What Gauge Wire is Needed for Portable New Energy Vehicle Charging?
3 Answers
New energy portable vehicle charging requires 4-gauge or 6-gauge wires. New energy vehicle charging requirements: Charge correctly to avoid over-discharging or excessive power usage; inspect the wiring condition of the charging cable before each charge to prevent safety incidents; during charging, the battery's temperature will increase, and the charger will also generate significant heat, so charging should be done in a well-ventilated environment. New energy vehicle charging methods: Portable charging: Use the portable charging cable included with the vehicle to charge via a standard household socket. Home charging: Private users can purchase home charging stations that often come as a gift with electric vehicles. Public charging: Public charging stations are typically constructed and maintained by power companies such as State Grid and Southern Grid.
I've been driving an electric car for three years, and in my experience, 4 square millimeter copper wire is the safest choice for home charging. I used to power my portable charger with 2.5 square millimeter wires, but after just half an hour of charging, the wires got so hot to the touch that I immediately stopped. Currently, standard portable chargers in China have a power output of around 3.5kW, equivalent to 16A current, making 4 square millimeter wires just adequate. If the wiring exceeds 30 meters or you frequently use fast charging, definitely upgrade to 6 square millimeter wires! Remember to use flame-retardant materials for the wires and avoid overstuffing the conduit to ensure proper heat dissipation. During charging, check the wire temperature by touch - warm is normal, but if it's hot to the touch, it's overloaded. This simple method is surprisingly accurate.
There are three key points to consider when installing a charging cable yourself: material, length, and margin. Copper wire conducts electricity much better than aluminum wire, so be sure to choose pure copper wire. For short distances within 20 meters, 4 square millimeters is sufficient, but for long distances like running a cable from the fifth floor to a parking spot on the first floor, 6 square millimeters is safer. Don't skimp and calculate it just right; it's recommended to leave a 30% margin above the rated power. For my garage's exposed wiring, I used single-strand hard copper wire, running it through PVC pipes to avoid exposure to sun and rain. For older homes, it's best to have an electrician check if the voltage is stable—unstable voltage can cause the charger to trip frequently.
