Still alive

[Heinz]

and kicking (but not building amps  )

Even though I haven't posted for a long time reading the forum is still one of my daily routines. Having half-built tube amps standing around openly is not a good idea when you have two nosey kids poking their fingers into everything before asking. So my tube stuff is on hold until they are old enough to understand the danger.

For the time being, I have switched to low voltage SS stuff. Some may remember that I posted about my experience with a rented electric car. I fell in love with it instantly, so I bought a used Renault Zoe almost exactly a year ago. I then built a wallbox for charging with an adapted OpenEVSE pcb but I've never been really happy with it. It is unreliable and overly complex. Apart from that, the car is great. I have driven nearly 20,000 miles in a year and my wife uses it whenever it is available. It's reliable, quiet, zippy and inexpensive. I have taken it to Switzerland and across Germany without any issues. Charging has never been an issue. In fact, many charging stations are still free. My employer has agreed to install a (3-phase power) mains outlet so I can recharge while I'm in the office. Real-life range is between 70 and 100 miles, depending on temperature and driving style. It is definitely sufficient for our everyday needs. Travelling long distances takes time but having a break every hour or so is actually welcome when you're travelling with kids. Recharging takes roughly 45 minutes so they car is ready by the time everyone has eaten a bit and has been to the bathroom. And you're ready to go for another hour. I really enjoy the deceleration of life it brings. Anyways, back to tinkering.

Eventually, I was so fed up with my wallbox that I decided to design something simple and reliable. The result is an all-analog circuit which is cheap and easy to build for hobbyists. If anyone is interested I have uploaded a comprehensive description on http://analogevse.xyz

The J1772 standard it implements is actually supported by all major electric car manufacturers so it is not limited to my specific model. It will work with LEAFs, Teslas and all the other well-known electric cars.

[PRR]

Good to see you again.

I have a question. Top-center photo on http://analogevse.xyz/AnalogEVSE-en.html  , "DIN Rail enclosure". Where do I find something like that?

The problem is that DIN-rail is not widely used in the US, and we don't have easily-searched listings of DIN enclosures. I find DIN house power boxes on UK sites, but they assume I know the product (I do know US-type power boxes but not UK-type) and don't give good details or photos.

I used DIN-rail in a recent project. Fan-controller for my home heat furnace. Junction points, DIN-mount relay, DIN circuit breakers. The DIN-stuff went together very well, but the box I used was awkward. I'd like to do more, if I can get the boxes. (If I find a German part number I can probably get Chinese boxes from eBay.)

[Heinz]

Interesting question...

DIN-rail is ubiquitous over here so you can get them from most online shops. The ones I used are from Pollin but they don't provide any information about the manufacturer. The boxes themselves don't have anything printed on them, either. This one from Reichelt looks identical but again, no additional data.

Searching for "din rail case" on ebay.com shows a number of hits from Poland which look similar to mine and are reasonably priced. Those may be a viable option.

[Ritchie200]

https://www.okwenclosures.com/en/Enclosures/DIN-rail-enclosures.htm


Jim

[tubenit]

Heinz,

Great to see you post on the forum!  Thanks for checking in!  I've missed your input and all the great designs that you contributed.  However, I am glad to see that you are still passionate about new idea just in new areas. That's
some interesting info about electric cars in Europe.

Best regards,  Jeff   aka Tubenit

[EL34]

Welcome back Heinz

[Ritchie200]

Heinz

Yes, great to see you back!  How do the hills and mountains affect range on the car?  I've always wondered if the estimated ranges were on perfectly flat land - maybe even slightly downhill!  Do the hills take a big chunk out or not so much?


Jim

[DummyLoad]

good to see you posting again. hope all is well with you and yours.


--pete

[PRR]

> This one from Reichelt

Thanks, Heinz.

[DummyLoad]

> This one from Reichelt

Thanks, Heinz.

domestic stuff - mouser stocks most of it.


http://www.budind.com/view/Plastic+Boxes/DIN+Rail+Mount+Multi-Board+Box

[Heinz]

Sorry to be so slow in responding.

Yes, life is good and all is well. I hope the same is true for all of you.

How do the hills and mountains affect range on the car?  I've always wondered if the estimated ranges were on perfectly flat land - maybe even slightly downhill!  Do the hills take a big chunk out or not so much?

The predicted range is computed based on your previous trips and it is always very conservative. It includes topography, weather, temperature, wind and your driving style. When you start driving an electric car range anxiety rules. You believe in what the car predicts and you're always scared you won't make it. Learning to mistrust the range prediction is part of the learning curve. After a year of expierence I have stopped looking at the range. The state of charge of the battery gives a much better estimation because it shows a momentary value whereas the range prediction includes some history.

Hills do in fact take a big chunk out when going uphill. A climb of 100m altitude change costs around 3km of range (not considering the actual driving distance). Rolling down 100m altitude change brings back roughly 2km of range through recuperation. So you get back most of the energy but not all. Wet streets, head wind and cold temperatures (lower battery capacity and electric heating) are bad, too.  Finally, your personal driving style is a major factor. Stepping on the "gas" (better: current) pedal is really tempting because of the instant torque. Yet, driving at a constant speed gives you a lot more range.

I share the car with my wife. She uses it for short trips only so she never has to worry about range and drives it like a sports car. I use it mostly for long trips (100km and above) so I have to be conservative. If she uses the car exclusively for several days the range prediction sinks to roughly 90km. If I use it for a while it climbs to 160km. This can be quite disturbing if you don't know the background, especially if you have a long trip ahead and the car keeps telling you that you won't be able to make it.

Still, I love the experience. In my opinion, the range problem is in everybody's head and not in the battery. You can't just drive as carelessly as you normally do with a gas car. You have to be aware of the limitations and get to know your route. It's a different paradigm.

[kagliostro]

Ciao Heinz I had lost this your new reunion, I am very happy to read you again

Franco