Frequently asked questions
- Master Switchboard (MSB) connected to the existing MSB
- Distribution board(s) (DB’s) connected to the new MSB. Each DB can service a maximum of 24 car parking bays
- Australian compliant meters for each connected EV charger
- Load management system (LMS) to manage peak demand
- Data cables from the LMS to the EV chargers
- Power cables from the new MSB via the DB’s to the EV chargers
- Cable trays
Following installation, a system integrator is needed to configure and commission the entire installation.
No, other factors are:
- Chargers don’t charge at maximum power continuously. For example, DC chargers charge rapidly until the battery reaches 80-90% capacity, then slow significantly for the remaining 10-20% charge
- The optimum outside temperature range for charging is 20 – 30° C – outside this range charging can take longer
- EV’s have different onboard circuitry which can affect the maximum charging speed
- A building may have a Load Management System which monitors and limits power consumption during peak demand
- Power ratings of AC chargers are typically:
- Single phase chargers:
- 3kW (equivalent to a standard wall socket)
- 7.4kW
- 3 Phase chargers:
- 11kW
- 22kW
- 3 Phase chargers:
- 24kW
- 50kW
- 100-350kw
- Single phase chargers:
- Chargers connect via one (“single phase”) or three (“3 phase”) conductors. A single conductor is less efficient, more prone to power interruption, and can manage less power than 3 conductors.
The Australian power grid supplies Alternating Current (AC).
Electric Vehicles and Plug-In Hybrids have onboard circuitry that allows then to be charged from either AC or Direct Current (DC) power sources.
An AC charger connects the AC supply from the grid to the vehicle’s on-board circuitry (“rectifier”) where the current is converted to DC for charging the vehicle’s battery.
A DC charger contains an inverter which converts the grid’s AC current to DC. A DC charger bypasses the vehicle’s rectifier and connects directly to the vehicle’s battery for charging.
