1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

How to plug into a standard 220V outlet?

Discussion in 'Gen 1 Prius Plug-in 2012-2015' started by delz, Jun 15, 2012.

  1. delz

    delz Member

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2012
    43
    34
    0
    Location:
    Orange County, CA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    My work facility has agreed to set up a parking spot for plug-in EVs and would prefer to install a standard 220V outlet over a 120V one.

    How would I plug my car into this? Do I need a new cable or adapter?
    Or are we stuck with a 120V outlet?
     
    DianneWhitmire and Andyprius # 1 like this.
  2. bielinsk

    bielinsk Gremlin

    Joined:
    May 4, 2012
    505
    115
    0
    Location:
    Anaheim
    Vehicle:
    2013 Chevy Volt
    Model:
    N/A
    You would need a new cable. The one that comes with the car is 110 only. Unless they are being generous and also install a level 2 charging station, then that would have its own cable you plug directly into your car.
     
    RichPasco likes this.
  3. delz

    delz Member

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2012
    43
    34
    0
    Location:
    Orange County, CA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    Where can I get such a cable?
     
  4. mrbigh

    mrbigh Prius Absolutum Dominium

    Joined:
    Sep 6, 2005
    3,686
    699
    2
    Location:
    Long Island, NY
    Vehicle:
    Other Electric Vehicle
    For the time been, your company maintenance dept could also provide an 110VAC outlet at the same time and you will be ready for now and the future connections.
     
  5. wheezyglider

    wheezyglider Active Member

    Joined:
    Mar 12, 2011
    247
    177
    0
    Location:
    SF Bay Area
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Five
    There's also a company that will modify your Toyota cable to handle 240V. I see it discussed some in this thread.

    I'd wonder if there are incentives that would make it fairly inexpensive for your employer to install a J1772 charger.
     
  6. delz

    delz Member

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2012
    43
    34
    0
    Location:
    Orange County, CA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    I've been searching for these, but didn't see any good incentives. I have a harder case in that I'm the only person with a plug-in vehicle at my company so far.
     
  7. bielinsk

    bielinsk Gremlin

    Joined:
    May 4, 2012
    505
    115
    0
    Location:
    Anaheim
    Vehicle:
    2013 Chevy Volt
    Model:
    N/A
    Check with the company that supplies power to the building.
     
  8. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2009
    12,470
    6,862
    2
    Location:
    Greenwood MS USA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    EVSE Upgrade - Products
    It will be almost $1000 for another cable for 220V, although for $250 they modify your existing cable to use 220V.
     
    RichPasco and Rebound like this.
  9. Tracksyde

    Tracksyde Member

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2011
    1,429
    761
    0
    Location:
    So Cal
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base


    I think thats the route I'd take if I were in delz's shoes.
     
    DianneWhitmire likes this.
  10. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    if you have your cable coverted to 240v, i think you will need 240 at home as well, unless it will do both after the conversion? but you will charge in half the time.
     
  11. mitch672

    mitch672 Technology Geek

    Joined:
    Mar 10, 2004
    1,077
    197
    0
    Location:
    Randolph, MA
    Vehicle:
    Other Electric Vehicle
    Model:
    N/A
    Once converted it works on 120V or 240V, you just need a $15 cable adapter to use it with 120V...
     
    bisco likes this.
  12. Are you saying that if you put 220 to the standard box and cable it can not handle that? I thought the car could take either voltage. On a coincident thread I was just discussing simply transforming the house current to 220.
     
  13. fjpod

    fjpod Member

    Joined:
    Jul 29, 2009
    419
    72
    0
    Location:
    New York
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    the car can take it. The OEM adapter cannot. As others have said, it needs to be adapted internally to handle 220 volts. Then it will be able to handle either.
     
  14. What does the cable adapter do exactly, adapt to two 110 legs?
     
  15. It is strange that this adaptation to either voltage was not built in, or is it the physical difference in the two types of plugs? Three wire VS two wire?
     
  16. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2005
    12,544
    2,122
    1
    Location:
    SF Bay Area, CA
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    To be more precise, the OEM EVSE (aka brick that's part of the charging cord set) can't handle 220 volts without changes. Using an adapter and 220+ volts without changes to the brick will blow it.
     
  17. TY, Toyota could have done better there.
     
  18. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2005
    12,544
    2,122
    1
    Location:
    SF Bay Area, CA
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    As could've Nissan. There's been some discussion on MNL about revolving around National Electrical Codes as to why this wasn't done. I wish I could find the threads... it was along the lines of it being prohibited (?) NEC by to have 208+ volt portable/mobile electrical devices.

    I think pEEf (Ingineer) even some statement that our country is afraid of electricity and (IIRC) this the reason for the above.

    My Nissan Leaf Forum • View topic - My L1 ESVE findings..... sorta describes what he had to do to come up with the upgrade to the Leaf's Panasonic L1 EVSE. There might be better posts elsewhere on MNL.

    At the meeting I was at w/pEEf, the Leaf's chief vehicle engineer, Mark Perry and a bunch of other Nissan folks, pEEf himself at the podium expressed his wishes for Nissan to ship w/an EVSE that can handle both voltages and plug into various 208-240 volt sources (e.g. dryer outlets), even though it would put his upgrade businesses out of businesses.

    I think some of the questions here would be answered by reading the FAQ at EVSE Upgrade - Products.

    edit: I think these were some of the threads where people were discussing the first topic.
    My Nissan Leaf Forum • View topic - Why is the 240V charging station hardwired ? The answer is..
    My Nissan Leaf Forum • View topic - We need a portable 240v EVSE
    My Nissan Leaf Forum • View topic - NEC definitely allows cord-and-plug connected 240V EVSEs

    edit: To amend my comment about 208+ volt mobile electronics in the US, someone else's post reminded me about universal voltage AC adapters and power supplies in computers. Perhaps it has something to do w/amperage since AC adapters and laptop power supplies are pretty low wattage (and amperage) vs. an EV. Desktop PC power supplies can get really high though.

    However, NONE of these in the US ship with a cord that can plug into a 240 volt outlet (such as one you find for your dryer).
     
    DianneWhitmire and terrylowe like this.
  19. mitch672

    mitch672 Technology Geek

    Joined:
    Mar 10, 2004
    1,077
    197
    0
    Location:
    Randolph, MA
    Vehicle:
    Other Electric Vehicle
    Model:
    N/A
    The adapter is just to give you a standard 120V plug on one end, the other end is an L6-20R receptacle to connect to the modified EVSE, it's just so you can physically plug it in to a 120V outlet, as the EVSE comes back with a 240V plug on it, after conversion by evseupgrade.com (comes back with an L6-20P male plug)

    EVSE Upgrade - Products
     
    Andyprius # 1 likes this.
  20. TY, It seems all sort of backwards. Should one go the 220 route, now you have an extra cord, of little use.