How does Level 1/2 charging work outside North America?

[y_p_w]

Obviously most of the posts here come from where 110-120V is standard. However, I've traveled to countries where anything from 220-240V is a common voltage and not just for heavy duty applications like electric stoves. I get that it's probably current restricted.

So how are people typically charging at home? I hear a lot of comments about the difficulty of getting a 240V outlet or service in North America, but what about where 240V is the standard?

 

[FowVay]

Not sure I understand your question correctly but I travel to Europe quite a bit where the voltage is 220V. Back in the old days you had to have a converter to convert the 220 to 110 or it would burn up your devices. I went frequently enough that I just bought 220V devices and carried them back and forth across the ocean with me.

In modern times nearly every device is a dual-voltage product. This means that the device can use either 110 or 220. All that is required is a simple plastic adapter so that my North American outlet plug will work in the European wall plug. The device does that voltage sorting for me.

 

[y_p_w]

Not sure I understand your question correctly but I travel to Europe quite a bit where the voltage is 220V. Back in the old days you had to have a converter to convert the 220 to 110 or it would burn up your devices. I went frequently enough that I just bought 220V devices and carried them back and forth across the ocean with me.

In modern times nearly every device is a dual-voltage product. This means that the device can use either 110 or 220. All that is required is a simple plastic adapter so that my North American outlet plug will work in the European wall plug. The device does that voltage sorting for me.

I get how small electronic devices like wall warts work. But I posted this to an EV forum where I was hoping maybe for a discussion about charging rates for EVs.

I suspect that there's a difference between typical 240V going to a bedroom vs going to a clothes dryer.

 

[Finklejag]

Their level 1 is our level 2 output. I would like to hear about this also.

 

[eljefino]

The "Level 1" charger that came with my Prius Prime has a plug good for the USA standard of 115V, 12A (80% of the outlet rating.) But the guts are good for 230V, 16A, the standard most other places. All I had to do was cobble up an adapter to the higher voltage plug and the EVSE and car knew what to do with the rest. My charging time dropped from 7 hr to 2:20.

Would 230V/16A be considered "Level 1" or a weak Level 2? Someone, somewhere is the judge.

 

[mk378]

Ordinary household outlets are rated at 10 to 16 amps depending on the country standard.

The charger tells the car how much current can be drawn. The results will be faster than US level 1 but not as fast as US 30 or 40 A.

Also in some countries three phase AC is standard in every house, and the car standard does allow a three phase charging cord.

The definition of level 2 appears to be 3.6 kW or more to the car (220 V at 16.3 amps), anything less is level 1.

 

[Vercingetorix]

The charger is in the car. The EVSE is basically a switch.

 

[ecotourist]

I don't see the problem. I always charge my Tesla Model 3 at 220-240 Volts.

If your standard power source is 220 - 240 Volts you just plug in. You automatically have a level 2 charger. You can turn down the rate of charge (ie how many Amps it draws at 220 - 240 Volts) if you want or need to.

 

[alarmguy]

But volts are not amperage. How many amps does overseas 220/240 deliver?
Is it 20 twenty amps = 10 per side or is it 40 amps = 20 per side or something in-between?

My post is to those outside of North America as the OP stated .

 

[FlyingVan]

But volts are not amperage. How many amps does overseas 220/240 deliver?
Is it 20 twenty amps = 10 per side or is it 40 amps = 20 per side or something in-between?

My post is to those outside of North America as the OP stated .

In Europe regular power outlets are 220v, a phase and a neutral. There are not 2 sides. You can also have 3 phases, but common folk usually don't have that. Don't remember the amps, since I was too little to care when I left, more than 25 years ago.

 

[y_p_w]

I'm just wondering how it works if one might try using a residential 240V connection in a garage that would otherwise be like in the rest of a home.

I know Tesla's Mobile Connector has various adapter plugs available, and I believe each one has some sort of signaling of what it is and the current rating. I don't believe they're supposed to be used with another adapter (which might hang oddly) like one for North American 3-prong to some Asian or European 240V.

 

[alarmguy]

deleted

 

[930.engineering]

Not sure I understand your question correctly but I travel to Europe quite a bit where the voltage is 220V.

In Europe regular power outlets are 220v.....

220 V has been at decades ago in Europe. 220 V (±22 V) in very most western European countries up to 1987, while the UK used 240 V (±24 V). Nowadays it's 230 V ± 23 V at 50 Hz (in reality more close to 240 V). I use to get 236 - 238 V at home. According to DIN EN 60038 VDE 0175-1. That means every single outlet provides 3.68 kW.
.

 

[Rmay635703]

But volts are not amperage. How many amps does overseas 220/240 deliver?
Is it 20 twenty amps = 10 per side or is it 40 amps = 20 per side or something in-between?

My post is to those outside of North America as the OP stated .

Depends on the country

British 240vac household outlets/portable EVSEs are rated 10amps continuous
(this does compare favorably to the typical 12amps allowed out of a traditional 110vac outlet on a 15amp circuit)

Obviously every country has some means of delivering more amperage if needed

The charger is in the car. The EVSE is basically a switch.

Not even that really, it’s an Extension cord with an integrated ground fault (which is sort of a contactor/switch) and a 25 cent circuit that sends the signal for current .

EVSE is one of the dumbest rip offs considering its mediocre expensive design and lack of repair parts.

 

[JHZR2]

When we had a rental PHEV in Norway, the charger could be set to various current levels. Between 5-15A, at 220V.