I just got a Kia e-Niro 2022 here in the Netherlands and need to buy an AC Type 2 charging cable. Should I get a single or three-phase one? And what power rating—7kW or 11kW? Any advice on which cable to choose would be really helpful.
If I were you, I’d go for a 3-phase 16A cable. That’s likely the maximum the car can handle. Check the pins on the charging point—if the bottom two are missing, it’s a single-phase car. A 3-phase cable will let you charge at full speed wherever your car supports it. Using a single-phase cable on a 3-phase car would slow things down.
Most AC chargers, even at home, tend to be 3-phase, so getting a 3-phase 16A cable seems like the best option.
Lin said:
Most AC chargers, even at home, tend to be 3-phase, so getting a 3-phase 16A cable seems like the best option.
Actually, most homes in the Netherlands and Europe have single-phase 230V supplies. A single-phase 7kW cable should work just fine for home charging. You only really need 3-phase for 22kW commercial chargers, and those are rare. Plus, the Kia can only charge up to 11kW anyway.
@Harlow
That’s true for older houses, but newer ones often have 3-phase supplies. Some homes are even being upgraded to 3-phase because of electric cars.
Davi said:
@Harlow
That’s true for older houses, but newer ones often have 3-phase supplies. Some homes are even being upgraded to 3-phase because of electric cars.
Even then, you’d only really need 3-phase if you wanted a 22kW charger. Most people go with a cheaper 7kW charger instead.
@Harlow
That’s not entirely correct. A 7kW charger uses 32A. An 11kW 3-phase charger uses 16A. If your house has a 25A breaker, it can’t handle full-speed charging on single-phase. 3-phase is more efficient in that case.
@EllaTesla
What kind of house has only a 25A breaker? Mine has a 100A fuse on a single-phase supply, as do all the homes in my area.
Harlow said:
@EllaTesla
What kind of house has only a 25A breaker? Mine has a 100A fuse on a single-phase supply, as do all the homes in my area.
I live in Poland, where all homes have 3-phase supply, but some only have 25A breakers. That’s about the same power as a 75A single-phase supply.
@EllaTesla
I’m not in Poland. With my single-phase 100A supply, that’s still more power than a 75A 3-phase setup.
Harlow said:
@EllaTesla
I’m not in Poland. With my single-phase 100A supply, that’s still more power than a 75A 3-phase setup.
In the Netherlands, 3-phase power is common for higher electricity use. That’s why most street charging stations are 3-phase, though some old ones are still single-phase. For cables, I’d recommend an 11kW cable—look for one with Kema certification, which is the standard here.
@Harlow
Why do you think 3-phase is only useful for 22kW chargers? There are plenty of 11kW 3-phase chargers. People should weigh the extra cost of 3-phase based on their specific needs, like having a dynamic energy plan or their charging habits.
@Davi
Most people charge overnight, so the difference between 7kW and 11kW charging speeds doesn’t matter much since they’re asleep while it charges.
Harlow said:
@Davi
Most people charge overnight, so the difference between 7kW and 11kW charging speeds doesn’t matter much since they’re asleep while it charges.
That’s partly true, but faster charging can help if you have a dynamic energy contract where prices change hourly. It’s something to think about.
@Davi
It could, but the savings from dynamic pricing likely wouldn’t make up for the extra cost of a 3-phase charger.
@Harlow
Interesting info! When I lived in Germany, we had 3-phase. Here in New Zealand, all public AC chargers are 3-phase, and while most homes are single-phase, they can add more phases if needed.