3 ms·

Are the chargers/ports on cars easy enough to swap out, or are we manufacturing ewaste? If I were to buy a car with CCS today, and then in 2024, NACS wins, and

by bisby 3y ago

Are the chargers/ports on cars easy enough to swap out, or are we manufacturing ewaste? If I were to buy a car with CCS today, and then in 2024, NACS wins, and all cars going forward have NACS, and all charging stations change to NACS as a result... In the year 2030, can I get the port upgraded, are the changing stations obligated to support CCS indefinitely, is there an adapter I can just keep in my car for NACS->CCS that actually works (NACS->CCS is currently not an option... will it become an option?), or is my CCS car just unchargeable?

iknowstuff 3y ago
They all speak the CCS protocol so it’s a matter of a simple passive adapter.
- Nick87633 3y ago
  At some high level of charging speed, won't the adapter need active cooling and temperature monitoring?
  - simondotau 3y ago
    I wouldn't imagine so; a short, rigid adapter could have very thick conductors which would have low resistance relative to flexible cable. And being a passive adapter, it would be easy to make very heat tolerant.
    - Turskarama 3y ago
      The current high speed connectors are actually water cooled.
      - simondotau 3y ago
        Correct, but that is necessary in order to get a relatively lightweight and flexible cable to carry huge loads. It’s not nearly as important for an adapter which is, for the DC pins at least, a solid bus bar encased in heat resistant plastics.
        Nick87633 3y ago
        I was thinking that the contact resistance would create quite a bit of heat as well, and if there's nowhere to dissipate you can get quite hot. Even if a high temp plastic can take it, you might burn the person handling it.
MetaWhirledPeas 3y ago
> Are the chargers/ports on cars easy enough to swap out, or are we manufacturing ewaste? I'm not sure those statements are mutually exclusive. All new manufacturing produces ewaste. CCS cars will still be chargeable in one form or another until the car itself dies.

by bisby 3y ago

iknowstuff 3y ago

They all speak the CCS protocol so it’s a matter of a simple passive adapter.

Nick87633 3y ago
At some high level of charging speed, won't the adapter need active cooling and temperature monitoring?
- simondotau 3y ago
  I wouldn't imagine so; a short, rigid adapter could have very thick conductors which would have low resistance relative to flexible cable. And being a passive adapter, it would be easy to make very heat tolerant.
  - Turskarama 3y ago
    The current high speed connectors are actually water cooled.
    - simondotau 3y ago
      Correct, but that is necessary in order to get a relatively lightweight and flexible cable to carry huge loads. It’s not nearly as important for an adapter which is, for the DC pins at least, a solid bus bar encased in heat resistant plastics.
      - Nick87633 3y ago
        I was thinking that the contact resistance would create quite a bit of heat as well, and if there's nowhere to dissipate you can get quite hot. Even if a high temp plastic can take it, you might burn the person handling it.

MetaWhirledPeas 3y ago

> Are the chargers/ports on cars easy enough to swap out, or are we manufacturing ewaste? I'm not sure those statements are mutually exclusive. All new manufacturing produces ewaste. CCS cars will still be chargeable in one form or another until the car itself dies.