Electric shock

[Turbo-fan]

Does anyone ever had a nasty electric shock when touching their Taycan with the Porsche home charger plugged in? I have a 4S and usually plug into my 3 pin socket in my garage. Limited to 7 amps to not overload my installation. It is slow, but enough for my usage. I have on a number of occasions now got a nasty electric shock when the charger is plugged in. It happens when I reach under the front bonnet to release the catch, and it also happened once when I was wiping the wheels after having washed the car outside my garage. Porsche Center Sheffield had the car for 3 days (no courtesy car due to COVID) but no fault found. Happened again now and I am fed up with it because it is really nasty. It is definitely not a static discharge. Whenever I plug the car in or out, I take great care to only touch the release button and wear gloves just to be sure. Any ideas?

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[Woody]

Does anyone ever had a nasty electric shock when touching their Taycan with the Porsche home charger plugged in? I have a 4S and usually plug into my 3 pin socket in my garage. Limited to 7 amps to not overload my installation. It is slow, but enough for my usage. I have on a number of occasions now got a nasty electric shock when the charger is plugged in. It happens when I reach under the front bonnet to release the catch, and it also happened once when I was wiping the wheels after having washed the car outside my garage. Porsche Center Sheffield had the car for 3 days (no courtesy car due to COVID) but no fault found. Happened again now and I am fed up with it because it is really nasty. It is definitely not a static discharge. Whenever I plug the car in or out, I take great care to only touch the release button and wear gloves just to be sure. Any ideas?

Hi, I am not an electrician but the fault probably sits with your electrical installation not the car. Because you are using a basic 3 pin plug you are relying on your house earthing system which does not have PEN (Protective Earth and Neutral) protection. You may well have a broken PEN conductor and are experiencing current leakage to earth, in this case your car!
Most EV charge points come with built in PEN protection or require an earth rod to be installed close to the charge point. Unfortunately, the Porsche Charge Connect does not have PEN protection built in to it so any electrical fault on your home system (leakage to earth) flows back to your vehicle.

The extract below from a renowned EV charge point installer might help explain better.....

"When an EV charging point is installed, it’s important to make sure that it’s electrically safe. As well as the normal protection against over current and the RCD protection, most charge points need additional protection for what is referred to as “loss of the Protective Earth and Neutral (PEN) conductor”. This fault happens on the electricity distribution system supplying the property (specifically supplies that have a “protective multiple earth” (PME) or “TN-C-S” supply arrangement) but can lead to a potentially dangerous voltage arising on any exposed conductive surface – such as your electric vehicle when it is plugged into the EV charge point"

I know you are not using a dedicated EV charge point but your normal 3 pin connection works just the same way. You need a electrician you correct trace the existing fault and perhaps install a PEN protection device (something like a Garro) in the circuit feeding your Porsche charger.

Hope this helps.

 

[kort]

Does anyone ever had a nasty electric shock when touching their Taycan with the Porsche home charger plugged in? I have a 4S and usually plug into my 3 pin socket in my garage. Limited to 7 amps to not overload my installation. It is slow, but enough for my usage. I have on a number of occasions now got a nasty electric shock when the charger is plugged in. It happens when I reach under the front bonnet to release the catch, and it also happened once when I was wiping the wheels after having washed the car outside my garage. Porsche Center Sheffield had the car for 3 days (no courtesy car due to COVID) but no fault found. Happened again now and I am fed up with it because it is really nasty. It is definitely not a static discharge. Whenever I plug the car in or out, I take great care to only touch the release button and wear gloves just to be sure. Any ideas?

get an electrician in to inspect the installation/wiring of the plug that you are using and while he is there inquire about upgrading to 240 service.

 

[Neptune]

get an electrician in to inspect the installation/wiring of the plug that you are using and while he is there inquire about upgrading to 240 service.

He's in the UK, single phase is 240V.

 

[kort]

He's in the UK, single phase is 240V.

ok, my bad being so US centric

 

[Tay Tay]

I have no connection to this company but it seems relevant: https://pod-point.com/electric-car-news/earth-rod-details

 

[Turbo-fan]

Thank you very much Neptune and Tay Tay for your responses. I will investigate thoroughly.

 

[Andyajg]

Car charge points should not be connected to and electrical point thats is connected to a PME (TN-C-S) earthing system, which most houses (not all) are connected to. That is why if you buy a charge point, pod point, rolec etc a lot of them have the equipment built in to stop this and other potentially dangerous situations. Ive been reading a lot of messages on this forum and it seems people are plugging these charges directly into a domestic socket. The socket you plug into if not a dedicated charge point should really be protected by a type A or B rcd, o-pen detector if you have pme earthing system,and recommend a SPD(surge protector) im now about to fit a 3 phase pcmcc and installing a box with all these bits in, £550 worth, i wouldnt accept the job if they didnt. You are a long time dead.

 

[mikeyyn]

Car charge points should not be connected to and electrical point thats is connected to a PME (TN-C-S) earthing system, which most houses (not all) are connected to. That is why if you buy a charge point, pod point, rolec etc a lot of them have the equipment built in to stop this and other potentially dangerous situations. Ive been reading a lot of messages on this forum and it seems people are plugging these charges directly into a domestic socket. The socket you plug into if not a dedicated charge point should really be protected by a type A or B rcd, o-pen detector if you have pme earthing system,and recommend a SPD(surge protector) im now about to fit a 3 phase pcmcc and installing a box with all these bits in, £550 worth, i wouldnt accept the job if they didnt. You are a long time dead.

I have been thinking about this, and had wondered earlier how a commando socket would be adequate. I have a Zappi but intended to use the PMC as a portable charger at my son’s house. Would one of these in the supply work I wonder? https://www.garo.co.uk/product-deta...consumer-units&catdesc=EV-Distribution-Boards

I know it is only single phase but it what I would need. It would be cheaper than a charger or the £500 box you mentioned.

 

[Woody]

I have been thinking about this, and had wondered earlier how a commando socket would be adequate. I have a Zappi but intended to use the PMC as a portable charger at my son’s house. Would one of these in the supply work I wonder? https://www.garo.co.uk/product-deta...consumer-units&catdesc=EV-Distribution-Boards

I know it is only single phase but it what I would need. It would be cheaper than a charger or the £500 box you mentioned.

Yes, see my earlier comments regarding this point. This is exactly what you need if connecting your PMC to a normal house circuit. Fit the Garro in line between your supply and the charge point to provide you with proper protection. The PMC, unlike many other chargers such as Zappi, Andersen etc does not have built in protection and so needs a supplementary device like a Garro for safe operation.

 

[Andyajg]

looks good to me, i would be tempted to make this into although it a large extension lead adaptor, depending of what you are plugging it into 13A or 16A make an adaptor.

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