I tricked my car charging station into powering a 7.5 kW heater

[@tverdyznaqs]

You sure have connected some technologies in this one Alec.

[@ricardoamendoeira3800]

Was looking for this.

[@oliswell_]

Say that again

[@filiformis]

Fantastic comment.

[@DoctorOnkelap]

well put

[@jan_harald]

I loved the part where he electricited all over the heat

[@simoncleret]

No Effort November, move aside. It's Dangerous Design December!

[@DoctorOnkelap]

for some copycat who ignores the warnings it night be darwinaward december..

[@andreasu.3546]

Or have we reached Crazy Christmas?

[@dirtrider88]

just cause you dont understand it doesnt mean its dangerous.

[@cezarcatalin1406]

@@dirtrider88 Oh but we know it’s somewhat dangerous BECAUSE we understand it. Design specifications exist for a reason and in this case half of them went out the window 😂

[@simoncleret]

@@dirtrider88 He literally spends a significant chunk of the video describing how dangerous his design is and how many changes would be necessary to offer it as a product. Did you even watch the video?

[@IzzyIkigai]

Wait.. The unspoken king of heat pumps installed a heater like this? I feel like we need to look into this. They might be held at gunpoint by some resistive heating lobbyists or something.

[@seionne85]

I'm guessing it's because a garage heater is used infrequently, so it makes sense to save 90% on purchase price even though operating costs will be higher

[@creeper6530]

I think he hasn't found a powerful enough pump

[@brianwunschel6362]

If his garage has a window like mine he could do window heat pump ac unit. Have ac in summer and heat in winter with window unit. Or cut hole in wall to mount it

[@ZarlanTheGreen]

I'm guessing that a heat pump wouldn't have any hope of achieving the same *_speed_* of heating.

[@Hortifox_the_gardener]

I don't even get why you would heat your garage above 0°C - sure comfort and all of that but having the car ice free is enough comfort in my book. And even for just that a regular small big box store heater with a timer would be more than plenty.

[@phlosen7854]

Me, a German, gently stroking a power cable: "See what they have to do to mimic a fraction of your Power" :)

[@ADMNtek]

I always giggle when i see Americans work with 200+Volts and they pull out these massive armoured cables. Schuko type F FTW.

[@m1geo]

Nooo! Look! At 2:51, that socket is practically Type G! You all know it's the best! Stand aside Schuko! 🇬🇧 🇬🇧 🇬🇧

[@nolanthedude]

@@ADMNtek You can already die messing with 120V if you’re stupid and unlucky. 240V increases the danger factor across the board even more. Better safe than sorry!

[@ADMNtek]

@@nolanthedude 120v might be safer from an electrical standpoint, but think of all the fires caused by someone plugging a space heater into an extension cord that couldn't handle the load. Combine that with the fact that most American houses are made from cardboard, and it's a recipe for disaster.

[@t_y8274]

@@m1geo British Plugs are an atrocity, only beaten by American ones

[@TheDemiVis]

"do not try this at home" Damn it.. my dream of a hot tub with a J1772 socket on it are dashed yet again

[@touma-san91]

No no.. The do not try this at home, means at your home. He never said anything about your neighbors house.

[@andreasu.3546]

But a hot tub is not a space heater, so not "this". I guess you're good to go with your project.

[@erlendse]

If the hot tub is outdoor, is it actually at home?

[@marcogenovesi8570]

Tech Man Guy said that but he cannot stop you. Don't let your dreams stay dreams

[@higihups]

Important difference: He said "do not try" not "do not do", as he already tried it, you can now simply do it.

[@LeonidasLPP]

Being an electrician, I always like how you mix the basic concept with a sprinkle of something more indepth. I always learn a new idea. Thanks

[@AndrewThibeault]

Not kidding, this is the biggest reason I ever followed his channel. His explanations are fantastic.

[@hulubuluhejhej2721]

fucking scary u are an electrician and u learn shit from this.....

[@fanplant]

@@hulubuluhejhej2721 i'm one of them as well be scared. It's not that we dont get it but knowing it doesn't mean you can explain it well, Alec puts it out there and if he's leaving something out he tells you. Besides this car stuff is new to a lot of us.

[@ristyp]

Same here, however I do not condone this solution even with the warings presented. Here in europe we have laws to prevent people from doing theese sketchy, DIY "solutions" to save a few bucks. Know why? Houses burn down, people and animels get electrocuted! There is a reason this product is designed by engenieers with years of experience. The install instructions are not suggestions. However much I enjoy watching this channel this is spreading a dangerous mindsent IMHO. Leave this to the pros, who preferably learn from books not YT. This channel is entertainment, nothing more.

[@zenithxivinvexthal6038]

The community demands a J1772 kettle

[@b22chris]

Boiling water in 15 seconds in my garage is a must

[@jaytalbot1146]

I assume you are talking about the home brewing community, and you are absolutely right, no more getting propane tanks refilled!

[@morgangrisby8107]

i wish there were 4kw kettles honestly, you could almost do that with a 240V 20 AMP CIRCUIT. i want my tea FAST. there are even NEMA connectors for that too that are sometimes used for indoor a/cs

[@makodolphus7810]

Finally, an electric jettle...

[@DaveF.]

@@b22chris 15s? I think that'd boil about a cup of water. So, yeah, if you're putting on a pot of tea, I'd call it useful.

[@markclayton8977]

Hot video, Alec. Operating the release lever on the J1772 handle adds 330 Ω to the proximity pin to signal the load side to detach. You could operate your heater’s main relay signal on this signal to use those nice contactors you showed off.

[@DeltaStormYT]

Something tells me, that if he knew the resistor value and diode to get the car charger to turn on, he likely knew that, and as he basically stated, literally doesn’t care.

[@JimmyDorff]

Using VHS boxes for holding the heater as you drill is very on brand.

[@diyanddone]

And the laserdisc in previous shot

[@GabeSweetMan]

Now I want to know what was on those VHS tapes.

