Comments by "Ralphie Raccoon" (@Croz89) on "Electric car chargers aren't chargers at all – EVSE Explained" video.

  1. I don't really understand why all EV's didn't go in for a standard two wire CAN interface from the get go (do they still use other protocols in new vehicles outside of NA/Europe?). It would only need one extra pin on the connector and would have been using an extremely common standard that's been in existence for around 30 years without much modification, and works just as well for modern cars as it did for those back in the 90's.
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  2.  @FalconFour  I agree, J1772 has the advantage of being very robust and stable, and requires only simple electronics to monitor. That said, CAN transceivers are cheap, ubiquitous and are considered pretty sturdy. I can't imagine the reliability is that much greater. After all, modern cars already have one for diagnostics and EMS reprogramming, and I've never heard of one failing (though I guess it must happen from time to time). Perhaps I'm missing something here, you're the expert after all :) As for the protocol, I seemed to have gotten my terminology mixed up. I meant to say I imagine an extension to the OBD-II protocol would be sufficient for most EV charging communications (OBD-EV anyone?). The message format is already well defined and the data that would be useful to the unit could be added as PID addresses. In fact I would be very surprised if they didn't already exist on many EV's since they'd be very useful for maintenance. All that would be needed would be for manufacturers to agree on standard PID addresses for all the info the unit needs. To me this "single wire CAN" idea seems to be a way to shove CAN capability into the existing connector, so it seems like EV manufacturers (Tesla at least) are coming round to the idea that CAN would have been a better idea in the first place, but it's too late to change the connector design.
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  3.  @LarsJacobsenDK  Tesla is the Apple of Electric Cars. Got an early lead through genuine innovation and technological superiority? Check. Has a proprietary walled garden of connectors, protocols and software (unless forced by regulation to change)? Check. Has a cult like following of fans who worship their leader like a god? Definitely Check. Generally has some of the most expensive products on the market? Check.
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