Charging Ebikes on EV Charging stations

[PedalUma]

I just dont see how this would work. you going to stand around and watch your batter for 5 or more hours to charge it? most of them could not be locked up or secured. then some type of cage would have to be added. this is America it would have to be very profitable to to make it happen.

You can charge to 80% from 20% in less than two hours at 2Amps. Have a picnic on the trail rest stop and relax or socialize with a good thick book in hand.

 

[fooferdoggie]

You can charge to 80% from 20% in less than two hours at 2Amps. Have a picnic on the trail rest stop and relax or socialize with a good thick book in hand.

thats not where charging stations are now. they are where cars will use them.

 

[ava1ar]

for 5 or more hours to charge it

You need long hours to charge it to 100%, but charging goes faster on lower battery level. I think to get from 20% to 60% you need like 2 hours or so on my bike, which is pretty good - can be combined with rest/food break if the infra is present.

 

[6zfshdb]

I don't know about others, but I'd rather ride than sit and watch a battery charge. I just carry a spare, which gives me a 100+ mile range. That's about all I can comfortably ride in a day. I recharge in the evening at a hotel, campground or wherever I'm staying the night.

 

[PedalUma]

I cycle for transportation. At 12 mph I can go two miles in ten minutes or three in fifteen. Anything I need is within 15 minutes. Two and one-half hours of ride time of a typical battery is overkill for my daily needs. Occasionally I will ride that long recreationally. But(t) at some point each additional mile is less fun than the mile before it on a bike saddle. A battery swapping station makes more sense.

 

[dblhelix]

The Bosch 'fast' charger used by OP is non-switching, 50Hz, i.e. of limited use, stateside. I'd say @ava1ar has made the best possible use of this resource that is otherwise too limited to be useful in the US.

The Grin Cycle Satiator with the Bosch adapter (pre- Smart System) is an alternative but probably best for out-of-warranty batteries. Suffice it to say that within the Bosch ecosystem, even wall-charging is relatively limited. And I don't see Bosch sanctioning battery swaps or any kind of non-Bosch equipment use.

I don't see any kind of charging infrastructure development w/o Bosch as the driving force, think 3-Class legislation and UL requirements.

Carry more batteries: range is based on terrain. I've done several x-country trips. The MT Time zone is a challenge. While I never ran out of juice, I did spend too. much. time. charging.

 

[toady]

Using a NEMA 5/15 plughead to charge from a battery charger that is outputting twice the amperage is subjecting yourself to a nontrivial risk of fatal shock. There is a reaon why NEMA requires a different (safer) plughead design when increasing from 120v 15A to 240v 30A. Your manufacturer says it's rated for 240v; but NEMA requires a different plughead for 240v (common called a dryer plug because most home dryers run on 240v 30A). They even helpfully explain in detail why there should be a different plughead on your product (so you don't plug the wrong thing into it!) while also stating that misuse of their noncomplaint plug can damage equipment or start a fire! We have found our 21 century lawndart!

I came here while researching where I could find the simpliest/most robust way to step down my 240v 50A home EV charger (hardwired to the house on a 60A circuit) to power 240v 30A woodworking tools so I was really interested in your setup. But using a 5/15 plughead on my charger and on my tools inside my garage? Hard, Hard, Hard pass.

Your battery's input is 2.15A based on the spec on your charger (input power, not your 6A output) and then you hooked up to an output charger that is 30-50A. My EV's max input is 114A. That means I'm getting 100% of the available charge on a standard level two 150A output charger and still getting 114A when I use a 200A, 250A, or faster output chargers. In the world of EVs; 2 or 4 wheels; it's impolite to hog a charger you don't need and your vehicle can't use because it slows down everyone else's trips while also not speeding up yours. Folks will drive on to another charger if they see it is in use (especially the slower ones) so you can't naturally presume that because they didn't stop, they didn't need it. (I suppose you can be the person that brings an overful shopping cart through the fast checkout lane at a not-too-busy time because the moment you walked by, there was no other customers waiting, but do you really want to be that guy?). A 120v 15A household outlet would still give you 100% available input power. Even if you charged from a 5A USB cable, you'd still be charging at 100% input because physics. I have a hard time believing that you can't find a plug near a park picnic area/little league field/concession stand/coffee shop etc.

I get the frustration. Every roadtrip I take, I find broken chargers; chargers that need strange 3rd party apps that take an hour to register ussing all my personal data and want to know everything on my phone; and chargers far away from any amenities or services. I carry a 120v 15A charger so I can charge at +3.5 miles to range/hr to keep me from getting permanently stuck somewhere. We live in a shared space of trying to make the world better through electrification. But my advice is: don't use your non-NEMA complaint plug in the rain... or at all.

 

[ava1ar]

In the world of EVs; 2 or 4 wheels; it's impolite to hog a charger you don't need and your vehicle can't use because it slows down everyone else's trips while also not speeding up yours.

If you see my vehicle was able to use it, so I presume I am in right to take it for 2 hours as instructed by the charger rules. I don't see why someone of Tesla should have priority over me to use it if I am in need to top up my battery and there are no regular power plugs around. I have a good map of 120V public plugs in NYC, but in other areas it might be easier to find a J-1772 via sites like https://www.plugshare.com

I have a hard time believing that you can't find a plug near a park picnic area/little league field/concession stand/coffee shop etc.

