It's an RV, not an EV! (Was: Who's in Charge of EV Charging?)

["Bill Dube'" <bdube@BOULDER.NIST.GOV>]

>Is there anything in the NEC that prohibits using 2, 3, or more 120 volt
>20 amp outlets to change your EV?  Maybe we could use a half-dozen for a
>14.4 KW charge ...

        Yes, you can do this. Since each must be GFCI protected, you would
have to use isolated chargers so that the GFCI wouldn't trip.

        But there is an easier way!

        I was talking to John Wayland last night and we came up with a
solution. Toss a sleeping bag and a picnic basket in the back seat! Your EV
will now become "A vehiciular unit designed to provide temporary living
quarters for recreational, camping, or travel use built on or or permantly
attached to a self-propelled motor vehicle chassis or on a chassis cab or
van that is an integral part of the completed vehicle." You EV becomes a
"Motor Home" under the NEC and is covered by Article 551.  A "motor home" is
a type of "recreational vehicle" under the NEC. As such, you can plug into
any of the receptacles shown in figure 551-46(c) (figure 14-50 of the NEMA
WD 6-1989.) No GFCI. Up to 50 amps @ 250 volts. Suck amps! No Article 625!

        This section of the NEC requires that batteries be "installed in an
area vaportight to the interior and ventallated directly to the exterior of
the vehicle. When batteries are installed in a compartment, the compartment
shall be ventalated with openings having a minimum area of 1.7 sq.in." This
requirement shouldn't be too hard to meet. The wiring in your EV must meet
the requirements of Article 551, but it really should anyway.
(Autotransformers (ie Variacs) are specifically not allowed.) It's not very
difficult or expensive to meet this section of the code and the rules are
sensible.

        The real beauty of calling your EV an RV is:

"551-3 Other Articles. Wherever the requirements of other articles of this
code and Article 551 differ, the requirements of Article 551 shall apply."

        This means that if it's an RV, it only has to meet the requirements
of the RV section (Article 551) and does NOT have to meet the require\ments
of other parts of the NEC (even Article 625.)

        If you have "designed" your EV so you can stretch out an take a nap,
you should be able to call it an RV under the rules of the NEC.

        This is a viable means to skirt the ridiculous requirements of 625.
It also shows just how absurd the requirements of Article 625 really are.
However, it is very important to tackle 625 directly and get this mess
straightened out before it gets too far out of hand. Otherwise, the NEC
(under pressure from special interests) will simply amend 551 to close the
loophole.
             _   /|
             \'o.O'              Bill Dube'
           =(___)=           bdube@boulder.nist.gov
              U

It's an RV, not an EV! (Was: Who's in Charge of EV Charging?)