{"id":73308,"date":"2023-04-10T06:04:30","date_gmt":"2023-04-09T19:34:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=73308"},"modified":"2024-06-05T14:24:08","modified_gmt":"2024-06-05T04:54:08","slug":"qld-ev-chargers-mb2891","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/qld-ev-chargers-mb2891\/","title":{"rendered":"Queensland’s Home EV Charger Gotcha"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Dedicated<\/p>\n

Queensland EV owners looking to install a hard-wired charger on their homes need to be aware of a significant gotcha in the state’s electricity connection rules.<\/p>\n

SolarQuotes founder Finn was recently asked about this by someone who had been told by a QLD electricity retailer it was “illegal” to have a dedicated home charger<\/a> in Queensland without an off-peak electricity meter.<\/p>\n

So, What’s The Story?<\/h2>\n

According to Ergon Energy<\/a> and Energex<\/a>:<\/p>\n

“A typical 7kW (~32 Amp) single-phase EV charger can’t be connected to a continuous supply (uncontrolled) tariff. It can only be connected to an economy, or controlled, tariff.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

An economy tariff is a great way of saving money on charging an EV1<\/a><\/sup>, but this isn’t available 24\/7. Ergon\/Energex state an economy tariff (Tariff 33) is available for at least 18 hours per day. But the times of day it’s available may change from day to day and vary in duration.<\/p>\n

The chances are pretty good it won’t be available during the evening peak, and that’s less than ideal for someone who want to top up after coming home from work before they hit the sack.\u00a0Setting a timer is a possibility, but it will be a roll of the dice.<\/p>\n

As for needing another meter, appliances such as a dedicated EV charger associated with an economy tariff need to be wired and connected through a dedicated circuit back to the meter; or a separate meter installed depending on the scenario.<\/p>\n

Added:<\/strong> ..and if your solar power system is not connected to the same meter as your EV charger, then the solar electricity generated can’t be used to charge the car, or offset the cost of energy going into the car.<\/p>\n

QLD Home EV Charging Alternatives<\/h2>\n

An alternative is a “granny charger<\/a>” (aka Level 1, slow charger or brick), which plugs into a standard power outlet. But if you have a need for speed, then that likely won’t cut it as Level 1 devices generally charge at 1.8 to 2.4 kW<\/p>\n

Another alternative is a 3-phase charger. Ergon and Energex state:<\/p>\n

“If you want access to 24\/7 charging at home at charging rates above 20A (~4.6 kW), your only option is to upgrade your electrical installation to 3-phase, and buy and have installed a 3-phase charger. However, this is only viable if your EV can accept a 3-phase charge.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I don’t think this has been explained well. This isn’t so much about an EV “accepting a 3-phase charge”, just whether the car can accept the full charge – which it likely won’t. While 3-phase chargers are capable of 22kW, the maximum AC charging is limited by the car, not the charger. Here are some examples of maximum AC charging rates:<\/p>\n