[@davidelsbury2917]

@@GabeSweetManI bet it was Die Hard ;-)

[@MonkeyJedi99]

@@davidelsbury2917 Best Christmas movie ever.

[@DO5729]

Came to the comment section to look for this comment.

[@wembleyford]

Forget using a space-heater as your resistive load in this scenario - you could finally have a proper kettle! Neat!

[@ThanasisGrivas]

Kettle with a car charger plug 😂

[@andreasu.3546]

@@wembleyford "flash boiler"

[@raygunsforronnie847]

@@andreasu.3546 High pressure steam! Alec could be making espresso.

[@Imperial_Squid]

"steam powered grenade"

[@lbgstzockt8493]

Finally I can burn my water. Making tea in seconds will be revolutionary.

[@wxtrails]

"Have you seen the Wikipedia article on NEMA connectors?" Bro, I've got it bookmarked 😂

[@MrElectroGlyde]

Damnit, beat me to it. Let me show you my cabinet full of adapters!

[@Nevir202]

WHY?

[@bland9876]

Out of curiosity why do you have it bookmarked?

[@youdontknowme5969]

The 6-30 looks like it's constantly judging you LOL 😑

[@alexanderpas]

That's why IEC 60309 connectors exist.

[@mirsch594]

Now i really appreciate the level of design and engineering that goes into preventing people from hurting themselves, damaging electrical equipment, or burning their house down.

[@ryanjohnson4565]

The hash slinging slasher

[@sydwashere8659]

Do I have an electric car or a garage? No, did I watch this entire video? Yes

[@jimmyzhao2673]

Me too !

[@lajya01]

I don't care about EVs but as soon as the video is about home electricals, I click.

[@nikilaj]

mood I rent 😭

[@roygardiner2229]

Me too!

[@SOCCER_BUNNY]

I’m just waiting for Alec to invent a gun or something with all his knowledge.-. It doesn’t have to be dangerous or anything I personally just think “using a pinball counter a car battery and a door latch to make a electric rifle” sounds funny

[@beefe3194]

Finally, Technology Connections covering technological connectors.

[@rm3141593]

Lol😅

[@pfunk768]

My wish is for food trucks and farmers market stalls to be able to plug in to curbside charging stations for cooking and miscellaneous power. Don't want to breathe that generator exhaust

[@lordvlygar2963]

Many newer EV have ports that make your wish very feasible.

[@pfunk768]

@lordvlygar2963 It will be a while before food trucks themselves go electric, and a farmers market stall is not necessarily close to the operator's vehicle.

[@lordvlygar2963]

@@pfunk768 That may very well be true. Yet, anecdotally, I have seen food trucks made of EV pick-up trucks with a modular kitchen in the bed. So, it is possible and has been done, just hasn't caught on yet. And before you ask, it was a sausage and peppers sandwich stand/store/truck.

[@TatsuZZmage]

God i hate diesel exhaust it just screws my breathing up every time I'm caught in it.

[@tom-sn4gd]

I remember someone who was north American and travelling in France sharing how, for places like that, there is permanently installed electric connections so that selers can simply plug their truck into the grid to power all the equipments required

[@rhmbob82]

I actually searched for a product like this a year or so ago. Seems like a no brainer that this should be offered. Thanks for your proof of concept!

[@rubiconnn]

I don't get why unplugging the normal cable to the outlet and plugging in the heater is that much harder than doing all of this work.

[@rhmbob82]

@@rubiconnn for one, my tesla wall connector is hard wired, I don’t have an outlet. In theory this could be remedied Another reason is that a 50-amp plug is a pain to plug and unplug. The tesla NACS connector is very easy to plug and unplug as needed. Perhaps this would be a very niche product. But I’d be interested in it.

[@bonivuselderheart2716]

Fun Fact: there are industrial trailer mounted resistive heaters that are used as load banks for things like generator load testing. The one they use at my work is an 800 amp, three phase beast, and I like referring to it as the world's biggest toaster. :D

[@BarafuAlbino]

I used to work at the factory. One of those things disappeared without a trace during a 45 minutes midday break. It didn't even have wheels.

[@JorisKofman]

In fact in DK they use a modified heater to test if newly installed circuits for changes work as intended

[@salibaba]

The contactor for it must be immense and sound like an anvil?!

[@james2042]

It's like my job where I calibrate and maintain electron microscopes and I tell people my job is fixing really expensive rulers

[@sixstringedthing]

Marshmallows! Git yer marshmallows 'ere!

[@whamtheman]

Ahh, Decent Effort December

[@bahamutbbob]

The bloopers, where he comments on messing up immediately. After No Effort, going back to Regular Effort can be a struggle!

[@petermacdonald2138]

😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅

[@MariuszChr]

you mean Decentber

[@DeviantOllam]

This is a good comment ☺️

[@junkman8742]

Still in Mediocre May

[@Soccergirly.and.VeloDad]

One of the pros that wasn't mentioned is the cost savings of the cord itself. Those heavy gauge cables are expensive!

[@Agnemons]

If you are worried about a one-off cost, you are not going to pay $1 an hour to run it.

[@tb_eest]

@@Agnemons You may not be worried about it, but some savings are never unwelcome

[@Viper-zk9mv]

@@Agnemons but its also only really a dollar to heat up the garage in an hour, and then greatly decreases

[@FishFind3000]

I have a similar heater and it pulls ~21 amps at full load so all you need is 10gauge wire. The cord necessary would cost like $20-30 bucks and you don’t need that massively large cable the car uses.

