POCO Installed EV Charging Stations

[Greg1707]

I live in an urban area with no garages or driveways, only street parking. The power lines are buried and parallel the streets/sidewalks. Would it be possible for the POCO to install charging stations in the way that parking meters are installed along streets?

 

[Buck Parrish]

Yes, It's possible. Maybe not exactly what you have pictured in your head.
Also, there may not be enough electric cars as of yet to make it profitable. Maybe with government subsides they'll do it. I could see them using credit card readers and let the machine take care of itself. Just like a modern parking meter.

Problem is you may have to have an attendant nearby or by video. Until people get use to using them and of course I am sure vandalism is sure to occur.

Can you draw a rendition of what you think it would look like?

 

[Hv&Lv]

Curbside chargers aren’t a great priority to POCOs. They would rather meter at one spot and let the city or DOT handle maintenance and revenue collection on these devices.
Many cities are trying to get this started and I think theres a 7 some odd BILLION dollar EV infrastructure bill sitting out the pre somewhere, but rural areas won’t be them main concern for quite a while.
There’s a big problem with them in every city without off street parking.

 

[tallgirl]

I live in an urban area with no garages or driveways, only street parking. The power lines are buried and parallel the streets/sidewalks. Would it be possible for the POCO to install charging stations in the way that parking meters are installed along streets?

My opinion? EV chargers in locations like that need to include "parking" in the cost with the electricity as a surcharge. All the public locations I've seen are marked "EV Parking Only" but there doesn't appear to be a way to cite someone who isn't charging, and when they are finished charging they just leave their car anyway.

Nota bene: I've had some kind of EV for 14 years.

 

[retirede]

The charging station itself is pretty compact - smaller than a gasoline dispenser. But the associated transformers and rectifiers take up much more space and have to be located fairly close to the charging station.

 

[retirede]

…and when they are finished charging they just leave their car anyway.

Every commercial DCFC station I’ve used lately charges for idle time once charging completes. You may get 20 minutes grace before the idle fees start accruing.

 

[LarryFine]

The charging station itself is pretty compact - smaller than a gasoline dispenser. But the associated transformers and rectifiers take up much more space and have to be located fairly close to the charging station.

I've gotten the impression that all of that is part of the car, not the charger.

 

[tallgirl]

Every commercial DCFC station I’ve used lately charges for idle time once charging completes. You may get 20 minutes grace before the idle fees start accruing.

Mostly I'm talking about the pods like ChargePoint. We have 2 "pods" with four total cords at work. My car takes about 4 hours, but there are some which seem to charge in 2 hours or less at 6kW. I've never seen those cars move. I'lll go move mine at lunch ... sometimes ... when it's done and theirs are always there, until I go home at night.

 

[tallgirl]

I've gotten the impression that all of that is part of the car, not the charger.

There is some of that in the car. Usually the ability to figure out what to do with whichever voltage it gets -- my Volt will take 120 or 240. But there's also logic for indicating the maximum current and negotiating the connection.

I'll have to take a photo of my Leviton 240 volt, 16 amp charger's guts. It's not just a junction box with a J1772 cord coming out the other end.

For DCFC the power comes out the CHAdeMO connectors, what comes out is DC at whatever voltage and current is supported.

 

[GeorgeB]

I've gotten the impression that all of that is part of the car, not the charger.

If they are talking about underground DISTRIBUTION, it's likely to be at least 2300V. Existing vehicles expect either 230V (most), 115V (small portable), or specialized high DC voltage (don't know, but think in the 500-1000V range). So yes, likely a transformer from distribution levels.

 

[tallgirl]

If they are talking about underground DISTRIBUTION, it's likely to be at least 2300V. Existing vehicles expect either 230V (most), 115V (small portable), or specialized high DC voltage (don't know, but think in the 500-1000V range). So yes, likely a transformer from distribution levels.

The two voltages are 400-500 (a lot of DC busses in EVs run at around 400VDC) and CHAdeMO 2.0 is closer to 1000.

 

[hillbilly1]

I've gotten the impression that all of that is part of the car, not the charger.

The fast chargers are DC, and have all that. They use a different connector I believe, than the ones that are ac that most people are familiar with. The ones the op is talking about, should be the 40-50 amp AC ones, like in most shopping centers and homes.

 

[retirede]

I've gotten the impression that all of that is part of the car, not the charger.

That’s true for level 1 & 2. Those supply AC to the charger built into the car.

DCFC supplies 400 (or 800) VDC essentially directly to the battery. The transformer and rectifier for the DC is adjacent to the charge station.

 

[retirede]

Mostly I'm talking about the pods like ChargePoint. We have 2 "pods" with four total cords at work. My car takes about 4 hours, but there are some which seem to charge in 2 hours or less at 6kW. I've never seen those cars move. I'lll go move mine at lunch ... sometimes ... when it's done and theirs are always there, until I go home at night.

Right - those are level 2 and many are provided by businesses for their customers or employees to use.

The high-power DCFCs have to charge an idle fee because a blocked, unused charger costs them revenue.

 

[retirede]

This is a typical small station. Only 4 chargers, 150 KW each. They may not be capable of 150 if all are in use simultaneously. Notice the transformer. The rectifier and other equipment is behind the gray fence.

 

[hillbilly1]

This is a typical small station. Only 4 chargers, 150 KW each. They may not be capable of 150 if all are in use simultaneously. Notice the transformer. The rectifier and other equipment is behind the gray fence.

Looks like the ones that WallyWorld has been putting in. Looks like that one actually has some business. Most I see, seldom have an EV connected, even the level 2 AC’s. Quite a few EV’s around Atlanta, mostly Tesla’s, but they seem to avoid the charging stations.

 

[tom baker]

I've gotten the impression that all of that is part of the car, not the charger.

Level 1 and 2 chargers are internal to the vehicle, Level 3 being higher voltage DC is external to the vehicle

 

[tom baker]

In WA state our POCOs are not allowed to install wiring for chargers, ie on the load side of the meter

 

[retirede]

Looks like the ones that WallyWorld has been putting in. Looks like that one actually has some business. Most I see, seldom have an EV connected, even the level 2 AC’s. Quite a few EV’s around Atlanta, mostly Tesla’s, but they seem to avoid the charging stations.

The ones pictured are owned by Electrify America. EA was formed with money from the VW diesel emissions settlement. Many are located in Wal-Mart parking lots.

EV drivers only use public pay charging when necessary such as on road trips. Home charging is usually much less expensive.

 

[retirede]

In WA state our POCOs are not allowed to install wiring for chargers, ie on the load side of the meter

In Oklahoma, Francis Energy owns and operates a large charging network.
Unless the utility owns the whole thing, I’d expect the utility equipment to stop at the meter, same as most other services.