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Price Drop and Updates

Elektrobay 250
Elektrobay 250

We’ve reduced the price on the Elektrobay 250 from $1,870 to $1,760.

Model Swap

We are swapping out the top model kecontact c-series with a kecontact c-series

Recharging NSW will no longer be stocking the:
KC-P20-ES240030-00R EN EN Type2 Socket 22kW+ETH+PLC+RFID
Instead we will be ordering:
New Model: KC-P20-ES240020-00R EN Type2 Socket 22kW+ETH+RFID

The difference between the 2 Models is the PLC (power-line communication) function. For vehicles which have this feature it allows the vehicle to potentially gain internet access through the charging station if there is a lack of mobile phone reception. Currently only the Smart ED (not available in Australia) has this feature. This enables us to reduce the price to $2,090.00.

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Charging your EV or PHEV from Controlled Load or Off Peak

For starters let me say this post is not all inclusive you should consult your local electrician or network supplier.  I have put in some  inquiries with network suppliers and will update accordingly.

To know which rules apply to you you need to know who your network supplier is there are 3 in NSW, each supplier has separate rules but they are pretty similar.

Ausgrid

Service area is Sydney, Central Coast and Hunter. The terms and conditions for connections are stimulated in there network pricing Pages 32 to 36. I’ve summarised bellow.

Off Peak

For those on time of use pricing your electricity is charged in 3 rates Peak (2pm to 8pm weekdays) , Shoulder (7am to 2pm and 8pm to 10pm weekdays or 7am to 10pm weekends) and Off Peak (10pm to 7am). Off peak generally is 10-12c/kwh, 1/6 the price of peak and 1/3 the price of shoulder to make use of these prices all you have to do is charge your car during these times. You can make it more convenient by using timers.

Controlled Load

Controlled loads are power circuits that are remotely controlled by Ausgrid. Ausgrid can choose to turn these circuits off to reduce demand on the network. A single installation can only have either controlled load 1 or 2 not both. You can connect any appliance to controlled provided it has fixed wiring basically no power points. In the case of EV charging the EVSE is the appliance not the car, so provided you have a hardwired EVSE you should be able to use controlled load. Also interesting point is that the document does have a cause for battery charging Section 10.3.2.

Controlled Load 1

Controlled Load 1 tariff is available for supply that is usually connected for six hour duration between 10.00 pm and 7.00 am. (7-11c/kwh)

Controlled Load 2

Controlled Load 2 tariff is available for supply that is usually connected for sixteen hours per day including more than six hours between 8pm and 7am and more than four hours between 7am and 5pm (12-14c/kwh)

Endeavour Energy

Service area Sydney’s Greater West, the Southern Highlands and the Illawarra. The terms and conditions for connections are stimulated in there network pricing Pages 23 to 25.

Off Peak

Same hours as Ausgrid but the peak price isn’t as high average the off peak price is only 1/4 of peak 12-14c/kwh

Controlled Load

Controlled loads are power circuits that are remotely controlled by Endeavour. You can connect any appliance to controlled provided it has fixed wiring basically no power points except in the case of pool equipment. In the case of EV charging the EVSE is the appliance not the car so you can provide you have a hardwired EVSE.

Controlled Load 1

Controlled Load 1 tariff is available for supply that is usually connected for six hour duration between 10.00 pm and 7.00 am. (7-10c/kwh)

Controlled Load 2

Controlled Load 2 tariff is available for supply for restricted periods not exceeding 17 hours in any period of 24 hours  (11-12c/kwh)

Essential Energy

The rest of rural and regional NSW, Only document I can find is the pricing list, Off peak follows that of all the others above and controlled load has the same provisions of hardwired appliances only.

Essential is the most expensive service area with off peak only 1/2 peak prices but still 15-18c/kwh. Controlled load 1 11-12 c/kwh and Controlled load 2 17-19c/kwh

 

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Manufacturer Charging Offerings

With electric vehicles finally beginning to take off in Australia I thought it would be a good idea to look at how the vehicle manufacturers are recommending you charge your car.

BMW

BMW i3 and i8

Mobile Cable: The cable included with vehicle has a normal household 10A/240V plug (I-type 3112) with a maximum current draw of 8amps (~2kW of power).

Home Charging Equipment: The BMW i Wallbox Pure is listed on the BMW website for $1750 (inc. GST, install additional), but only provides a maximum of 3.7kW instead of the 7.4kW maximum the car can take. BMW estimate the starting cost of install is $660 depending on site requirements.

The i Wallbox Pro doesn’t appear to be available in Australia yet, the pro has a LCD screen and provides load management functions similar to the top model keba when paired up with home electrical smart metering.

Fast Charger: In Australia BMW have decided on using the Combined Charging System (CCS) type 1, it also does not appear to be standard but is an optional extra. So far BMW have only installed one CCS fast charger in Australia at the BMW dealership in Brisbane.

