{"id":70571,"date":"2023-03-16T12:58:47","date_gmt":"2023-03-16T02:28:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=70571"},"modified":"2025-10-22T17:55:56","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T08:25:56","slug":"ev-charging-power-outlet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/ev-charging-power-outlet\/","title":{"rendered":"Home EV Charging For Tightarses (Like Me)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Tips<\/p>\n

Tricks and traps when charging from a standard powerpoint.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Spent all your spare cash on an electric car and don’t want to incur the expense of a hard-wired home EV charger? Then this is the post for you.<\/p>\n

For five years, my two EVs have only ever been plugged into a powerpoint.<\/p>\n

My Australian-delivered 2015 Outlander PHEV<\/a> doesn’t have a fast DC charging port and Irene the iMiev<\/a> has never needed a fast charge, so they’ve only ever had a diet of general purpose electrons from general purpose outlets<\/a> or GPOs, as we’ll refer to them.<\/p>\n

And as for extension cords, my lived experience as a licensed electrician is that it can be done despite what the manufacturer’s instructions say. But like anything electrical, you need to be observant and try not to push your luck because I’ve been doing that for you, dear reader.<\/p>\n

Don’t I Need A Wall Mounted EV Charger Installed For $1500+?<\/h2>\n

If you only travel a modest mileage or have a small battery, then no – you don’t need a hard-wired EV charger<\/a>.<\/p>\n

All electric vehicles (except recent Teslas) and PHEVs come with what is variously described as an EVSE, mobile connector, slow charger, brick or granny charger. Think of it as part of the tool kit in the boot, but more useful than the dodgy pliers, jack and wheel brace for the spare wheel they probably didn’t give you anyway.<\/p>\n

In Australia, they come in two flavours. One has a nominal 10 amp plug that like any other appliance plugs into any general power outlet. The other has a 15 amp plug, which you’ll be familiar with if you have a decent-sized welder, air compressor, urn, bain marie or caravan. The 15A plug has a wider earth pin that won’t fit in a 10A socket.<\/p>\n

\"tesla

The 10A and 15A ‘tails’ from a Tesla mobile connector. The Tesla mobile connector is unique, as far as I know, in that you can buy a 32A tail<\/a>, to charge at up to 7 kW from an industrial-style 32A socket.<\/p><\/div>\n

The difference between a 10 amp and 15 amp\u00a0outlet<\/a> has little to do with the earth pin. The real distinction is that an electrician must design the wiring and circuit protection behind the wall for the rated load. The cable must be big enough to handle the heat and deliver enough energy to do the job.<\/p>\n

\"Current

Checking the current draw, seems 8.8 amps is as much as it will pull.<\/p><\/div>\n

My own PHEV came with 10 and 15 amp chargers, and I have measured them draw around 8 amps and 12 amps, which is 80% of the rated current available from the respective GPOs.<\/p>\n

This thing is that they draw 80% of the rated load for hours on end.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Your kettle might draw a similar amount of power, but it doesn’t run for more than a couple of minutes. A bain marie or a compressor might draw a similar load, but cycle in and out.<\/p>\n

Standard EV chargers just run full-time at full whack.<\/p>\n

You Will<\/em> Have Problems When The Plug & Socket Aren’t P<\/em>erfectly<\/em> Good<\/em>.<\/h2>\n

For example, when you plug into a standard indoor type GPO that’s spent 40 years in a carport, there’s some chance it’s got some corrosion on the contacts. 20 minutes to vacuum the car will be no issue, but 8 amps for 6 hours, otherwise expressed as 2kW to charge 16kWh into a PHEV battery, will likely melt the plug and socket. It’s a torture test that will soon find the weak links.<\/p>\n

\"Degraded

Notice the browning of the wall plate around the left-hand active pin, and the “puddle” of melted plastic around the opposite neutral pin on the plug. This is exactly why you must be vigilant when charging an EV.<\/p><\/div>\n

The same thing applies to the extension cord you inherited from Dad; the one he might have naughtily made up to plug the 15 amp caravan into a standard 10 amp GPO. It doesn’t have to be dripping in verdigris, but if it isn’t perfectly bright and shiny there’s a good chance you’ll generate some heat that will damage the plug and socket.<\/p>\n

\"old

At the very least, this pre-2004 plug must have the pins scuffed, sanded or polished until you have 10mm of shiny bright brass. It will likely cause trouble otherwise.<\/p><\/div>\n

Always Switch Off The Power Point Before Disconnecting<\/h2>\n

Whenever you use a plug-in car charger, you should turn the switch off at the wall before unplugging the cord. No, really; this isn’t nanny-state hyperbole this time. If the plug or socket has been damaged, the pins may be welded together. Whether it’s still hot or not, the plastic could be melted enough that the plug comes apart in your hand, exposing live metal parts.<\/span><\/p>\n

So far, I’ve had to replace one plug top, two cord extension sockets and 2 GPO wall plates over five years of charging a car with a standard EVSE. None of them has been what I would call a dangerous situation. I’ve just noticed the plugs were hot to the touch, the plastic was soft and, as a result, discoloured or slightly deformed.<\/p>\n

\"Thermal<\/p>\n

Thermal images show a plug & socket assembly in the middle of this experiment is running comparatively warm.<\/p>\n

\"Electric

This experiment involves a supply from the top and human foot for temperature reference. The random recycled white appliance lead connects to a breakout box with a kilowatt-hour counter and loop for measuring current. Then the Mitsubishi supplied EVSE at the bottom is connected to the car itself.<\/p><\/div>\n

Everything Is Rated For A Perfect World, But…<\/h2>\n