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

CHAdeMO Installation

Discussion in 'Prime Accessories and Modifications' started by masco, Aug 27, 2018.

  1. Old Bear

    Old Bear Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2017
    712
    1,048
    20
    Location:
    Boston, Massachusetts USA
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    I think the point that Bisco is making is that because standard household voltage in Japan is 100 volts, it would take considerably longer to charge the Prime using a Level 1 plug-in charger like the one supplied with the U.S. version of the Prime. Hence, CHAdeMO is more necessary and more widely deployed in Japan.

    As of July 2017, the CHAdeMO Association web site states that there are 7,133 CHAdeMO chargers installed in Japan compared with 2,204 in all of the United States. Japan is about 142,000 square miles in total land area. By comparison, that's smaller than just the state of California which is about 164,000 square miles -- and much, much smaller than the continental US which is about 3,100,000 square miles!

    Most current CHAdeMO chargers can deliver 40 – 60 kW. That means that the nominal 12.5 kWh full charge of the Prime could be delivered in about 15 minutes. Faster charging times also mean that a single public charger can service many more vehicles over the course of a day.

    Given the availability and popularity of CHAdeMO in Japan, it would be foolish for Toyota not to equip the Japanese version of the Prime with a CHAdeMO charging port. Similarly, including this feature in the US model would add needless cost and be useful to very few U.S. owners.
     
    #21 Old Bear, Feb 25, 2019
    Last edited: Feb 25, 2019
    TGrracie, triggerhappy007 and bisco like this.
  2. PriusPrime515

    PriusPrime515 New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2019
    1
    0
    0
    Location:
    San Jose
    Vehicle:
    2019 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Premium
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,861
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
  4. genericuser

    genericuser Junior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 6, 2019
    31
    6
    0
    Location:
    San Francisco
    Vehicle:
    2020 Prius Prime
    Model:
    N/A
    There are 3 CCS/Chademo public stations within 3 miles is where I live and 1 is free. It's too bad Prime can't take advantage.
     
    TGrracie likes this.
  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,861
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    yup
     
    TGrracie likes this.
  6. I'mJp

    I'mJp Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 12, 2012
    628
    552
    0
    Location:
    Ma, USA
    Vehicle:
    Other Electric Vehicle
    Model:
    Three
    The prius prime battery pack is thermally managed and air cooled.

    So you would have to change the connector, change the charging circuit, and come up with a new thermal management.

    Then you would have to figure out how to attach the system to the existing toyota computer.

    Might be cheaper to get a different vehicle.

    The amount of heat that the batteries generate while charging, is the limiting factor, especially when you consider the range of environment that it has to tolerate (like as in new mexico summer) .

    I would not be surprised if it's already being charged the fastest way possible with the existing cooling system.

    Speaking of connector, how come no car has connectors at either end of the vehicle ?
    That way you could park the way that you want to park, and not the way that the charging port dictates.
     
  7. Flaming

    Flaming Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 9, 2017
    138
    122
    0
    Location:
    QC , Canada
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Technology
    Japanese Prius PHV do have a quick charge port , but can only charge at 80% ( in 20 mins )

    Domestic voltage in Japan is 100V ... it take 14 hours to charge at 100V@6A or 2 hours and a half at 200V@16A

    I guess they added the quick charge port because the LVL 1 @100V port is too low to be usable ... lol ;)


    fast charge.jpg
     
    Old Bear likes this.
  8. genericuser

    genericuser Junior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 6, 2019
    31
    6
    0
    Location:
    San Francisco
    Vehicle:
    2020 Prius Prime
    Model:
    N/A
    I cannot imagine the Japanese variant having different battery and cooling technology than ours? How do they make it work.
     
    TGrracie likes this.
  9. Old Bear

    Old Bear Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2017
    712
    1,048
    20
    Location:
    Boston, Massachusetts USA
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    I would expect that the "magic" happens in the inverter/converter circuit and allows for the CHAdeMO DC voltage to be efficiently distributed over appropriate clusters of the Prime's traction battery cells.