Holden

Holden Volt

Mobile Cable: The cable included with vehicle has a normal household 10A/240V plug (I-type 3112) with a maximum current draw of 10amps (~2.3kW of power). This is a very popular unit with other EVs owners as a replacement only cost RRP $450 from Holden spare parts.

Home Charging Equipment: Holden did have a partnership with now closed down Better Place, but since then have not recommended or partnered with any other supplier in Australia.

Fast Charger: The Volt is not fast charge capable

Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi i-MIEV and Outlander PHEV

Mobile Cable: The cable included with vehicle has a 15A/240V plug (I-type 3112) with a maximum current draw of 10amps (~2.3kW of power).

Home Charging Equipment: Mitsubishi recommend a 15amp power point and using your mobile cable all the time.

Fast Charger: The i-MIEV comes with a CHAdeMO port as standard, the Outlander PHEV even though it has a CHAdeMO port in other countries Mitsubishi decided it added too much to the cost of the car for the Australian market. Mitsubishi have installed a CHAdeMO fast charger at their head office in Adelaide free for Mitsubishi owners.

Nissan

Nissan LEAF

Mobile Cable: The cable included with vehicle has a 15A/240V plug (I-type 3112) with a maximum current draw of 10amps (~2.3kW of power).

Home Charging Equipment: In Australia Nissan have teamed up with Chargepoint/Origin as their official provider of home charging equipment, they provide a CT500 6.6kW charging station for around $3000 installed. They have been moving focus away from home to commercial, and the purchase and install quotation page is no longer available on their website.

Fast Charger: The LEAF comes with a CHAdeMO port as standard.

Tesla

Tesla Model S

Mobile Cable: This is officially “Coming Soon”, we suspect it will be free with the car. This has been one of the early adopter issues with Tesla in Australia promises and not products.

Home Charging Equipment: Tesla provides a single phase 40amp charging station free with the vehicle, installation cost to be covered by the customer. This can supply 9.6kW of power, which is fine with the standard 10kW on-board charger, but is short of the 22kW of power that the Tesla Model S can use with the dual charger optional extra ($1900) . The 3 phase 22kW charging station is also “Coming Soon” with the promise of a free upgrade.

Fast Charger: Fast charging or supercharging in Tesla speak, comes as an optional extra at $3300. But unlike the other manufacturers mentioned Tesla actually do have public plans to increase the availability of superchargers around the country with 2 sites in Sydney and a plan to connect Melbourne to Brisbane over the coming years.

3rd Party Options

For home charging equipment Recharging NSW’s 3rd party options come in cheaper than nearly all the recommended units, except for Tesla where it’s included in the price of the car. Tesla and BMW are providing underpowered units, so if you want to use the full power of your car charger your only option currently is 3rd party units.

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Keba Partnership and New products

Recharging NSW is proud to announce that it is now a retailer of Keba KeContact P20 charging points and electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE).

Keba EVSE Who is Keba ?

Keba AG is an Austrian company with its headquarters in Linz, that develops and produces industrial, bank, and service industrial products. (source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KEBA)

Which e-vehicles will be able to be recharged ?

KeContact comes in 3 variations Type 1 J1772 (cable), Type 2 Mennekes (cable) and Type 2 Mennekes socket.

Type 1 J1772 (cable)

  • BMW i3 and i8
  • Brammo Empulse and Empulse R (e-motorbike)
  • Holden Volt
  • Mitsubishi i-MIEV (2012 or newer) and Outlander PHEV
  • Nissan LEAF

Type 2 Mennekes (cable)

  • Tesla Model S

Type 2 Mennekes Socket

  • All of the above with either a Type 2 to Type 1 cable or a Type 2 to Type 2 cable. This is the universal option best for when you want to be able to support as many cars as possible with a single unit.

Where can I find a KeContact P20 ?

The KeContact is available worldwide, if you would like to see some pictures of some units installed I’ve found the following on plugshare and uppladdning.nu

Denmark
Sweden
More details
Visit the Keba Kecontact product website http://www.kecontact.com/en/
Pricing is coming soon I’ll be updating the product page with this information. Any more questions send me an email from the Contact Us Page
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Merry Christmas and New Year

Recharging NSW wishes everyone a happy holiday season.

During the holiday season. Email responses may take longer.  And shipment may be delayed. We will be back to normal after 18th of January.

There is plenty of exciting news for 2015.

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Introducing our 7kW Aerovironment and Elektrobay EVSE.

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 ?

  1. 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.
  2. Charge time:  Your car will charge faster (more details below)
  3. 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.
  4. 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.

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Welcome

Well if you’ve found this page your are way ahead of us we are still working on the paper work to get the company up and running but come back later once we are ready to make our first announcement.