Type 2 to Commando

[Fintray]

First time I've seen one of these in the wild. I wonder if the guy is paying or if the device cycles every few mins to get free electric?

What type of device is it?

It is a Type 2 to commando. It convinces a charging point to open its contactor so you can power mains devices. Back when you could get free charging, "vanlifers" used them to power the lights, kettle, and whatever...

Thanks, never heard of them before.

[Oliver90owner]

What year is that van? I’ve seen plenty of cherished numbers on cars, but not on vans.

[Jinx]

What year is that van? I’ve seen plenty of cherished numbers on cars, but not on vans.

Standard plate from the time I’d guess, making it a 2001 van, the last of the alphabet year number plates I think.

[jonc_uk]

Yep, easy to look up: https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/re ... calls=true

[MikeNovack]

What year is that van? I’ve seen plenty of cherished numbers on cars, but not on vans.

Standard plate from the time I’d guess, making it a 2001 van, the last of the alphabet year number plates I think.

Works that was in the UK? Would not work here in most of the states in the US.

For example, here in MA, replace a vehicle (unregister old and register new) you get a choice, be issued new plates or transfer old ones. Because if opting for new means driving for several weeks with temporary plates (and cops will often stop you and ask to see paperwork) and having to memorize a new plate number, it is rather common for folks to select the "keep" option. Thus 57KL74 is on least the third car (if not older) and 398WV3 on at least the second (if not older).

[Oliver90owner]

OK, so it’s long before EVs were common. That leads me to think it is some guy blocking a charging station, while appearing to be connected to a charger. Nothing more.

[Joeboy]

OK, so it’s long before EVs were common. That leads me to think it is some guy blocking a charging station, while appearing to be connected to a charger. Nothing more.

Yep. Note the dodgy disabled sticker too.

[SimonSays]

In EVSE devices such as the MyEnergi Zappi that can track solar generation when charging an EV at a variable rate, the square wave comms is generated by the Zappi and acted upon by the EV. It is a variable mark-space signal to indicate the maximum current the EV is allowed to take at that instance in time. Once the EV battery is full it just ignores the square wave signal and stops taking current of its own accord.

There is no intelligent comms from the EV back to the EVSE when using the Type 2 connector. That only occurs with rapid charging say via a CCS connector when the chargepoint receives data from the EV so it knows the current state of charge %.

This is spot on. However, the EVSE determines the maximum charge current and a cable plugged in by a resistor between proximity pilot and protective earth (PE) and a resistor between control pilot and PE to determine the vehicle state (ready to charge, charging, error).

I would suppose that these type 2 to commando plugs have at least two resistors present in order to convince the EVSE to close it's contactors.

One could, say, use one of these to take advantage of Octopus' unlimited £30/month charging to charge home batteries instead.