Line-to-neutral EV chargers?

[JoeStillman]

Can 230V EV chargers be fed from 1P breakers in a 400Y/230V 3Ø, 4W panel? I heard somewhere they need both phase legs to be above ground voltage.

 

[jaggedben]

Ask the manufacturer? The only potential issue I see is if the ground fault sensing system expects what you say. But that seems dependent on how they implemented.

 

[JoeStillman]

I was hoping someone on here could save me the wild goose chase. The chatbots and sales force personnel you usually get through to don't know the difference between a neutral and a ground.

 

[paullmullen]

For fun, I just checked the Ford PowerStation Pro... It is 240V and is expecting L1, L2, N, and Ground. So you'll have a double-pole breaker. ;-)

 

[curt swartz]

For fun, I just checked the Ford PowerStation Pro... It is 240V and is expecting L1, L2, N, and Ground. So you'll have a double-pole breaker. ;-)

I have never installed one but just looked up the spec sheet which states:
Three-wire configuration of L1, L2 and Ground—hardwired
to junction box.

No neutral required but that doesn't mean it will accept a connection to a 230 volt circuit that has one side grounded.

 

[retirede]

You two may be looking at different things. The Ford Charge Station Pro (sold with the F150 Lightning) definitely does not require a neutral.

There are other Ford EVSEs that also use the “Pro” moniker that are sold to fleet operators. I’m not familiar with them, but the specs could be different.

 

[JoeStillman]

I have a commission for a project with 100 chargers in a big parking lot. I think a 400Y/230V transformer and 3Ø 4W panel with 1P breakers would be better than a 240V 3Ø 3W transformer and panel, just because I could use 1P instead of 2P breakers and the panel mains would be almost half the ampacity.

We're not talking about 120/240V, 1Ø, 3W (L-N-L) branch circuits.