Electric vehicle (EV) technology is one of the fastest-developing technologies in the world, and how it is managed and regulated has a huge influence on how successful the industry and its infrastructure is. The global impact of a successful EV industry is very clear and hence how the development of EV technology is overseen is critical to this success. This is the main reason why EVSE testing is a key factor in the increasing success of EV motoring.
What does EVSE stand for and what is it?
EVSE stands for Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment. While a great deal of investment has gone into developing EVs themselves, it is equally important that the industry has the supporting infrastructure. In essence that means electric vehicle chargers, but EVSE doesn’t just cover the charging stations it also includes inlet ports, outlet ports, connectors, cables and the communication protocol that enables the EV to communicate with the charging station and engage it in transferring energy from a utility source to the EV. All of this needs checking, inspecting and testing.
We are seeing rapidly increasing examples of EVSE in public, such as in car parks, leisure centres, retail centres, residential streets and in workplaces. This is in addition to private EVSE where a homeowner can charge an EV overnight while it is parked on their own driveway.
Why do we need to test EVSE?
EVs are an increasing technology on a global scale, and hence EVSE has to be compatible on a global scale. And because the charging infrastructure is critical to the industry it needs to be covered by a worldwide standard. This means that EVSE testing can evaluate and verify the performance, safety and reliability of EVSE and certify it for use according to these standards. So EVSE testing is essential for the installation, maintenance and troubleshooting of all EVSE.
What does an EVSE test consist of?
Of course you can’t test an EV charging station and all elements of EVSE against every type of EV on the market, so an EVSE test presents the user with the typical conditions a charging station would face and emulates the conditions while configuring tests to mimic various specifications. This ensures that any EV using the EVSE would then be able to do so safely and while receiving optimum performance and reliability.
EVSE must be installed to meet the 18th Edition Regulations Section 722, and this means that an EVSE test needs to test the AC and DC charging interfaces. The four standard tests carried out on all EVSE therefore consist of:
- No-trip loop testing
- In-depth RCD testing
- Mode 2 and 3 AC EV charge points testing
- Fault simulation capabilities
What does EVSE test equipment look like?
The EVSE test equipment supplied by Test Instrument Solutions includes various instruments which can be combined together, or you can opt for an all-in-one solution. The TIS-EV-TEST100 is a specialist EVSE testing instrument and is a small tool which comes with a testing adaptor. This can be used in conjunction with the MFT-Pro multi-function tester, which is pre-installed with the EVSE software and the two instruments can be linked together. However, you can also purchase the MFT-ECO which is a multi-function tester with all the necessary EVSE testing software and capabilities in one single instrument. All these instruments are mobile and hand-held with clear LCD screens and easy on-screen help guides.
In terms of an all-in-one solution, there are various packages where your test instrument can also be stored in one carry-case along with the required accessories, such as probes, test leads, software and certification books.
EVSE testing video demonstration
Below is a video demonstrating TIS products testing EVSE:
Please note that this section is for information purposes only. Anyone using equipment referred to in this section must be suitably qualified and/or experienced within the respective field. If in doubt before use, please consult a qualified electrician or engineer & thoroughly read all instruction booklets.