Anyone using a portable lvl 2 charger on a regular basis?
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Portable level 2 charger
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littlescrote
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I was wondering what is meant by a portable one. I don't get it. You would carry around another battery to charge your battery?
Ok, it's not a charger. It's smart thingy that Midas, for some reason unbeknown to me, call it a charger.
MIDA Adjustable Portable EV Charger | 8A 10A 15A | Type 2 AU Plug
https://ultipower.com.au/collection...rtable-ev-charger-8a-10a-15a-type-2-au-plug-1Maybe this sort of device is only available or called a portable charger in Australia?
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Yes, it does appear to be similar.
I've just installed a Fronius WattPilot, largely because we have a Fronius solar inverter and I wanted a device that could optimise consumption of solar first (and not charge from grid unless I tell it). The WattPilot does that, is Level 2, has a 3-phase type-2 output connector that will deliver 22kW, and is intended to be unpluggable so that it can be taken on the road. It's not especially big.
Sidebar: because the 2023 Outlander PHEV is a single-phase device with a single-phase connector (THAT was an unpleasant surprise, discovered 3 weeks into ownership!) the car is never going to be able to pull more than 7.2kW from a 32A circuit. Please someone tell me if I'm wrong. I believe there is a WattPilot software setting to determine which of the three input phases is used to drive the output.
At home the WattPilot is attached to the sub-board via a 32A three-phase connector (for other Australians: Type 56 Wilco 5-pin. Pretty standard). I've been told that the WattPilot can be connected, using a "suitable adaptor", to a single-phase outlet. That would allow it to be taken on the road and connected to any of a three-phase 32A, single-phase 32A, single-phase 20A or 15A (ie: "special"), or 10A outlet (household standard.
I'm still waiting on the distributor to give me any details on what an adaptor might actually be, so that I can build one.
Sidebar: because the 2023 Outlander PHEV is a single-phase device with a single-phase connector (THAT was an unpleasant surprise, discovered 3 weeks into ownership!) the car is never going to be able to pull more than 7.2kW from a 32A circuit. Please someone tell me if I'm wrong. I believe there is a WattPilot software setting to determine which of the three input phases is used to drive the output.
At home the WattPilot is attached to the sub-board via a 32A three-phase connector (for other Australians: Type 56 Wilco 5-pin. Pretty standard). I've been told that the WattPilot can be connected, using a "suitable adaptor", to a single-phase outlet. That would allow it to be taken on the road and connected to any of a three-phase 32A, single-phase 32A, single-phase 20A or 15A (ie: "special"), or 10A outlet (household standard.
I'm still waiting on the distributor to give me any details on what an adaptor might actually be, so that I can build one.
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The device only hasa 5 metre cable so I intend to buy a 10 metre heavy duty cable rated for 15 amps to reach the vehicle. I presume this should work ok?
Yes that's what I did in spite of recommendations (suggestions) not to do that. But let's be realistic here, if the extension lead is 3x 1.5mm2 wires and with 15 Amp connectors in good condition it will be ok. Mine was actually a 15m "heavy duty" 10 Amp lead but was too long so I cut it down and fitted 15Amp plug and socket so I now also have a convenient 5m lead as well.
I keep the EVSE (charger as some call it) hanging in the carport on a cord with a couple of pulleys so I can hoist it out of the way, bring it down to set the current if I feel like it or take it with me since its smaller than the brick the car came with.
I keep the EVSE (charger as some call it) hanging in the carport on a cord with a couple of pulleys so I can hoist it out of the way, bring it down to set the current if I feel like it or take it with me since its smaller than the brick the car came with.
Looks very useful but at nearly 2K, I couldn't justify spending that much on a charging device, at this time. Certainly not when you compare the cost of the MIDA portable charger at $247.50.
MNJ23PHEV
Member
I think you are wrong but not in a way that will make you feel better. The 2023 has a 3.7kW inverter. I installed a level 2 EVSE that will draw up to 40 amps but with the inverter maxed out at 3.7kW it will never draw more than about 15 amps. In fact the ChargePoint that I bought monitors the energy the whole time the vehicle is charging and I rarely see it pull more than 3.54 kW. At 240 VAC that comes out to just shy of 15 amps.
Actually, it does make me feel better... knowledge and truth is good.
And so it does. Another point that I could have understood, but to which the dealer was completely oblivious, totally undereducated, and completely unable to provide advice for. Sadly.
This really good and very helpful youtube clip explains a lot - in very plain language - that the dealer couldn't. In particular, it explains exactly the relationship between the ICE, the motors, and the battery; the different run modes; and the bit nobody had told me: below 75kph the car is ONLY running on the electric motors, regardless of whether the IC engine is running or not. And from this forum I've learned why it's not necessarily a good idea to have the battery fully charged.
