Are we Ready for Electric Vehicle Charging in New and Existing Buildings?

The wave is coming. By 2040 it is expected that over 55% of vehicles worldwide will be electric. BMW has said that by 2023, they will have more than 25 electric models, Volkswagen will have over 27 by 2022, and Volvo will have an electric variant of all its models by 2025. China is electrifying cars at lightning speed.

Electric Vehicles (EVs) are a fast-growing market and there is now a need to consider the requirements of providing EV charging for new and existing buildings. Fortunately, in most cases, there may already be spare capacity in most designs. The Trinidad & Tobago Government and various market stakeholders have already started addressing the issue but much more public awareness is needed. EV Charging will be a major area in future building requirements.

CHARGING RATE AND CONNECTORS

There is a myriad of EVs in the market, however, when it comes to charging, the equation is somewhat unaddressed. Two things need to be taken into account:

• Charging rate

There are three (3) levels of charging rates and would be dependent of the actual vehicle:

• Level 1 – Usually for home use at 110V and with the charger provided with the EV. Connects to a regular house socket and the charge time is usually about 10 – 12 hours

• Level 2 – Either home or commercial. For the home, an aftermarket charger is provided for the home with a 220V connection with an electrical installation required. Commercial is virtually the same but sometimes with a chargeback mechanism using an RFID card or app on your mobile phone. These commercial versions could also be seen at offices and apartment blocks. Typically, the charge time is 4 – 5 hours.

• Level 3 – Also called DC Fast Charging (DCFC), it is usually commercial or for fleet owners, providing up to 50 KW of power, with a charging rate of 30 minutes to take a battery from 20 – 80% and additional 30 minutes to get to 100%, however not all EVs will support this charging speed. Chargeback method is usually the same as with Level 2.

It should be noted that charging time will be dependent on the current level of the battery, vehicle charge rate and vehicle battery capacity.

(2) Charging connector.

The predominant charging connector is the J1772, also called the J plug, and is standard on most cars with a few exceptions. J1772 is usually used with Level 1 and 2 charging.

Level 3 charging connectors is dependent on the manufacturer. They include:

• Chademo (Charge-de-Move), used by Nissan and Hyundai in some markets

• CCS Combo (Combined Charging System), used by many European and American cars, as well as Hyundai in some markets

• Tesla SuperCharger, used only by Tesla. Tesla can also use the CCS or Chademo with a convertor.

The next level of charging is only now becoming available to up to 350 KW and will provide full charge in less than 10 minutes. The next generation of EVs will support this level of charging.

COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL BUILDING REQUIREMENTS

For all intents and purposes, both commercial and residential requirements for Level 2 is virtually the same except for any NEMA code requirements. Level 2 chargers are usually available in 30 or 40 amp variants at 220V. Installation can be done by any certified electrician and can either be wall or pedestal mounted. Pedestal are usually sold by the EV Charger manufacturer and can be costly.

Level 3 chargers are quite different given that it delivers much higher power for quicker charging, and specific manufacturer instructions are required. They tend to be 3 Phase 277V/480V at about 70 amps or more. They are usually ground mounted on a concrete base. They also need significantly more planning especially when the building is existing, given the location of breaker panels in relation to the proposed EV Charger installation site.

External chargers are usually IP65 rated for outdoor use. Some can support management by a network, which requires an Ethernet (Category 6) connection, or SIM card from a cellular service provider.

ELECTRICAL CODE REQUIREMENT

The Ministry of Public Utilities, in conjunction with the Electrical Inspectorate Division and Trinidad & Tobago Electricity, has issue guidelines for the installation of Level 1 and Level 2 chargers and are developing guidelines for Level 3 chargers. All EV Charger installations need to be approved by the Electrical Inspectorate. The existing guidelines can be found at:

https://ttec.co.tt/default/electric-vehicles-3

A NOTE ON SOLAR POWER

The proliferation of the solar power solution worldwide is increasing, and in many cases, EV Chargers are powered by a solar power system that includes storage batteries. We hope to address this in a future article.

SUMMARY

EVs are here and it stands to reasons there will be a desire for charging. All stakeholders including the Government, Automobile Dealers, Electricity Providers, Public Transport and even the Construction Industry must be prepared to deal with the coming wave.