Warning to South Africans using extension cords to charge electric cars

[Newsfeed]

Warning to South Africans using extension cords to charge electric cars

Many South Africans buying electric cars are opting to use the included portable "granny" chargers to top up their batteries, sometimes paired with an extension cord that can melt under continuous load.

 

[robinsonia]

 

[lexity]

Gas-lighting if ever I saw it...

.... of course we're backward and uninformed if we don't know that everyone is on-board the EV train..... including the average Joe who occasionally uses extension cords to excess.

 

[Jam Sandwich]

A bit of twin flex/speaker wire should also work?

 

[Heisenborg]

Warning to South Africans using extension cords to charge electric cars

Many South Africans buying electric cars are opting to use the included portable "granny" chargers to top up their batteries, sometimes paired with an extension cord that can melt under continuous load.

 

[Justanotherguybythesea]

A bit of twin flex/speaker wire should also work?

It works in informal settlements, both power and track lighting at the same time.

 

[Mike Angelo]

Sounds like in the olden days when you tried to jump start an automatic without jumper leads. Simply let the metal front bumpers touch to bridge the negative and use a jack handle or two to bridge the positive poles. I'm sure an enterprising car owner will come up with a fencing wire, pallisade, or some other trick to bridge the connections.

 

[wingnut771]

Sounds like in the olden days when you tried to jump start an automatic without jumper leads. Simply let the metal front bumpers touch to bridge the negative and use a jack handle or two to bridge the positive poles. I'm sure an enterprising car owner will come up with a fencing wire, pallisade, or some other trick to bridge the connections.

No idea what you just said.

 

[Mike Angelo]

No idea what you just said.

It's still early...

 

[RaptorSA]

A bit of twin flex/speaker wire should also work?

I always keep around a bunch of these so you can daisy chain a lekker cable just the right length, on the fly.
A bit old school and overkill though, should switch to type-c.

 

[geezer]

Sounds like in the olden days when you tried to jump start an automatic without jumper leads. Simply let the metal front bumpers touch to bridge the negative and use a jack handle or two to bridge the positive poles. I'm sure an enterprising car owner will come up with a fencing wire, pallisade, or some other trick to bridge the connections.

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[Gordon_R]

A bit of twin flex/speaker wire should also work?

I realised that I have several 40 year old table lamps, that use twin flex wire (still in daily use). The diameter of that old wire is more than some of the junk extension leads sold nowadays. Granted for outdoor use the external insulation is more robust and UV resistant.

I was actually astonished a few years ago when a licensed electrician ran a 30m long twin-and-earth with 4mm^2 cables (in a conduit) to a sub-DB, with multiple plugs at 20A rating, and a 5kW inverter! He said that is valid under the latest regulations!? I guess that is the difference between continuous and spread/intermittent loads...

For comparison our 50 year old building uses 6mm^2 cables for the lighting circuits! They built things properly in those days...

 

[RaptorSA]

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American consumerism: "Here's a 30 minute video where the compare the latest technology for portable battery jump starters from $50 to $1500"
Third world goat herders: "Allahu Jumpkar"....rat-ta-ta-ta-ta!...

 

[Bad Ballie]

Should someone who doesn't even understand this really be allowed to own a car, let alone actually drive one in the first place?