[@orangecookie3132]

I have one of these put I hard connected to a Google nest so I can turn it on from house

[@windgassen]

I have been thinking about doing this exact project and some others for quite some time. An Arduino and a few extra components are more than up to the task of interpreting the J1772 or NACS signals. The biggest place I think this kind of usage could be useful is for food trucks. Right now, food trucks run very noisy expensive and polluting generators for power. If a food truck could use an existing EV charger for power, food trucks would be much more enjoyable and environmentally friendly. In Washington DC right by the mall, there are usually about 20 or more food trucks in a long row, all running really smelly gasoline and diesel generators. A row of EV chargers could solve this and also be used for car charging. The one fly in the ointment for this solution is that the J1772 plug only has L1, L2, and safety ground; there is no neutral. Some loads like deep fryers or griddles may natively use 240VAC, however many things are going to want 120VAC. A simple solution to this problem would be to use a 1:1 transformer with a center tapped secondary. The center tap of the secondary could be bonded to the safety ground in the food truck’s electrical panel. Then the derived neutral from the transformer could be used to supply 120VAC loads. A microcontroller could be used to monitor the applied loads, provide a visual indication of the available power, and open a contactor if the loads exceed the available power. Other uses for EV charger power at home I have thought of include things like log splitters, pressure washers, and snowblowers which are only used occasionally and frequently get ruined carburetors from bad gas. These kinds of equipment need more power than a standard 120V outlet can provide, so having access to the kind of power an EV charger can supply would be a game changer Another thought I have had is to use an EV charger to power an electric grill. A 120V outlet is really marginal for powering a grill in the same way that propane does. Anybody else interested in things like this ? I’m an electrical engineer with a lot of design experience. Fabulous video as always by the way !!!

[@bobnelly2716]

Along with your food truck idea, you could even go as far as using DC fast chargers for power. Take the 150 kW of DC power, run it through an inverter, then have a center tapped transformer on the output. Use the same signaling for current to match the load of the trucks. This probably isn't super practical because of the size of equipment involved, but it's easier than having a dedicated service for them. You could even have a 208Y transformer if you wanted to offer 3 phase. As far as the garage, as long as your service could handle it, there are common 80 amp chargers that really open the door to high powered applications. Similar to the industrial environment, where 480V drops are common around plants, for anything like welding, portable offices, and temp panels. At home, there's not much that 19.2 kWs won't be able to handle. If I wouldn't have been allergic to the classroom environment, I would have loved to be an electrical engineer.

[@thatoneotherotherguy]

It would be cool to see a food truck-like thing made out of say a Rivian van one day. So much power on board. And it would be wise for new food truck areas to be built with 240V power hookups for all spots.

[@jamesgartrell4462]

After some research, it seems like adding the product features Alec requested with an Arduino or microcontroller might be a bit trickier than it looks due to the chicken and egg problem of interpreting the Control Pilot signal BEFORE calling for power from the charger. Or, if you default to power on, then there is a problem knowing the release button is still being pushed after the power has been cutoff. @TechnologyConnections, If you are up for it, I would love to try and build a POC control board and send it your way for testing.

[@nickwallette6201]

@@jamesgartrell4462 You use the passive components to enable AC, which then powers your logic circuit. Then use the pilot signal to control the heater's contactor.

[@bobnelly2716]

@jamesgartrell4462 what about including a small rechargable 5v battery to carry the Arduino while waiting for the control pilot? Then once all the checks are done for connection, signal for mains power, close the contactor, and then recharge the cells and run off of a control transformer for the Arduino

[@PW.Skyline.V37]

0:10 I like the ka-chunk closed captioning lol

[@Lngbrdninjamasta]

😂😂

[@fuhkerz]

As someone who often uses captions since my hearing isn't so great without headphones, I enjoy the little easter eggs and extra effort this channel puts in to the captions. I mean, he even captions the flubbed lines in the outtakes - pretty accurately at that! Much better than the automated garbage other channels use.

[@robklemm2753]

This made me go back to the end with captions on, was not disappointed.

[@hammerth1421]

@@fuhkerz"Don‘t buy a Lamborghini, buy some damn subtitles!" - Tom Scott

[@StefanLopuszanski]

CHONK

[@trevors2041]

In underground mines in US/Canada, the power cables for 3-phase power use a similar way of announcing power connection - they have a Pilot Wire, 3 phase wires, and ground wire. At the equipment (Load), there is a 5.6V Zener diode between Pilot and Ground, so that when connected there is a 5.6V potential from pilot to ground (instead of fancy communication schemes its just a roughly 20ma current loop which is happy when it sees 5.6V), but this ensures the piece of equipment has the same ground potential as the power source. This is referred to as "Ground Check" and ensures the equipment is always grounded for operator safety

[@gregordiseth6651]

This might be silly, but there is nothing more satisfying than the healthy CLACK of a large contactor closing. That is all :-)

[@jacobmoeller5345]

100% agree If it's silly then I'm silly too.

[@Davemte34108]

As an electrician I have to agree, especially when it hasn't for some silly reason. 😎

[@patriziocapo]

You are proposing a sort of USB on steroids. I think that is really a good idea. A socket that can provide the specs of the circuit to the appliance seems a very good safety feature.

[@adeptuspotatocus6451]

My mom got my sister a small peltier fridge for Christmas today. As a viewer of this channel, I was sad.

[@kevinmiller5467]

It uses more power than an entire fridge! 🤭

[@malicious217]

Alton Brown is out there somewhere praising your modification to turn a Unitasker into a Multitasker and so am I!

[@mikepettengill2706]

Yeah, 'single function devices' are fossils. Some are fun for sure, like a fine watch, but not how it is done anymore.

[@OleJanssen]

Theoretically, it should be pretty easy to make this thing respect the charger's current limit. Basically any microcontroller should be able to work with the J1772 capacity communication and respect the connector's disconnect switch if programmed correctly. Then, a simple relay could be used to interrupt the control cirquit for the heater's contactor accordingly. So with enough dedication, this could easily be made safe.

[@klaernie]

It would even make the unplug-arc go away, would provide a way to delay the enablement of the power for a second while being plugged in, and could also drive a solid state relay to enable/disable the load without arcs entirely by using zero-cross-detection. And the last one could even allow PWM to adjust precisely to the allowed current.

[@roflchopter11]

Probably not, as with either low frequency duty cycle control or a chopper dimmer, peak power is basically unchanged. Heat generated in the conductors is proportional to the square of the current (which is proportional to the delivered power)

[@ghammer9773]

If you purpose modded a multi-coil heater to do this, contactors could rewire the coils (series versus parallel) to obey that limit. I did steal this idea from Subaru heat seats from before they went through the ecu.

