EV cable future planning

[devil84]

Hi all

Please help.

I am currently having patio re-laid and thought it might be good opportunity to run an EV charger cable from fuse board into garage and to follow same route where my solar was done.

Do people know what cable I need.

I won’t be connecting it at this stage. Just have it ready for future so I don’t have re-lift the patio.

Will need about 20 metres

 

[devil84]

Use EV ultra cable, this incorperates the data cable.
Do you have a 3 phase installation in your property, or are you single phase?
What charger do you plan on installing? That will help determine what CSA cable to use.

I don’t know if it’s a 3 phase or single phase. I also have no idea what charger I would get. Thought I just future proof before patio is laid down or don’t you think it’s worth it?

 

[devil84]

Is it best to get a 3 phase cable just in case?

 

[devil84]

Install a conduit instead of a cable, cheaper outlay at this stage and you can pull the right cable through when ready.

How would I pull the cable through. It’s about 6 metre run from fuse board to garage

 

[devil84]

most will run some high tension cable wire through the conduit at the time of installation
when you come to use the conduit, you tie/tape the leccy cable to the cable wire and pull through

Interesting. Can you recommend me a conduit? So just lay the conduit under the patio? I don’t wonder if the wire will get caught and I can’t pull it out in future

 

[devil84]

@devil84 if you are only single phase, then its pointless getting a cable with the 2 extra cores, and its more expensive, a 3 x 10mm ultra ev cable would more than suffice, single phase car chargers top out around 7kw i think which is around 32a, with length of run and power draw, 10mm cable will be spot on.

Thanks. Can you recommend me a cable ?

 

[devil84]

you can just run a rope through the conduit / pipe, long enough at each end to tie on and pull the cable through

Are you saying put the rope inside the conduit before the patio is laid down?

 

[devil84]

the conduit just needs to go through under one slab. Everything else is on the externall . Hard to explain without a pic

So it goes like this

Consumer board is on drive
Run cable from consumer board on external wall to opposite garage (1 metre away now)

From dig a trench and feed cable under trench. Once on other side, the cable will need to into garage

 

[devil84]

its called ev ultra cable, taking into account your 20m run, and adding 5 meters extra for getting to the board and charger, accounting for volt drop, you could actually use 6mm.
How far is your consumer unit from where the cable will enter the house?
Also, do you have enough space in your consumer unit for a breaker for the EV charger, and also a surge protector?

https://www.tradesparky.com/cable-and-management/cable/ev-ultra/ev-ultra-3-core-6mm-swa-cable-with-power-cat5e-ev-ultra3c6cat5swa

Thanks I have gone for a similar cable. 6mm as you said. 20m run is the max. I think it could be 15/16 metres but ordered bit extra to be safe

Do you think this cable will be out of date in a few years. As I am not 100% sure when I will get the EV car but I think it will be sooner than later.

Also can I check please. Read somewhere that the cable loses current if buried. The cable will only be under one patio 60cm of the 15 metre will buried.

Will I be ok?

 

[devil84]

Can also some recommend what conduit i can lay down as I may want to pull a cat 6 cable through in further for internet

 

[devil84]

The maximum output on current car chargers is currently 7.4kw which equates to approx 32amps.. you could push the cable to 40amps, but such chargers don’t currently exist for a single phase installation, and I don’t see manufacturers pushing the chargers much further, due to the limitations of single phase installs. The next step would be a 3 phase charger which are around 22kw, but you’d need a 3 phase supply fitted to your property which would cost you a few k’s by the network, so unless you plan on going 3 phase and getting a bigger charger, the cable you have will be sufficient.
Volt drop will be minimal on the length of cable and with how much you’ll be burying so I wouldn’t worry.

Thank you for putting my mind at ease ok that. Just wanted to make sure I am not making an error in terms of logic

 

[devil84]

You could just get some 50mm drain pipe, it’s basically the same, just a plastic pipe.

Can you send me a link so I can make sure I am getting right one. Will get the gardener to lay it down

 

[devil84]

Sorry I am new at this, so are you saying just lay this down horizontally. How will I get access to it once patio is laid down?

 

[devil84]

Hiya

Really appreciate this.

So here is what i am think to put below my single patio (pathway between my house and garage for context). As you can imagine it’s a really a small run under patio.

1. Lay down the Ultra EV cable with cat 5 now (as already bought it)
2. Lay down this 25mm conduit to i can fish through a cat6 cable in future
3. Would you lay down another 25mm conduit to future proof

Do i need to put a wire in for 2/3 so anything in future can be fished through

Amazon.co.uk

I'd suggest using a flexible conduit, plenty of choice at CEF, Nylon or PVC is fine:

https://www.cef.co.uk/catalogue/categories/cable-management/flexible-conduit

Pick one twice the size of the cable you'd expect to use for the charger and can be glanded in at each end. A 6mm 'EV Ultra' type cable in SWA is about 22mm so a 50mm conduit will be plenty big enough. You'll be able to squeeze in some other table like Ethernet for networking down to the garage (wifi, cameras etc) or potentially another power cable for standard circuits.

Why not stick in 2 ducts while you are there for future expansion, that is the OCUK way.