Summary: keep your charging cables dry (or use it as a quick water boiler, or fight global warming by plant cultivation)
As I have done a test of flexibility in -20C for Dostar/EV-Connectors (3x32A orange one) and Mennekes (the blue one), I used orange one today to charge my car.
As something „exploded” inside the plug and hot steam and boiling water spread onto my hand, causing scald (nothing dangerous of course), and breakers switched off, I decided to open both sides of the orange cable.
PROS: rigid, clean design, fully waterproof (IP55)
CONS: No bad PE protection detection (dangerous), no IEC 61851-1 norm (even printed at data plate)
PROS: control of power with RFID.
CONS: No bad PE protection detection (dangerous!), thin circuit board & bad design of PE line (risk of fire or burn), IP54 (moderate liquid ingress protection). No seal inside the plug.
We have decided to prepare rankings of EVSE and EV car charging cables, we would like to explain what parameters will be considered.
The most common problem while choosing EVSE or charging cable is to find an optimal solution. Because of power supply limitations, especially in Europe (where a single phase is often restricted to 16-25A) choosing a proper charging unit may be tricky.
Because an overall design of EVSE or charging cable does not depend on the final market, but input plugs vary from region to region, there is a weak point here. EVSE manufacturers must install locally produced input side cable and plug.
PROS: silver-coated contacts
CONS: No bad PE protection detection (dangerous!), IP44 (moderate liquid ingress protection). Bad quality of input cable (PE, thin, cracks when cold), no seal in car side plug.
⭐ Security
⭐⭐⭐ Quality
⭐⭐ Functionality
⭐ Value for money
⭐ dangerous, it fails bad PE connection detection.
⭐⭐ insecure, it does not meet EN normative, but it passes bad PE connection detection, problematic PCB design (fire risk)
⭐⭐⭐ ok, but moderate liquid ingress protection (IP < 55), or it overheats
⭐⭐⭐⭐ ok, no manual stop button and/or no breaker
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ok
PROS: silver-coated contacts, IP54, good overall quality
CONS: No bad PE protection detection, no Stop button, no breaker.
⭐ Security
⭐⭐⭐ Quality
⭐⭐⭐ Functionality
⭐⭐ Value for money
AC power controller 9kVA, 3P, model ITECH IT7627).
We use it to modulate phases, under-volt and over-volt them, add distortions, phasing errors, sinus fluctuations, frequency fluctuations. This 500kg power source helps us to simulate various problematic situations with power sources and see if the behavior of the chargers, EVSE, DC chargers is proper.