[@sniperczar]

I think the other point of concern is the connector temperature. Most EVs will monitor the connection point thermals and pause or derate in the event of excessive heat/resistance in the connector. If there is buildup on the connector pins or the plug angle is not flush there can be a lot of heat generated through those pins.

[@seraphina985]

Yeah I was thinking that something like a 250V, 48A Power MOSFET would be better. There are plenty of products out there more than capable of doing this they are used in all sorts of industrial control systems etc like the solid state inverters of multi-speed industrial motors. Hell electric locomotives use this technology and they can be switching 25KV 5KA supplies.

[@twowheelcrusader8234]

I’ve been a subscriber for a while now, and I gotta say I adore the content style, and fellow midwesterner vernacular. XD Also, there’s a very specific charm, in the fact that it seems your ADHD wavelength matches my own. Often tripping up over the same grievances with products, and using similar expressions and phrases. One of my top 5 subbed channels, hands down.

[@WarrenGarabrandt]

I'm surprised you didn't install a mini split heat pump in your garage.

[@liftboy92]

I think he said that in the "Your furnace is too big video" - He would need the HOA approval to add a split system to the outside wall.

[@patricescattolin43]

I thought there was one already to control humidity?

[@brianwunschel6362]

They have solar mini splits too

[@amg5619]

Somewhere he has one in a garage I remember lol

[@luisfernandoconti5210]

​@@patricescattolin43I think he moved to another place.

[@KurtCollier]

I love how there is a random LaserDisc™ laying on your tool bench in your garage. that re-organization project is much more desperate than you made it sound at the beginning! I hope your things find a wonderful and good and right home.

[@chemputer]

This reminds me of how in the early days of electricity in the home, a lot of devices came with an _edison screw_ connector, because, you know, the _lights_ in a house were electrified first, before we designed wall outlets and before they were common. If you got _really_ lucky, it might even be a nice enough connector to allow you to still plug in your light! So you could still SEE!

[@dvpierce248]

We still do that today. A light socket/outlet adapter is like $3 and I use one with the porch light to run my holiday decorations.

[@rootbrian4815]

@@dvpierce248 I have a few of those to turn a lamp into an extension cord (which also provides light). lol

[@dglcomputers1498]

In the UK sockets were initally uncommon and some providers would charge less for electricity used for lighting, hence lamp adaptors being common. Naturally they got abused and were very dangerous but standards didn't really exist sonit was a bit of a free for all.

[@WilliamHaisch]

31:37 The Petroleum Institute is disturbed at your lack of faith in hydrocarbons. 😂

[@lukepaul7931]

Don’t worry bro ‘they’ gonna get him.

[@kooooons]

6:47 THANK YOU! As an EV owner living in a flat in a pedestrianized area my primary mode of charging is AC charging at 22 kW using public infrastructure close to my flat. And that just works. But it seems everyone is increasingly stubborn in focussing on DC gigawatt charging 0-80% in 2 minutes. I have a cheap, old, and crappy EV. If my city hadn't built 22kW AC chargers I couldn't own an EV. But the entire country stopped building them, the prices are going nuts and 22 kW AC charging is rarely even an option in new EVs. People that have to park their cars on the streets and don't have money for a large battery need charging infrastructure, too. But it'd be good for everyone, as not having to stop for charging will always be faster than the fastest charger. A few days ago I went to charge my car to visit relatives and almost all of the chargers were in use by cars with huge batteries and crazy charging speeds but they all used destination charging instead.

[@ezrollerj]

Glad our taxes went to your consumer toy...

[@RomvnlyPlays]

@@ezrollerjI didn’t know providing infrastructure for emerging technology was such a waste. Just because you don’t agree doesn’t mean anything.

[@nuitari1669]

Ah, Reneault? Really weird that most EVs don't make use of their huge, chunky, inverters as chargers too...

[@urusledge]

Get a Honda CR-X.

[@thekingoffailure9967]

@@ezrollerj most infrastructure except for basic food and water supply is for, essentially, toys

[@chadmasta5]

I feel like some people in the comments are missing the point of this a little. I've seen a few Europeans and Australians pointing out they already have 240 volt AC, which...yeah we know, and a couple people pointing out the existing 240 volt plugs you could attach to the heater. Both of those things are addressed in the video. The point is that there exists an extremely easy to use way to power high current 240 volt devices but it's currently severely underutilized. Honestly Alec, this is a really incredible idea and the fact that you made it real is super cool!

[@bosstowndynamics5488]

As an Australian myself I'm not convinced those commenters had even watched the start of the video properly, our 230V connections can handle more power than a NEMA 15 can but not anywhere near 7.5kW, and most of the European comments are mentioning 3 phase connections which is pretty much the entire point of this connection - a multiphase high current outlet.

[@jamesphillips2285]

@@bosstowndynamics5488 J1772 is single phase. It is the EU variant, IEC 62196-2, SAE J3068, that has up to 3 phases.

[@petergibson2318]

In the EU the single-phase voltage has been standardised to 230vac.

[@haraberu]

For European circuits the same principle applies; you could get 3.6 kW out of a normal outlet, but an electric car outlet can provide 19.2 kW or even 38.4 kW depending on how it's hooked up. Although I've never had significant problems plugging or unplugging anything from a CEE Red outlet.

[@UnimportantAcc]

@@haraberu never? Even the big 63A plugs never given you trouble? Must be my tiny baby hands 😂

[@IncroyablesExperiences]

I've done the same for a large battery product (22 kW available in EU), analog resistor + diode technique was way simpler than expected! Some cheap charger even accept the resistor only. It's also possible to add another precise resistor + a button to make the equivalent of the "cable release" button for EVSE that lock the cable. This way it's possible to trick EVSE on the road. Amazing to see a DIY video from you :)

[@0Aziraphale0]

I don't normally leave comments but I have been a fan for so long and I recent watched some of your super early stuff. I absolutely love your old intro and the jingle. You have come a long way and you have taught me many things that I have always wondered about. Please keep up the good work! You are killing it.

