Taco__Bandito
Taco__Bandito t1_iyet1rr wrote
Reply to comment by coherent-rambling in ELI5 why can't you just plug in electric cars / why do you need a wall charger when it could just be built in by definetlynotaalien
American homes receive two 120v feeds making a total of 240v..
You do not charge an EV with 120v at home. That’s insane. 240v is the trickle charge which is the only real way to charge an EV without permanent damage to the battery.
Taco__Bandito t1_iyeqspe wrote
Reply to comment by TehWildMan_ in ELI5 why can't you just plug in electric cars / why do you need a wall charger when it could just be built in by definetlynotaalien
It’s super easy to do yourself with some basic electrical knowledge. Trickle charge is the only way to charge an EV without permanent damage due to the nature of high capacity batteries and the conversions that take place.
Taco__Bandito t1_iyeqknl wrote
Reply to ELI5 why can't you just plug in electric cars / why do you need a wall charger when it could just be built in by definetlynotaalien
A wall outlet is 120v. Yet EVs mostly use 480v induction motors.
Batteries are also direct current and power supplied in the grid is AC so you need to convert it either at the source (EV charger, or increasingly so the cars have an inverter built in)
Some EVs use AC induction motors so the conversion happens twice in some cars, losing a lot of energy as heat.
Taco__Bandito t1_iyf7okb wrote
Reply to comment by coherent-rambling in ELI5 why can't you just plug in electric cars / why do you need a wall charger when it could just be built in by definetlynotaalien
I didn’t realize 120v was even an option. I didn’t mean that 120v would damage it, I meant the rapid charging will.