Re the $2.6k that I've just spent on powering the car's charger (hardware plus installation): I thought of backing out, but decided to treat it as an investment. Our next second car will almost certainly be electric or hybrid-electric. In either case, we would want to charge it from solar and the WattPilot does an excellent job of tracking the available solar envelope... so it's using completely non-grid power (and only non-grid power, unless I tell it to do something else).
The upside? The car now takes six hours to fully charge rather than nine. Such a deal. If I do get a ChaDeMo charger, my three-phase outlet is already in place, and I can charge on the road in places that only have a three phase outlet... which is more than I might have thought.
What does piss me off, massively, is that it shouldn't be so hard to piece all this together, but it is. Thanks Mitsubishi... not.
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MNJ23PHEV
Member
Glad that my info helped and I will watch that YouTube vid. These forums are really great. There is lots to learn about these cars. I did a ton of research before I bought and am still learning. There is also very limited availability PHEV down where I livel so I did not have a lot of choices. That said, I had the advantage of renting one of these, or a version like this, for a two week trip in France. That helped me to understand how these cars work in the real world un-varnished by car dealer info.Actually, it does make me feel better... knowledge and truth is good.
And so it does. Another point that I could have understood, but to which the dealer was completely oblivious, totally undereducated, and completely unable to provide advice for. Sadly.
This really good and very helpful youtube clip explains a lot - in very plain language - that the dealer couldn't. In particular, it explains exactly the relationship between the ICE, the motors, and the battery; the different run modes; and the bit nobody had told me: below 75kph the car is ONLY running on the electric motors, regardless of whether the IC engine is running or not. And from this forum I've learned why it's not necessarily a good idea to have the battery fully charged.
Re the $2.6k that I've just spent on powering the car's charger (hardware plus installation): I thought of backing out, but decided to treat it as an investment. Our next second car will almost certainly be electric or hybrid-electric. In either case, we would want to charge it from solar and the WattPilot does an excellent job of tracking the available solar envelope... so it's using completely non-grid power (and only non-grid power, unless I tell it to do something else).
The upside? The car now takes six hours to fully charge rather than nine. Such a deal. If I do get a ChaDeMo charger, my three-phase outlet is already in place, and I can charge on the road in places that only have a three phase outlet... which is more than I might have thought.
What does piss me off, massively, is that it shouldn't be so hard to piece all this together, but it is. Thanks Mitsubishi... not.
I also considered the level 2 upgrade a, “home improvement”, even if I never buy a full EV. Here, the local utility pays up to about $1,100 for install prep so it took a lot of the sting out of the upgraded EVSE. In my driving world, typically less than 60km/day, I won’t have any need for a ChaDeMo or other level 3 charger. The six or so hour to charge with a level 2 will be fine.
Curious about the electric only up to 75 kph. I have run mine at 75 MPH ( I guess around 130 kph) and managed to keep it in EV mode. My typical drive like that is less than 5 minutes though. All things considered, so far I am pleased with the car. My only complaints are the fact that I have to use the Mitsubishi connected app to open my garage door, the interface sux, and the fact that the drivers side view mirror does not auto dim like the rear view mirror. Why would Mitsu cheap out on these two items is beyond comprehension.
Have a look at these two videos - they are in the reverse order, but will make more sense in context. BTW, I'm unlikely to want to go 4WDing, but it's cute to know that it would work in the Outlander.
Key explanation: how the motors can work 100% of the time, but the engine drive to the wheels only ever starts above 75kph - and only if needed, so yes your observation about doing 75MPH would be correct (and presumably on an Interstate? I wish we had such opportunities...).
Then this followup
We're not all like Cadogan, by the way. But he clearly wants to promote life as it is in "Straya", and I like that he expresses an opinion with no punches pulled. His reportage on the Tesla truck is priceless.
Again, I wish!! Mitsubishi have not deployed the app in Australia, despite very clear references in the owner's manual.
MNJ23PHEV
Member
I look forward to watching. So does the Outlander use the Homelink system Down Under? That system is gone from the ‘23 in the states, sadly.
I don't know what the Homelink system is, so I think the answer is "no". For clarity, what function does that provide?
MNJ23PHEV
Member
Homelink is a system that allows you to program one of three buttons, usually part of the rear view mirror, to open a garage door, security gates or anything like that. It has been a feature of just about all cars sold in the States for the last 30 years. Sadly, Mitsubishi has opted out of this.
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