[@JohnBysinger]

EV startup founder/CEO here, just wanted to say how impressed I am with this video. You described so many things about AC charging in a manner so clear that I'll be sharing it with people who need to understand how it all works better. I know engineers who could benefit from this! Thanks for making it, and doing such a clear and thorough job doing so!

[@RamrodRedfish]

All of his videos are so well done. He’s a great teacher

[@allaboutroofing2]

Is this the Fēnix power start up from like 6 years ago that had one round of funding in 2018? I'm sorry, but you aren't a start-up. More like a no-start.

[@allaboutroofing2]

I remember because you stole the company name of a well established flashlight and battery manufacturing company.

[@noyb7920]

Having worked in engineering for quite a few years, I can confirm there are MANY, oh so many, engineers who could benefit from watching this channel. Also many startup founder/CEOs. (heh) Also that "digital" signals aren't really digital, but that's a whole different can of worms.

[@stevethepocket]

@@allaboutroofing2 Eh. Better to fail because you can't secure funding than succeed because the funding you do secure is from a nutjob who insists on putting himself in charge of stuff he knows nothing about, projecting a public image of being a genius inventor, using his earnings to buy out and immediately tank a major tech company, and [this space reserved for whatever horrible stuff he helps Trump do in the next four years].

[@colewelden]

This is so scary relevant that I feel like it was made for me. I've been watching this channel on and off for a long time now, but only a few days ago I was looking at an almost identical heater for my workshop. I also was having issues with how to properly power it. I was going to run a new set of 10/3 to power it, myself. But this still feels like a video tailor made for my current situation.

[@Dudeguymansir]

Same. Just got done with my first foray into French cleats. Let’s see how far this synchronicity goes!

[@MCx570x]

You can also just install another plug in parallel right night to the car charger and have them both plugged in.

[@mitchellmooso7658]

This is very clever. Also your note about politicians needing to add small cheap charging stations in accessible locations rather than large supercharger stations is incredibly true. They are thinking about building electric gas stations but in reality we need widely dispersed simple charging solutions in convenient locations. If every 4th parking meter had a small charger, that would probably be more than sufficient. If only more politicians watched your show

[@PatrickKQ4HBD]

Why do we need politicians to provide charging solutions for us? Do you WANT to live in a Soviet state? I sure don't. Before I get blasted, please note that no communist nation has any real interest in protecting the environment and building nice electric cars. Those are features of capitalist economies. China is a weird case with their coal-plant-powered EVs.

[@cosmic7234]

Couple things, one, EV adoption is thankfully slow and even slower in rural areas. Theyre not popular enough to justify new policies like that. Adding slow chargers everywhere would be expensive and harder, compared to a few fast chargers off in the corner at gas stations, that get power anyway. I’d rather my taxes go towards something helpful for the environment. The one thing I can agree on is the 240v style receptacles in garages. I’m a car guy and being able to keep a garage unheated for most of the time and heat it up before I work on something or go out so the car doesn’t take so long to warm up would be nice. If homeowners want to fork up the money for a charger they can too.

[@harpintn]

It isn't politicians that do that sort of thing, it is companies that are looking to make a profit off of them. Why should my taxes pay for electricity for your EV when I am already paying for the roads you drive on?

[@obi1998]

@@harpintn Your taxes pay for a lot of stuff not directly for you. That's why they are "taxes" and not "you shopping". Anyway the answer is to improve society and prepare for the future.

[@harpintn]

@@obi1998 Never the less, as an EV owner you are not paying gas taxes, yet your vehicle is doing more damage to the roads than ICE vehicles. One of the foundations of our tax system is that is should be fair. ICE owners paying the way for EV's is not fair at all.

[@chad933]

This channel is such a hidden gem. I’m sick as a dog and I’ve been watching Alec work with everything from humidifiers to kettles to the heater for his house and it’s been such a ride of information to consume while I rot. So glad I stumbled across your videos man, and as an Indiana native I relate to many many many of those Midwest tidbits.

[@sixstringedthing]

I love Alec's specifically inserted and very unmissable Do Not Try This At Home legal diaclaimer, spoken in a tone and with a distinct pause afterwards which loudly said "Look, if you're going to try this at home I can't stop you, and I actually think this is a pretty good idea or else I wouldn't have built it. But you really need to be very aware of the risks to life and property that you're taking on here, please do not injure your family and/or burn down your house and then say that I told you to do this." One can't be too careful these days. Great idea mate! (using the car charger to power other high-load stuff I mean). Funnily enough, I have a similar but opposite problem; I've decided it's really about time to clean out the very poorly insulated sunroom (junk storage room) at the height of Aussie summer... an AC car charger would be great to run a portable air-conditioner (heat pump) if only they weren't so horribly inefficient due to the open-loop design. :(

[@Khrrck]

The dual hose portable models are actually fairly reasonable efficiency wise since they mitigate the open loop issue (condenser air is both pulled from and then returned to the outdoors). Not as good as a window or permanently installed unit but not nearly the energy guzzlers they used to be, especially if you get one with variable speed compressor.

[@TheDJ42]

12:29 Actually, if it’s 7500 watts it should be pretty warm.

[@innoillust]

Lol

[@darekmistrz4364]

I'm accoustic as well

[@fascistpedant758]

The best part is that if you don't have an EV, you can bring the heater to a public charger and plug it in there. Merry Christmas!

[@oznerol256]

Kinda reminds me of CCS to Schuko adapters in europe. Just imagine someone rolling up to a public EV charger and plugging in their phone!

[@TV3MASTER]

@@oznerol256 i actually charge my laptop and power tool batteries this way when on the road.

[@JEFF-ft6qm]

I vote this the best comment.

[@lajya01]

If you wanna sleep in your car, I wonder if it would cheaper to plug a heater into a charger or idling the engine.

