If you head over to our product page, you’ll find the first in a hopefully expanding selection of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE).
So time for a quick Question and Answer session.
Why do I need a 7kW EVSE ?
- Convenience: Unpacking and packing up the supplied charging cable can get tiresome. Drivers have found it more convenient to park and plug in from a fixed installation.
- Charge time: Your car will charge faster (more details below)
- Efficiency: There are saving just from the car charging system being on for less time. Some cars will also benefit from being able to operate at full power when recharging.
- Safety: a properly installed hard wired EVSE is safer than using a power point and cable.
What Electric Vehicles (EVs) and plug in hybrids will they work with ?
These units will work with all mode 3 J1772 vehicles. the quick Australian list is:
- BMW i3
- BMW i8
- Brammo Empulse and Empulse R (e-motorbike)
- Holden Volt
- Mitsubishi i-MIEV (2012 or newer)
- Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
- Nissan LEAF
Tesla Roadster and Model S and Zero Motorbikes may work with adapter cables (we are unable to provide these)
How fast will a 7kW EVSE recharge my car ?
Well it depends on the car, the 7kW EVSE only tells the car the maximum power it can use, it then depends on how powerful the on board charger is which varies on each car. So lets compare these 7kW units to the EVSE that is supplied with the vehicle. The table tells you how many kWh supplied in 2 hours of charging* and the % increase in battery charge level (State of Charge SOC)
| 2.4kW Using a power point |
7kW Fixed installation | Charging Time Decrease Factor | |||
| Car | kWh | % of battery | kWh | % of battery | |
| BMW i3 | 4.8 | 22% | 14.1 | 65% | 0.34 |
| Holden Volt | 4.8 | 29% | 6.9 | 42% | 0.70 |
| Mitsubishi I-MIEV | 4.8 | 30% | 6 | 38% | 0.80 |
| Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV | 4.8 | 40% | 7.2 | 60% | 0.67 |
| Nissan LEAF | 4.8 | 20% | 7.2 | 30% | 0.67 |
*for simplicity this doesn’t take into account inefficiency in the charger.
We can see from table that the BMW i3 get the biggest benefit from the upgrade; if it takes 8 hours from a powerpoint then using our 7kW EVSE should decrease it to (8 hours times the “charging time decrease factor” i.e 8*0.34 ) 2.72 hours.
What is the difference between the two models ?
Aerovironment EVSE-RS is cheaper, has a longer cable which will be more convenient, and better suited for an outdoor installation because of the heat rating to 50°C.
Elektrobay is slightly more expensive but has a key lock to stop unauthorised use, which may be of use in less private parking spaces. It also has a remote start circuit, this allows you to increase the intelligence of the EVSE. You can for example; wire in timers, remote start switches, create coin operated charging stations or start charging when you solar system starts exporting energy to maximise your renewable energy use. If you want to explore any of these ideas recharging NSW is happy to help.
I have more questions ?
Fill out the form on the contact us page.