    Keep in mind that batteries are DC devices and must be charged using DC current. The Level 1 (120 volt) and Level 2 (240 volt) EVSE. just deliver power-line voltage AC current which the Prime's internal charging circuit must convert to DC and supply to appropriate clusters of cells to match the charging voltage. CHAdeMO delivers 500 volts of DC which makes life easier for the vehicle's internal charging -- but more difficult for the CHAdeMO charging station.

    This video from the McKinsey consulting firm explains why deploying a network of fast DC charging stations like CHAdeMO is not simple problem:
    Video | McKinsey & Company
     
  10. PiPLosAngeles

    PiPLosAngeles Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 18, 2012
    1,549
    719
    0
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    LE
    Why wouldn't it just draw 20% more Amps to deliver the same power? If my measurements are typical, that would only bring the Amperage up to around 11-12, still well within a 15A circuit's capacity.
     
  11. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2015
    10,958
    8,836
    0
    Location:
    New England
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    You are thinking of typical US houses. The CHAdeMo option is for Japanese market, where entire house hold breaker is often 10A, no isolated circuit at all. They get charged based on the house breaker, larger cost more, and many of Japanese houses have minimum size house breaker installed.
     
    #31 Salamander_King, Dec 19, 2019
    Last edited: Dec 19, 2019
  12. PiPLosAngeles

    PiPLosAngeles Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 18, 2012
    1,549
    719
    0
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    LE
    The whole house is limited to 1,000W? Like, if they microwave something they have to turn off all the lights first?
     
  13. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2015
    10,958
    8,836
    0
    Location:
    New England
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Yap, that's correct.
     
  14. PiPLosAngeles

    PiPLosAngeles Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 18, 2012
    1,549
    719
    0
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    LE
    How would CHAdeMo change that? They'd have to install new wiring, in which case they could just install a normal Level 2.

    EDIT - I always wondered why it seemed so ironic that Japanese cars always have so few electrical outlets compared to others even though you would think with families of cellphones, tablets, laptops, and other gadgets, the Japanese would be the first to have a million outlets in their cars. Now this makes more sense in that they're used to dealing with inadequate electrical infrastructure.
     
  15. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2015
    10,958
    8,836
    0
    Location:
    New England
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    CHAdeMo charge station is public, though I am not sure how much it costs to charge at the station. Basically, in Japan, there are very few houses that can handle PHEV or even larger BEV battery charging at their own home. Most household will not be able to handle that large electric load without first spending a huge cost on infrastructure, which I think is one of the main reason Japan (and many Japanese auto makers) are slow in BEV adoption.
     
    #35 Salamander_King, Dec 19, 2019
    Last edited: Dec 19, 2019
  16. PiPLosAngeles

    PiPLosAngeles Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 18, 2012
    1,549
    719
    0
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    LE
    With that kind of infrastructure I'm surprised they have any electric adoption at all.
     
  17. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2015
    10,958
    8,836
    0
    Location:
    New England
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Do they even sell LEAF in Japan? I know they do sell e-Power Note there which is all electric motor car but has gas engine solely as a generator.

    Edit: Well, I looked it up. They seems to have LEAF sold in Japanese market, but not sure if how well they are selling.
    日産:リーフ[LEAF]電気自動車(EV) | すべてが驚き。リーフに変える。くらしが変わる。
     
  18. triggerhappy007

    triggerhappy007 Active Member

    Joined:
    May 7, 2018
    498
    334
    0
    Location:
    Texas
    Vehicle:
    Other Electric Vehicle
    Model:
    Base
  19. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2015
    10,958
    8,836
    0
    Location:
    New England
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Isn't LEAF only BEV sold in Japan? How many did they sell in the US?
     
  20. triggerhappy007

    triggerhappy007 Active Member

    Joined:
    May 7, 2018
    498
    334
    0
    Location:
    Texas
    Vehicle:
    Other Electric Vehicle
    Model:
    Base