Domestic EV Charger Makes Old Tech ‘Smart’

Paul Myles

TU-Editor

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20th August 2018

One of the biggest stumbling blocks to consumers thinking of electric vehicles as family transport are a myriad of charging issues, among them the problem of overloading domestic electricity systems.

In many countries, such as the UK, most homes do not have smart meters let alone access to smart chargers so switching a dishwasher on when the family EV is charging up will see power supply take a massive dive. So, that’s why EO Charging, has launched ‘eoALM’, a small unit that claims to offer automatic load management (ALM) for non-smart EV chargers.

The system uses a self-contained control module that sits separately from an EO charger, to monitor the energy profile of a building. It also claims to be able to prioritize charging of EVs, turn down the power going to EV chargers or simply turn them off if the site is nearing its power usage limit. It’s aimed at the two or more EV domestic household and residential apartments and businesses looking to power a small electric or plug-in hybrid fleet.

Richard Earl, CTO at EO Charging, said: “Most buildings don’t have sufficient power to fast charge multiple EVs simultaneously. Homeowners are likely to exceed their energy usage limit if they have more than one EV plugged in whilst trying to cook dinner, watch TV or turn the washing machine on! Diversity can’t be applied to an EV charger, so installers must carefully consider the charging infrastructure they recommend.

“The only solutions currently available are to invest in either an expensive upgrade to a sites power supply or smart-charging infrastructure – a cost prohibitive option for most domestic EV drivers and small business owners. Not only does the ‘eoALM’ unit save on upfront capital investment but it can also prevent home-owners from drawing further power during spikes in energy usage, which is often at the most expensive time of the day.”

— Paul Myles is a seasoned automotive journalist based in London. Follow him on Twitter @Paulmyles_