If you read my post carefully, the whole point of this post was to do the experiment if/how EV charger can be used for charging the ebike.

But my advice is: don't use your non-NEMA complaint plug in the rain... or at all.

Thanks. I actually don't. The original message for this post was actually the only time I tried it. I have dual-battery setup on my bike + I don't go that far usually + 6A/220V charger/adapter are bulky and heavy. So if I need I do pretty much same as you - just take my regular 4A/120V charger and use whatever plug I might find if I need to top up my battery.

 

[dblhelix]

If you see my vehicle was able to use it, so I presume I am in right to take it for 2 hours as instructed by the charger rules. I don't see why someone of Tesla should have priority over me to use it if I am in need to top up my battery and there are no regular power plugs around. I have a good map of 120V public plugs in NYC, but in other areas it might be easier to find a J-1772 via sites like https://www.plugshare.com

If you read my post carefully, the whole point of this post was to do the experiment if/how EV charger can be used for charging the ebike.

Thanks. I actually don't. The original message for this post was actually the only time I tried it. I have dual-battery setup on my bike + I don't go that far usually + 6A/220V charger/adapter are bulky and heavy. So if I need I do pretty much same as you - just take my regular 4A/120V charger and use whatever plug I might find if I need to top up my battery.

I enjoyed your proof-of-concept and consider it a form of advocacy.

The comments regarding how easy it is to find an outlet seem dated to me. Public/private entities increasingly are discouraging charging due to 1) Safety. As an example, my regional rail now explicitly forbids bike battery charging. 2) Cost. The idyllic parks, rec centers, etc don't have the budgets to absorb electrical usage by non-residents, esp in smaller towns/rural areas. It's not just us -- we're competing with the homeless.

I'd like to see outlets as mandatory at every EV charging station with a small increase in kW-hr charges to offset infrastructure. I have a good deal at my marina: $0.11/kW-hr (utility co), and I pay $0.13 to offset pedestal maintenance. Still a bargain! Even paying a quarter for every 500W if I'm not at home is fine. We pay for charging at home, so ...

The safety concerns raised above are also mitigated by dedicated outlets. I don't see this demonstration as encroaching on Tesla owners but as a form of advocacy: We're here, and we're eager for more charging options.

 

[usbusi]

If you need 110v, a Vevor voltage transformer should do the trick, in addition to the adapter. And if you have a friend you can share one transformer and one adapter, since it has two outlets. Plus you can charge phones from the USB port. They have them in different watts. The 1000 watts one looks appropriate for 2 bikes? -- it depends on how many watts the charger(s) uses. And the 3000 watt one has 3 outlets for 3 bikes. Amazon has the adapter for less. While Vevor's website has the cheapest prices on their transformers. There are small cheaper transformers -- I don't know what the quality is on any of them but the larger transformers look more dependable. The small ones fit in suitcases for travelers. You can get possible reliability from 5-star reviews.
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Vehicle:
noun
A thing used for transporting people or goods, especially on land, such as a car, truck, or cart. (That includes a bicycle, moped, motorcyle, skateboard, scooter...)

 

[6zfshdb]

The comments regarding how easy it is to find an outlet seem dated to me. Public/private entities increasingly are discouraging charging due to 1) Safety. As an example, my regional rail now explicitly forbids bike battery charging. 2) Cost. The idyllic parks, rec centers, etc don't have the budgets to absorb electrical usage by non-residents, esp in smaller towns/rural areas. It's not just us -- we're competing with the homeless.

I'm seeing this here as well. The gazebo bandstand at a local park where I ride had an AC outlet for use by entertainers to plug in their equipment. I used to see ebikers charging there occasionally but now, the outlet has been placed inside a locked box.

 

[dblhelix]

I'm seeing this here as well. The gazebo bandstand at a local park where I ride had an AC outlet for use by entertainers to plug in their equipment. I used to see ebikers charging there occasionally but now, the outlet has been placed inside a locked box.

LOL, the local park didn't get the memo from YouTubers that they are responsible for 'infrastructure.'

I keep a sailboat in a slip with (multiple) 30A pedestal. I pay $0.13/kW-hr. That's $0.02 above the city utility provider rate, and that very modest surcharge goes to pedestal maintenance. I consider it a deal! TNSTAAFL.

Some years ago I rolled into a small town quite hungry. It was before ebikes. I went to the local lunch counter and learned I was too late -- they only made enough to cover projected demand for essentially the same people daily. Budgets are tight.

 

[usbusi]

I'm seeing this here as well. The gazebo bandstand at a local park where I ride had an AC outlet for use by entertainers to plug in their equipment. I used to see ebikers charging there occasionally but now, the outlet has been placed inside a locked box.

the homeless thing is the reason. that's a NIMBY thing where people don't want poor people in their neighborhood. which is totally against the Golden Rule, which happens to be a part of every religion except satanism. you will also notice, at least here in Southern California, there are no benches for anyone to sit on anymore either, which is for the same reason.

 

[6zfshdb]

The homeless issue is a big problem in several cities near me. They make encampments along MUPs & bike trails and panhandle, or otherwise harass, bikers & pedestrians. The police are sent in once or twice a year to dismantle them, but the just come back again.

It's really a shame. A lot of $$ were spent on creating these trails, but only the homeless seem to use them anymore. Perhaps the money would be better spent on homeless shelters.