[@AndrewGillard]

​@@lajya01If you mean an electric heater _connected to the mains power grid_ (as opposed to powered by the car via an inverter), it'll almost certainly be cheaper to use an electric heater. Idling an ICE vehicle uses an amount of fuel, per hour, approximately equal to 0.6× the engine displacement. For my 1.3 litre (1300 cc) hatchback that's 1.3×0.6 = 0.78 litres per hour, which is around £1.05/hour at current UK prices for unleaded petrol. An electric heater would likely need to be absurdly overpowered for car-heating purposes to cost anywhere close to £1/hour at typical UK electricity prices. I'd imagine that even a 1 kW heater would be too much to run continuously in a car. Though obviously this depends on the car's thermal insulation and the outside temperature.

[@evarlast]

I've searched and searched for how those connectors and charging work and found nothing. The searchable web really is dead. Your explanation is the best I've ever heard. TY for that.

[@kylemacintoshlinux1449]

8:51 "We'll burn that bridge when we get to it" Ah-ha! I knew I couldn't be the only one that likes to use that phrase.

[@NotTechSupport]

There are dozens of us!

[@maxounette-jv7dj]

there are millions of us!

[@combustible7267]

a malaphor :D

[@Steffen_H]

27:17 That is why I love the Electrical Connectors we use in Germany: - CEE 7/3 (Type E Socket aka Schuko) and CEE 7/7 (Type E & F Plug) for up to 16A (for continues loads it is only recommended to use 10 - 13 A max, e.g. Car charging) - IEC 60309 (aka "CEE System") with ratings up to 125A for continues loads (16 A, 32 A, 63 A & 125 A) > 230 V, 1 Phase (L, N & PE) > 230 V / 400 V, 3 Phase (L1, L2, L3, N & PE) - Type 2 for Car charging - CCS 2 for Car fast charging

[@happygimp0]

Type J wäre besser als Type E. Typ J ist einfach viel zu gross und nicht Verpolungssicher.

[@alouisschafer7212]

Einfach so geil alles dreiphasig und standardisiert zu haben.

[@TOMASZ19890605]

not only in Germany, but I'd say everywhere in Europe.

[@l.s.8150]

​@@happygimp0 Naja, geiler wäre es wenn es pol-variabel bleiben würde und Endgeräte verpflichtend beide Leiter (L&N) schalten würden. Dann kannst du als Verbraucher deine (Winkel-)Stecker stecken wie du möchtest, ähnlich USB-C. Ein Träumchen wäre dann noch jedes Gerät mit auswechselbaren Kalt-/Kleingerätekabel C6/C7/C13 zu versorgen und mit einer Last entsprechenden Feinsicherung (PTC / schmelz / Automat) in der Buchse geräteseitig (britisches Prinzip). ...schon wieder Sabberflecken auf dem Hemd.

[@handygohst]

But you can only use CCS for 8 hours with 16, 32 etc. Everything you need after that requires a fixed connection.

[@RegularCars]

This is brilliant!

[@cwantuch]

I would 100% buy one of these if it existed as UL approved product.

[@hemesath3]

Im not even gay yet and Im in love with this guy.

[@usefulpineapple4538]

I somehow didn’t and did expect you to be here

[@draconious4005]

@@usefulpineapple4538 After the Technology Connections gag in the Cessna 150 video? I 100% expected it.

[@Julianna.Domina]

Huh, fancy seeing y'all here

[@michaelc7139]

Yeah, yeah, electric cars, impressive electrical engineering. I just enjoy whenever Menards makes an appearance in your videos.

[@stephenmorris5329]

This is hilarious. I used to repair very large electric boats where we used all of these tricks to get them to work. One thing we did was use intentionally small wires that would burn out and kill the power before the 12v batteries (in series) would blow up or the motor would overheat. "It's a 72hp motor but you're using a tiny red wire?" Yes. It's intentional. Granted, this was definitely not the correct solution, but it was one that safely worked haha.

[@stevethepocket]

I guess anything can be a fuse if it's expendable and your threshold for "pulling too much power" is high enough.

[@eriottomakurashi]

Thanks for putting the effort into making subtitles. It is very much appreciated!

[@adamengelhart5159]

@19:39: "unless you're a supercommuter" I should be in the clear, then. All I've got is a Touring machine :-D

[@antonliakhovitch8306]

Oh my God, I actually did a double-take (thought that was a typo and almost scrolled past). This is incredible

[@PhoenixClank]

Please accept this completely regular expression of gratitude ; )

[@chaos.corner]

Get out.

[@hanifarroisimukhlis5989]

But will you halt?

[@noahisamathnerd]

I am a huge proponent of human-written captions, so I’m super happy to see that you still write yours yourself. However, the line lengths at 9:04 are a little unruly and hard to read. The software I used in the past for captioning (Subtitle Edit, which is… fine) follows the recommended line length of around 40 characters. It’s way more readable while allowing for natural breaks in the text.

[@joshamole]

I came to the comments just to acknowledge my favorite malaphore! “Burn that bridge when we get to it” a blending of two idioms “Cross that bridge when we get to it” and “Burning your bridges”. I applaud your use of figurative language 🎉

[@KatieTheDev]

It's not rocket surgery!

[@CantankerousDave]

@@KatieTheDevStop milking a dead horse.

[@Kineth1]

Don't you mean malamanteau?

[@stevethepocket]

I'm fond of "Don't count your chickens before they come home to roost." It works well for warning people not to be overconfident that things won't go horribly wrong.

[@GimpGladly]

You would love the AvE channel then.

[@1RandomToaster]

Only a minute in but that heater is a great picture of the future for me. There are a lot of occasional use “shop tools” that would benefit from this. The heater is a perfect example because it benefits from the extra pixies but even table saws or compressors would benefit. Things you’d use in the garage to work “where the car normally is”. Hopefully that comes along with ubiquitous pixie powered cars.

[@pizzaivlife]

yup- welfder, table saw, all kinds of things need a lot of 220 the few times a month you need them as a hobbist

[@ShirokoCycling]

AC chargers will become the dryer outlet of the garage. 220V, and it's high amperage ready.

