Preparing Your Electrical System Before Installing an EV Charger, for Maximum Safety

Preparing Your Electrical System Before Installing an EV Charger, for Maximum Safety

Installing an EV charger (EV Charger), whether a wall-mounted unit (Wall Charger) or a portable unit (Portable Charger), requires checking that your home's electrical system is suitably prepared to handle the higher power, reducing the risk of short circuits or electric shock, which affect both users and the house itself.

• Incoming main cable and Main Circuit Breaker (Main Circuit Breaker – MCB): if the meter is upgraded to 30(100)A – 1-phase supply, the main cable and equipment must be resized accordingly.

Incoming main cable and Main Circuit Breaker (Main Circuit Breaker – MCB): if the meter is upgraded to 30(100)A – 1-phase supply, the main cable and equipment must be resized accordingly.

Existing cable of 16 sq.mm → should be replaced with

• THW 25 sq.mm if run overhead
• NYY 35 sq.mm if run in underground conduit

Replace the MCB from 45A → to 100A to handle the load from a large EV charger

• Distribution board (MDB or Load Center)An EV charger installation should be on a circuit separate from household appliances, so the loads don't affect each other and the system can be isolated at that point alone.Check whether the existing MDB has space for an additional breaker.If not, install a separate distribution board, for safety and ease of inspection later.

Distribution board (MDB or Load Center)

• An EV charger installation should be on a circuit separate from household appliances, so the loads don't affect each other and the system can be isolated at that point alone.
• Check whether the existing MDB has space for an additional breaker.
• If not, install a separate distribution board, for safety and ease of inspection later.
• Residual current device (RCD / RCCB)An RCD or RCCB is an essential device that cuts the power immediately when it detects leakage, such as current leaking to earth or through a human body.RCCB Type A: trips on AC leakage current ≤ 30 mARCCB Type B: trips on AC leakage current ≤ 30 mA and DC < 6 mA (suitable for EV systems)

Residual current device (RCD / RCCB)

• An RCD or RCCB is an essential device that cuts the power immediately when it detects leakage, such as current leaking to earth or through a human body.
• RCCB Type A: trips on AC leakage current ≤ 30 mA
• RCCB Type B: trips on AC leakage current ≤ 30 mA and DC < 6 mA (suitable for EV systems)

The electricity authority recommends installing an additional RCD Type B in the EV system if the charger does not have one built in.

EV Easy products:

EV Easy chargers, both wall-mounted and portable, come with complete safety systems:

• Support 1-phase – 3-phase home supplies
• IP65 water and dust protection, suitable for outdoor use
• Some models come with a built-in RCD Type B, so no additional installation is needed
• Automatic current adjustment, set via the screen or app
• A professional installation team ready to advise on meter size, cabling and protective devices

Image source: https://th.carro.co/blog/5-things-for-home-ev-charging-station/ (opens in a new tab)