Electric car charger near gas dispenser ??

[rhn]

This is a new one for me, Customer wants an electric car charger installed, charger would be out of Class 1 Div.2 but it has a 30' cord reel that will reach the gas dispenser and then some.
Don't know if anyone has run into this yet.

 

[petersonra]

This is a new one for me, Customer wants an electric car charger installed, charger would be out of Class 1 Div.2 but it has a 30' cord reel that will reach the gas dispenser and then some.
Don't know if anyone has run into this yet.

I don't see how a classified area 30 feet away makes any difference. what if it was just a receptacle? how would you prevent someone from plugging an extension cord into it and dragging the other end of the cord into the classified area.

 

[rhn]

Charger would be mounted 22' from gas dispenser. Charger cord to plug into vehicle is on a 30' reel. Electric car could be parked in the spot on either side of the gas dispenser and plugged in

 

[petersonra]

Charger would be mounted 22' from gas dispenser. Charger cord to plug into vehicle is on a 30' reel. Electric car could be parked in the spot on either side of the gas dispenser and plugged in

I don't recall any requirements in the code that would prohibit this install. If you don't like it, turn down the work.

 

[ActionDave]

Charger would be mounted 22' from gas dispenser. Charger cord to plug into vehicle is on a 30' reel. Electric car could be parked in the spot on either side of the gas dispenser and plugged in

Why would someone with an electric car park at a gas pump and drag a cord from a charger station thirty feet away?

As long as the charger is outside the classified area I don't see a problem.

 

[rhn]

Why would someone with an electric car park at a gas pump and drag a cord from a charger station thirty feet away?

As long as the charger is outside the classified area I don't see a problem.

It's at a big used car dealership. The gas pump is not on an island like a store, it's just on a concrete pad with parking spaces by it,
and now they want to be able to charge any PEV's they might get in.

 

[ActionDave]

It's at a big used car dealership. The gas pump is not on an island like a store, it's just on a concrete pad with parking spaces by it,
and now they want to be able to charge any PEV's they might get in.

I still don't see a problem.

 

[JFletcher]

Do the electric vehicle charging cords have a handle on them like a gas pump? Something that would open the circuit before disconnecting from the car to prevent arcs? Iow, can one disconnect the charger cord under a load?

If the answer to that last question is yes, or if arcing is possible, I do not see how you could put the thing within reach of a gas pump, which have every kind of warning known to man about not creating static discharges, turn engine off while fueling, Etc.

I would put the electric vehicle charging station elsewhere, or shorten the cord so that it cannot be near the gas pump. No NEC basis for this, just a design consideration with safety in mind.

 

[augie47]

If I was going to worry about the arc at an electric vehicle, I'd be scared to death every time someone started their conventional engine sitting at the gas pump
I would think the 18" "envelope" on the dispenser classification should minimum any hazard.


Just watch out for the guy leaning up against the gas pump as he takes his afternoon smoke break.

 

[wwhitney]

Do the electric vehicle charging cords have a handle on them like a gas pump? Something that would open the circuit before disconnecting from the car to prevent arcs?

Yes, to disconnect a J1772 connector from an EV, you push a button to disengage a simple mechanical lock. That button push also sends a signal to the EV to stop charging. So when you pull the connector out, it should not be under load.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[jaggedben]

Yes, to disconnect a J1772 connector from an EV, you push a button to disengage a simple mechanical lock. That button push also sends a signal to the EV to stop charging. So when you pull the connector out, it should not be under load.

Cheers, Wayne

(In other words, it's safer in many aspects than a typical gas pump nozzle that can spray gasoline all over your shoes if it pops out accidentally.)

 

[kwired]

If I was going to worry about the arc at an electric vehicle, I'd be scared to death every time someone started their conventional engine sitting at the gas pump
I would think the 18" "envelope" on the dispenser classification should minimum any hazard.


Just watch out for the guy leaning up against the gas pump as he takes his afternoon smoke break.

:thumbsup:

Though there is a little more danger in vapors accumulating in something that sits nearby 24/7 then there is with a vehicle pulling up for just a few minutes then leaving, but unless it is within that 18" is still not likely to be a problem.