[@firefighter4443]

Welder! My buddy has a welder that can plug into 120v 15A or 240v ?Amp. Either way, it’s an intermittent use device that could be powered with an electric car charger outlet! I’ve tried to figure the cost of running a dedicated 240v outlet for JUST a welder for him, but it costs too much for his limited use.

[@1RandomToaster]

@ The “problem” is that there’s no profit motive. “Big Welder” doesn’t make money off of intermittent welders, they make money off of people who make money welding. The actual product that can come to market here (at least in 2024) is an “interposer” that handles the “pretend to be a car” part and gives the user a “safe” outlet.

[@ShirokoCycling]

@1RandomToaster Or, a retrofit kit that has an RP2040 in it.

[@MichaelSteeves]

"We'll burn that bridge when we come to it." LOL

[@Julianna.Domina]

That's my favorite malaphor (blending of similies/idioms)

[@spamcan9208]

​@Julianna.Domina wow, there's a term for everything

[@moarjank]

it's even better, since the sacrificial component of a fuse has been called a bridge.

[@rnptenafly]

I was thinking he should’ve said “we’ll burn that garage when we come to it.”

[@davidg3944]

Simpsons did it! [almost thirty years ago]

[@Jeezy_eezy]

Watched this just yesterday and am already checking for new videos! Never mind me and keep up the great work. Will NOT be trying this at home

[@GrahamReed42]

A company I know uses heaters on an adapters like that to get a controlled load for the charging stations they make. It was cheaper than a suitable quantity of power resistors. (Which would use the same adapter but would look more... technical I guess.)

[@MichaelSteeves]

Load Banks are very common for testing loading of generators. At my work we have one that will handle 1 Mw. It is a good outdoor heater!

[@whatusernameis5295]

what is a heater but a good power resistor?

[@nes999]

​@@MichaelSteeves I can smell that from here.

[@aggese]

Funny enough the power resistors will also work like s heater so it is exactly the same as a heater -logic circuit's

[@Kingkoopa00]

24:55 - Fun fact on early Tesla's. The main 400V battery pack contactors wore out very quickly due to the arcing damage from opening and closing all the time under different voltages/loads. Tesla fixed this by having voltage detection circuits on both sides of the contactor. When the car wanted the contactor to close, it matches the voltage on both sides of the contactor before closing. Leading to little, if any arcing. After the contactor is closed, it's then able to push through the massive amperage needed.

[@testname4464]

I bet musk is gonna remove those protections to cut costs

[@DaivG]

Next up: A welding station! Love the thought and appreciate you taking the time to do the work to show off the proof of concept.

[@FishFind3000]

You just use the existing wall plug……

[@DaivG]

@@FishFind3000 For a 240v welder?

[@pbpx]

Already found an adapter online for J1772 to Nema 50. would be great for a hardwired charger.

[@DiCasaFilm]

Dude’s making his own literal technology connection. I love it.

[@BonkedByAScout]

I may have seen these on your channel but there's smart switches that you can plug two 240v 30a devices into with a NEMA plug (there's a couple plug types available) and they'll power a secondary load if nothing is on or the primary load and turn off the secondary if both are on. I bought one and tried it with a 5000w heater and my dryer on it (it worked) but I ended up returning it in favor of hard-wiring the heater because I'm using it to keep my washer from freezing. I generally keep it set around 50f but crank it up when I'm working out there. When I first got it I cranked it up to max on a 5F day and it got my garage to 90F, lol.

[@DeviantOllam]

Do you think during the winter months you will generally just keep the charging station plug parked up there in the shop heater? Or do you tend to hang it back on the standard cradle when not in use? When the shop heater is off, is the circuit completely off with no vampire load?

[@Phoen1x883]

There's the glowing light on the front, but I doubt there's any notable vampire load - wasting power requires components, and that thing doesn't have many to do the wasting.

[@TechnologyConnections]

Probably not - I expect this will get used pretty rarely. And as far as vampire loads, the heater only has that neon indicator which is negligible but the charging station would hold its contactor in continuously if I left it plugged in, and that probably pulls a watt or so.

[@jacobconnerly]

DeviantOllam on a Tech Connections video? What is this, a crossover episode?

[@joshuajhoyt]

It's dev!

[@RedTail1-1]

​@@jacobconnerlyhe has over 100 comments on this channel...

[@Austron]

I've literally been looking for a way to power an EVSE and a 7.5kW garage heater with a single 50a circuit for months now, and you've given me the exact solution I need, the perfect Christmas gift!

[@izimsi]

Why not just install another receptacle and not use both at the same time?

[@xiaodingjones1554]

​Exactly. No need for all this connector stuff. The power is already on the wall!

[@hugobry9101]

Like a lot of people i found your channel trying to make my dishwasher work better and i have been watching your videos everyday since! I just wanna say i love how you over explain the little thing and still manage to vulgarize it enough to keep it interesting. I thought i could leave a nice comment here since you complain so much about the mean ones. Keep up talking about useless shit!

[@MagicMadeThis]

Did some IT work at a mostly Solar powered apartment complex some months back. the solar panels were all arranged to act as a sort of car canopy, and beneath them, every car had access to a charger station. wish i was there for electrical i would have loved to take a look at the power management for such a serious setup. hoping to see solar charger spots become a fixture at apartments and office buildings excellent video! super neat project

[@leecasey3022]

"Mostly solar powered apartment complex". Sure.

[@Luke357]

@@leecasey3022 Right? Even a mobile home needs 100A at the minimum and that's assuming it's an ancient single wide model. I call bullshit on that. The solar power is additive at best.

[@tsraikage]

​​@@Luke357 that's if we assume that whole parking spot in an apartment complex is occupied especially during noon, when sun is peaking. otherwise, if there are only five or so cars parked in at least twenty spot apartmet complex parking that has solar panels as a canopy, I'm faily certain they'll each get more power than they can chew on. yes, single panel with surface area of a typical parking spot is good enough for a kettle, ten times that much is 10 kW

[@Luke357]

@tsraikage 10KW is not enough for an entire apartment complex. 10KW is good for maybe 4 cars at the most. That's only 2500W per car.

