World-e schrieb:
What conductor cross-section would you recommend for future-proof wiring to the garage? So far, there is a 16A CEE socket and several 230V outlets planned in the garage. If an electric car requires higher specs, I wouldn’t buy it.
Maybe a second (independent) 16A CEE socket is a good idea (double garage? Second vehicle in the driveway?).
Bieber0815 schrieb:
If an electric car demands too much, I wouldn’t buy it.But that is a contradiction.
The main issue with electric cars is their range. An "acceptable" electric car is one that has a long range.
Range is mainly determined by the battery capacity. Larger battery = longer range. No matter how big a battery is, if it’s empty, it’s empty. So the battery must be charged. Charging time depends on both the battery capacity and the charging current.
What good is an electric car with a theoretical range of 1000 km (620 miles) if the night is not long enough to fully charge the vehicle?
This problem already exists with the current generation of vehicles. You can plug the car into a standard electrical outlet, no problem, but then the question is when the battery will finally be fully charged.
That's how it is.
If you want to be mobile again within 2-3 hours, a fast charging station is required.
Before the provider gives their approval, a few criteria are checked.
Since the 15 meters (50 feet) will probably not be installed as an overhead line, a protective conduit is needed for the cable, as it can gradually heat up at 32 amps and 4 square millimeters (4 mm²).
It's borderline. Either the system’s maximum capacity has some reserve and it works fine, or the provider says cables smaller than 6 square millimeters (6 mm²) are not allowed. You can’t know for sure at this point.
Normally, 16 square millimeters (16 mm²) should be installed up to the meter cabinet.
If you want to be mobile again within 2-3 hours, a fast charging station is required.
Before the provider gives their approval, a few criteria are checked.
Since the 15 meters (50 feet) will probably not be installed as an overhead line, a protective conduit is needed for the cable, as it can gradually heat up at 32 amps and 4 square millimeters (4 mm²).
It's borderline. Either the system’s maximum capacity has some reserve and it works fine, or the provider says cables smaller than 6 square millimeters (6 mm²) are not allowed. You can’t know for sure at this point.
Normally, 16 square millimeters (16 mm²) should be installed up to the meter cabinet.
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Bieber081512 Jan 2017 22:13I already understand the relationship between range, battery capacity, and charging time. However, I still maintain that an electric car requiring highly specialized home charging technology will not be a part of my household (and, in my opinion, will not succeed in the market either).
In the vast majority of practical cases, you have the entire night at home available for charging. Even those who drive 1000 km (620 miles) a day will rest overnight first... (And if that is not enough time to recharge the car, then the car is simply unsuitable.)
In the vast majority of practical cases, you have the entire night at home available for charging. Even those who drive 1000 km (620 miles) a day will rest overnight first... (And if that is not enough time to recharge the car, then the car is simply unsuitable.)
Who really cares much about the charging technology in new buildings? You just plan for it and that’s it. By your logic, cars themselves wouldn’t have become widespread – they even require special buildings – nor would home automation or Ethernet have become standard. But all of that is a no-brainer nowadays. You just plan for it and it’s done.
And especially running a cable with the largest possible cross-section to the garage is no big deal.
And especially running a cable with the largest possible cross-section to the garage is no big deal.