I'm buying a 2012 i-MiEV that doesn't have CHAdeMO compatibility, I saw some people wanted to add CHAdeMO compatibility to their i-MiEVs but nothing about going to CCS/SAE, I was wondering (hoping) someone else has had this idea and was smart enough to collaborate with me to get these things compatible with the modern progression of EV fast charging. I don't have experience with electric cars but I've read what I can and I've rewired cars before (granted, it was a 96 Mustang and 97 F. Aspire, but it still counts!)
CCS/SAE Conversion
- Thread starter Isrev
- Start date
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coulomb
Well-known member
It doesn't count for high voltage, high current DC wiring; that's a little different, and the danger level is quite high.Isrev said:
I don't want to totally discourage you, but please post any plans here before attempting anything. We don't want another "Plasma Boy" (the White Zombie owner, not the Disney comic character).
Edit: re-reading that true story, I note that some of the precautions (e.g. re acid and hydrogen) refer to the battery technology of the day: lead acid. That doesn't apply to today's lithium batteries. Water is still the best defence against a battery fire, despite lithium and water not working well together. There is little exposed lithium in a lithium battery, and extinguishing the plasma is by far the most important thing. Dry sand is even better, but you're more likely to have water available in an emergency.
Hi,
Even though it's not i-MiEV specific, there is work being done over at the Open Inverter forum to repurpose a BMW i3 LIM, which is the module that managed CCS charging on a BMW i3 and can be had for a couple of hundred dollars, to be controlled by an Open Inverter VCU.
In theory, based on that work, it could potentially be adapted to work on an i-MiEV.
Info is available here:
- WiKi - https://openinverter.org/wiki/BMW_I3_Fast_Charging_LIM_Module
- Thread - https://openinverter.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1196
Note that this should only be attempted if you have the skill to do so, such as HV training and a knowledge of CAN bus and programming.
Jamie
Even though it's not i-MiEV specific, there is work being done over at the Open Inverter forum to repurpose a BMW i3 LIM, which is the module that managed CCS charging on a BMW i3 and can be had for a couple of hundred dollars, to be controlled by an Open Inverter VCU.
In theory, based on that work, it could potentially be adapted to work on an i-MiEV.
Info is available here:
- WiKi - https://openinverter.org/wiki/BMW_I3_Fast_Charging_LIM_Module
- Thread - https://openinverter.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1196
Note that this should only be attempted if you have the skill to do so, such as HV training and a knowledge of CAN bus and programming.
Jamie
If quick charging is at all important to you, then I would limit any potential iMiEV purchases to cars which are already ChaDeMo equipped - This will be the quickest, safest, most cost effective way for you to end up with a car which can be quick charged
As a side note, I've had a pair of DCQC equipped iMiEV's for about 8 years now and neither of them has ever been quick charged even once - I sure would not miss it if neither of them had that capability, but I bought them used and since there was little to no difference in the price of used cars with or without this feature, I only looked at cars which had it . . . . because those cars also came with other features which I did want
As a side note, I've had a pair of DCQC equipped iMiEV's for about 8 years now and neither of them has ever been quick charged even once - I sure would not miss it if neither of them had that capability, but I bought them used and since there was little to no difference in the price of used cars with or without this feature, I only looked at cars which had it . . . . because those cars also came with other features which I did want
wmcbrine
Well-known member
It'll work for now, but...Don said:
https://cleantechnica.com/2021/09/22/electrify-america-to-phase-out-chademo-in-2022/
I've used it rarely, but there were a handful of times when I really did need it. Particularly with the i-MiEV's short range.
Jalovick, a belated thank you for providing this technical information, which can also prove quite useful for those of us with EV conversions.jalovick said:
Personally, I consider dcfc a game-changer for low-capacity battery vehicles such as our i-MiEV. In my use case, it transformed the car into a much more useful car in our urban environment (San Francisco Bay Area) where round-trips of 100 miles are common and a brief stop for a quick CHAdeMO charge dramatically improved its utility. A side benefit is that I've been running around daily for the last few months using only CHAdeMO (and a large 12v battery) as my OBC is sidelined.
OTOH, BEVs with large battery packs can easily get by with Level 1 charging for their daily driving and only need dcfc for seriously-longer trips.
Happily, in California, CHAdeMO is required to be available in dcfc clusters, although Electrify America only includes one such (shared) CHAdeMO plug per station cluster - and it's been my luck to find those stations either taken or inoperable! Not to worry, around here EVgo and ChargePoint are reliable CHAdeMO providers.
