Best Mobile Charger

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RAV4Elly

Active member
Joined
Apr 16, 2013
Messages
34
I have the Leviton 40 Amp charger at my house. At my office i am now in need of a mobile charge that i will plug into a 220 volt outlet. What is the best most powerful charger to get?
 
Tony has your solution here:
Tesla model S UMC with J1772 connector
http://www.myrav4ev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=349

I plan on putting one together soon...
 
What size outlet do you have available at the office? The Tesla solution is great, but it may be overkill. Another possibility is the EVSE that comes with a 2013 Leaf, upgraded by EVSEupgrade.com. It's very compact and durable, and fully adjustable in 1-amp increments from 6-25amps, so you can make sure you get the most out of just about any outlet you come across. Plus it has a neat security feature that will disable it if someone unplugs you while you're charging out in the open.

However, it won't quite support the full 40amp capability of the Rav, so if the outlet you have at work can support that you might want to go with the Tesla UMC. Another option is building your own open-EVSE, if you're handy/brave. If you're interested in the Leaf EVSE, let me know, as I'm actually thinking about selling mine.
 
miimura said:
Don't forget the recently released Clipper Creek LCS-25P. Very portable and completely turnkey 5kW travel charger. The configuration linked here uses a standard clothes dryer plug. If you go with the L6-30 Twist Lock version you can get any adapter you need from EVSEadapters.com.
Also a good option and very reasonably priced. The only problem with that one is it doesn't work on 120v, so you'd still need to carry the Rav's included cable for that, and it's not adjustable, so you can't use it on a 15- or 20-amp circuit.

With OP's 40a-capable outlet, however, it would be a great and economical choice. Especially since I assume you'd be at work long enough to not need to charge at the full 40a. One note about that however: Does that mean the outlet is on a 40a circuit or a 50a circuit? The circuit should be sized to handle 125% of the continuous charging load, so that means it needs to be at least a 50a circuit if you plan to charge at the full 40a.
 
If you need a reliable and durable cord the Panasonic is hands down the winner. The Tesla cords have not proven to be well build or reliable but they are higher power.
 
4EVEREV said:
If you need a reliable and durable cord the Panasonic is hands down the winner.
FYI this is the same as the "2013 Leaf EVSE" I mentioned. Do make sure that it's a 2013 version, as the 2011/2012 ones won't work with the Rav.
 
To some of the folks on this thread, esp. the OP, please get the terminology straight and stop using the word "charger" when you actually mean EVSE. See diagram at http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=262630#p262630 and ignore the DC quick charge portion (Rav4 EV doesn't have that).

For L1 and L2 AC charging over J1772, the charger is on-board the car (under the hood) and on the Rav4 EV, it's even a 10 kW unit. So, you already HAVE a mobile charger. And no, I'm not talking about the 120 volt L1 EVSE/charging cord set.

http://www.myrav4ev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=3517#p3517 discusses charging rate on the Rav4 EV depending on the line voltage and EVSE limits.

Perpetuating the wrong terminology can lead to confusion down the road, wasting money or buying the wrong vehicle, equipment or options/equipment level.

(https://techinfo.toyota.com/techInfoPortal/staticcontent/en/techinfo/html/prelogin/docs/rav4ev2nd.pdf refers to on-board charger and its location. This accessible via https://techinfo.toyota.com/public/main/erg.html then Emergency Response & Hybrid Information.)
 
miimura said:
Don't forget the recently released Clipper Creek LCS-25P. Very portable and completely turnkey 5kW travel charger. The configuration linked here uses a standard clothes dryer plug. If you go with the L6-30 Twist Lock version you can get any adapter you need from EVSEadapters.com.

I checked my dryer outlet plug and it is the 14-30R, exactly like the picture. Engraved into the area around the plug says "30A 125V-250V". So I think the LCS-25 P would work for me, that is, as long as my car is within 25 feet of the plug.

Question - is this specific LCS 25P 14-30R able to be used with adapters also so it can work on other type of outlets (at RV parks, etc). I saw you mentioned the L6-30 twist lock only.

