Thread: EV general discussion

Originally Posted by Homestar

Add in those that have wimpy supplies to their houses like mine - only a 32 amp supply - that would basically max out on a 7KW charger so forget heating the house or cooking dinner while the EV is charging or vice versa.

32A supply would be a big problem for me - wouldn’t even power our normal peak energy usage.

Fortunately my house we can take 63A, which is probably still on the low side if you want to run a 7kW charger and still use peak power at the same time - but ovens are often on a 32A circuit, so running an additional 32A circuit to the garage and not charging when using the oven is possible (the oven is rarely used these days).

I guess the benefit of a 7kW charger is you could set it up to charge when your power consumption is at it’s lowest.

Originally Posted by DiscoDB

32A supply would be a big problem for me - wouldn’t even power our normal peak energy usage.

Fortunately my house we can take 63A at present. 63A is probably on the low side if you want to run a 7kW charger and still use peak power at the same time - but stoves are often on a 32A circuit, so running an additional 32A circuit to the garage and not charging when using the stove is possible (the stove is rarely used these days).

I wonder whether anyone has told the Good Guys et al that?


Induction seems to be making inroads but no idea what they draw.

Originally Posted by RANDLOVER

Exactly no one would even buy an ICE car if they had to fill it via a 2mm fuel line that took ages.

Just wondering what that 2mm fuel line would look like (I know I know, tiny.)

Originally Posted by 4bee

I wonder whether anyone has told the Good Guys et al that?


Induction seems to be making inroads but no idea what they draw.

Heaps - up to 48A supply needed with some of them. Some people will be in for a shock if they don’t do their homework. A lot need 32A (so this is additional to the oven).

Phasing out gas in Victoria will force a lot of us to need to upgrade to 80A or 100A supply just for heating and cooking.

(But that is an entirely different topic).

Originally Posted by 4bee

Just wondering what that 2mm fuel line would look like (I know I know, tiny.)

Surely at your vintage, flow through a small orifice is slower than years gone by

Originally Posted by DiscoDB

Heaps - up to 48A supply needed with some of them. Some people will be in for a shock if they don’t do their homework. A lot need 32A (so this is additional to the oven).

Phasing out gas in Victoria will force a lot of us to need to upgrade to 80A or 100A supply just for heating and cooking.

(But that is an entirely different topic).

Perhaps a government funded scheme using the now saved 5 billion

Originally Posted by Tombie

Perhaps a government funded scheme using the now saved 5 billion

Probably turn into one big mess,and end up costing the Govt way more than the saved $5 Bil.

Originally Posted by DiscoDB

Is grid capacity truly a problem? Electricity consumption has been trending down since it peaked in 2008.



No doubt wiring capacity in old apartments and homes will be a problem. Has to be a user pay system. If you must have an EV, and you need a home charger, you will have to pay to upgrade the power supply to install that new charger if the wiring to your unit or home can not handle the capacity.

Fortunately for most residents, a 2.4kW home charger is more than adequate.

One irony will be all those off-peak hot water systems may need to be reprogrammed to heat during the day rather than at night time as they currently do (at least in apartments in Victoria) - especially if EV charging moves when peak power consumption takes place. Either that or home car chargers should also be put on the same off-peak circuit as electric water heaters as this is when the grid does have excess capacity available

(Let’s not discuss where off-peak power comes from - that’s Australia’s dirty little secret).

I didn’t say the supply was an issue - I said DISTRIBUTION - very different and as someone who works in that industry and those trying to make it work I can tell you NO ONE knows the answer to this problem so if you thing you can trot out a chart you find on line proves your point you’re very wrong.

If you want an honest answer try calling your supply authority and ask them a theoretical question. Tell them you want to upgrade your apartment block from its 400 amp supply to a 2000 amp supply so you can install some chargers for the tenants. Give them a State Capital City postcode - Please record the answer and post it here. I’m betting it’s the sound of laughter.