Electrical car charging points - what do i need as an installer?

[spark 68]

It is partly to do with the difference of potential between "true earth" and the PME earth, and partly to do with the potential dangers of a broken suppliers Neutral.

It is not just caravan sites that can be/are problematic with PME for much the same reasons, but Marinas, agricultural buildings for livestock, even domestic outbuildings where extraneous conductive parts are present.

It can be done, however the bonding requirements can become complicated and/or expensive in some cases, and in other cases forbidden entirely in the case of Marinas and caravan pitches.

 

[Engineer54]

It is similar to the caravan regs mate, PME is a no no on them too, amongst other installations where PME can be problematic.

Not according to Welchyboy1 it's not!!

I'm getting the impression that this all OTT myself!! What do these electric car charging points actually consist of, that they are so worried about??

I'm just thinking back to the factory where i did my training, that had a vehicle battery charging area/bay in the middle of the factory that was charging upto 20 sizeable batteries at any one time, ranging from forklift to maintenance car batteries. Damned if i can think of any specialised earthing arrangements in place. Only thing i can remember being out of the ordinary, was a dedicated extensive air extraction system...

 

[spark 68]

Not according to Welchyboy1 it's not!!

Where does he say that E54 ?

It is exactly due to that, have a look for yourself on the IET site, under wiring regs > updates, where AMD2 is free to download, I cannot post it here as it is copy protected.

You need to log in though (free to register). http://electrical.------.org/wiring-regulations/updates/index.cfm

 

[Engineer54]

Where does he say that E54 ?

It is exactly due to that, have a look for yourself on the IET site, under wiring regs > updates, where AMD2 is free to download, I cannot post it here as it is copy protected.

You need to log in though (free to register). IET Wiring Regulations updates - IET Electrical

Here......

The regs have just been updated, at first you was forbidden from exporting the pme supply from a domestic or commercial property and had to rod all charging points
now thats been relaxed and you can export pme for single dwellings only without tt'ing

I will if i get time, if not when i get back to China, (leaving here tomorrow (10th) late afternoon) .....if i remember!! lol!!

 

[spark 68]

I think we are talking at crossed purposes lol

I didn't say it was forbidden (in all cases), it was just similar to caravan regs for pretty much the same reasons.

There are other caveats which are too lengthy to post here, you would need to have a read of it yourself

Actually it is more or less the same as other situations where extending PME can be problematic, domestic and otherwise.

 

[Engineer54]

I think we are talking at crossed purposes lol

Probably, it's not unheard of for me to misread posts!! ...lol!!

 

[Welchyboy1]

I can't see why it's so complicated, surely it's just a battery charger fixed to the wall? Well a bit more complicated, actually maybe not, it's a damn battery charger.

I don't see an earth rod next to my Duracell charger, or one that I plug in then put on the van battery?

Can someone explain who knows, why it is so involved.

its not the charging unit, its the car! when its plugged in, if you have a lost neutral on the incoming main then the car is a great big lump of live metal insulated from the ground, then if someone touches it whilst also touching a steel fence post in the garden etc etc.......u get the picture

also potential difference between earthing systems is also a problem

Whos ever been up a scissor lift and put their arm on the metal tray work and got a belt? I have!


I looked up 16a and 32a isolation transformers today for the electrical separation option.......not much change out of a grand! Class 2 external light fittings all round i think!

 

[uksparks]

I was thinking about this today, and did think if it was because you could have a car isolated from the ground due to rubber tyres etc.

Makes sense nw looking at it like that, but still think its a bit over the top and needs reinventing.