I need to check if the tax credit from Fed can be used on the LCS 25P too or just for those that are hard wired installed. It looks like a reasonable option esp if the credit can be applied.

Thanks in advance.
 
EVlearner said:
miimura said:
Don't forget the recently released Clipper Creek LCS-25P. Very portable and completely turnkey 5kW travel charger. The configuration linked here uses a standard clothes dryer plug. If you go with the L6-30 Twist Lock version you can get any adapter you need from EVSEadapters.com.
I checked my dryer outlet plug and it is the 14-30R, exactly like the picture. Engraved into the area around the plug says "30A 125V-250V". So I think the LCS-25 P would work for me, that is, as long as my car is within 25 feet of the plug.

Question - is this specific LCS 25P 14-30R able to be used with adapters also so it can work on other type of outlets (at RV parks, etc). I saw you mentioned the L6-30 twist lock only.

I need to check if the tax credit from Fed can be used on the LCS 25P too or just for those that are hard wired installed. It looks like a reasonable option esp if the credit can be applied.

Thanks in advance.
Adapters can be made from any-to-any. However, as a turnkey solution, buying the LCS-25P with the L6-30 Twist Lock is good because of the turnkey adapters readily available from the above linked vendor. If you buy the appropriate 8ga cord, you can make your own adapters with parts from Home Depot or Orchard Supply. Cord terminating Plugs and sockets are available that require only screwdrivers for assembly. In the same way, you can make yourself a NEMA 14-30 extension cord if you need a few more feet to reach your car from your dryer outlet.

Disclaimer: This text does not constitute tax advice.
From Instructions, IRS Form 8911 (2012): If the property is not business/investment use property, the property must be installed on property used as your main home.

Take from that what you may. Some may think that "portable" equipment would not meet this requirement to qualify for the tax credit.
 
EVlearner said:
I checked my dryer outlet plug and it is the 14-30R, exactly like the picture. Engraved into the area around the plug says "30A 125V-250V". So I think the LCS-25 P would work for me, that is, as long as my car is within 25 feet of the plug.
If you plan to use the LCS-25 as your primary home EVSE, realize that it will not work with the car's on-board timer. The car assumes any EVSE with a 20amp or less pilot signal is a 120v EVSE, so it will think you require much, much longer to charge than you really do.
 
fooljoe said:
EVlearner said:
I checked my dryer outlet plug and it is the 14-30R, exactly like the picture. Engraved into the area around the plug says "30A 125V-250V". So I think the LCS-25 P would work for me, that is, as long as my car is within 25 feet of the plug.
If you plan to use the LCS-25 as your primary home EVSE, realize that it will not work with the car's on-board timer. The car assumes any EVSE with a 20amp or less pilot signal is a 120v EVSE, so it will think you require much, much longer to charge than you really do.
I have been using a single departure time slot on Sunday afternoon on the car's charge timer system. I'm using RavCharge.com to start a charge each night after the start of my Off-Peak electric rates. It works well for me, as it should with the LCS-25. The only drawback is that if you start with a low enough battery level, The LCS-25 may not allow the car to finish charging before the end of your Off-Peak rate period. If you know the battery level is low, you can manually start the charge earlier so that it will be fully charged by the time you leave in the morning. Neither the car nor RavCharge have a way to stop the charging at a specific time to prevent over-running the Off-Peak rates.
 
thanks Miimura and Fooljoe.

Just to clarify (simpleton here!).... if I use the LCS25-P, the car will still draw at the max power (20amps) at 240V (so 4.8KWH?), and the car will not limit the charger to the slower trickle charge right? I haven't tried out the timer and TOU, I plan to just plug in and charge away, so just want to make sure it charges at full capability. :|

hmm, interesting that the gov't tax credit doesn't apply if not installed, thanks for the heads up.
 
Yeah, it will still charge fine @240V/20a; it's just the timer functionality that will be screwy (well screwier than it already is.)
 
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