[@tsraikage]

@@Luke357 correct. that's what i'm saying too. during noon, full complex parking spot will not be occupied by electric cars and ones that are parked will get significantly cheap energy. im not debating over whether or not personal solar panel is good. for sure even if we could extract 100% of the solar energy from car's surface area, it's nowhere near the enough energy even for 8 hour direct sunlight. it matters when we have whole parking spot area covered but have only handful of cars charging at each moment

[@rashkavar]

Your blooper reel is always impressive. Half the time I don't even notice what the problem is, the other half it's some incredible word salad. Neat idea! Glad you're aware of the pitfalls and are planning around them!

[@1tgb4yb25ub5ub]

for me when im saying something *i* dont really understand how i messed up. but my brain restarts. sometimes its pretty annoying. because ill repeat the first bit of a word like 10 times

[@whatsinanameish]

You need to set up a rotating spit for a haunch of roast while you heat the garage. Two birds with one resistive heater.

[@DoctorOnkelap]

or you might realise that carnism is not ok just because your mommy told you it was.

[@unclejohn5012]

​@@DoctorOnkelap Your not going to convert anyone here mate.

[@nikkiofthevalley]

​@@DoctorOnkelapAlmost nobody thinks that. Personally I like meat, I don't like factory farming, but it's the reality, there's no other choices on the market, and others would eat the meat if I didn't anyways.

[@PabloEdvardo]

@@DoctorOnkelap imagine literally existing as a living being today because your entire ancestry ate meat, to then get high and mighty. your lifetime isn't special, bud

[@SlinkyD]

Imma go huntimg just becuse of this commemt ​@@DoctorOnkelap

[@mastergx1]

Here in the UK we have the option to use "commando" plugs. The single phase varients have three separate sizes which are incompatible with each other but our biggest can handle 63a at 230v for a whopping 14.5kW of power. Thats more than most houses consume at full load. You could litterally plug a house into another supply. We also have 3-phase plugs that can handle crazy power but they are used in industrial and commercial applications.

[@darekmistrz4364]

Thats not that impressive. Our 3 phase plugs are more impressive (red ones).

[@mastergx1]

@@darekmistrz4364 Our biggest (non-proprietary) is 125a 3-ph (400v). That equates to about 86.5kW. Whats yours?

[@darekmistrz4364]

@@mastergx1 IEC 60309 200A or IEC 60309 400A or IEC 60309 800A

[@justinstreich1952]

The other reason that you do not want to cycle plugging in different appliances into those NEMA plugs is because they are generally manufactured cheaply because they usually get an oven or dryer plugged in to them and then that's it. Cycling a cheap plug will eventually lead to a high voltage arc that is very likely to cause a fire.

[@xiaodingjones1554]

No problem in the rest of the world! They handle it just fine.

[@Nibroc_64]

Perhaps a switch on the receptacle, such that one could stop the flow of power to any connected devices prior to unplugging, could help?

[@code3responsevideos872]

I got my grandpa one of these heaters for Christmas a year or two ago. He’s old and always sits in his garage, and for years was using 2 1500 watt space heaters. All while still freezing. I ran a 220, out there myself and he absolutely loves it. He keeps it on with the thermostat so it’s always the right temp. Worth every penny for someone who did 2 tours in Vietnam!

[@SilverstrikeSD]

That's really kind of you to help him out. Sounds like you're the grandchild he deserves.

[@SkyhawkSteve]

great work!

[@jeremyloveslinux]

I’ve heard of some of the larger “solar generators” having a J1772 input. Since they’re approaching multiple kWh now, a regular outlet is going to take a while to charge them.

[@bigloudnoise]

EV charger style connectors designed for repeated insertion and removal without wearing out the connector honestly should be more common. Mostly unrelated to the subject of the video, but I could see a J1772 or similar connector becoming the standard hookup for RVs/campers at powered campsites.

[@Autunite]

In Norway, and probably most of europe, we have both 230V and 400V plugs that can handle loads up to 63 amps at three phases. They look pretty similar to your charging cable, but are color coded with blue for 230V and red for 400V. These have been standard for decades, and are pretty much common in both industry and some home garages where workshop tools are used.

[@vablo7198]

Never actually seen a single phase plug be used anywhere.

[@kraəb]

aaah! enda en person fra norge!!

[@unitrader403]

@@vablo7198 they are pretty common for Camping Vehicles

[@gnumone]

actually that's incorrect. blue/red is for single/three phase

[@litigioussociety4249]

American homes only have 220-240 going in, then splitting 110/120 up or down for the standard outlets. There's around 480 coming off the street, but I think you have to have a commercial license in most states to run a line for it, which allows service stations and other things to transform it personally outside their building.

[@dakoriki]

23:34 To my EU industrial electrician eyes that "nice" contactor looks like every other contactor I've pretty much ever seen installed anywhere. Even most home electrics have a similar ones for sauna stoves or boilers etc.

[@AMalas]

3 phase contractors must just not be too common there

[@wogfun]

cool

[@coski87]

Here in Argentina where we follow similar electrical standards as Europe, this contactors are also super common

[@bosstowndynamics5488]

@@AMalas I think you've got that backwards, what they're saying is that the contactor that Alec sees as relatively high end by US standards would be an assumed standard in the EU, implying the availability of lower grade designs in the US than what's allowed in the EU. Similar to how the EU tends to use Wago connectors for wiring where the US typically uses wire nuts.

[@EdilbertoAriasRolon]

Same here in Paraguay, South America. At home I put 3 phase ("mini") contactors to everything, my ovens, water heater, steam iron, etc, really because a like the "clunk" sound.. Generally the contactors controlled by wifi switches. So everything is controlled the same way no matter the load is. Greetings from Asunción.

[@andreasu.3546]

Not sure if the term is used in the US, but where I live, home AC EV chargers are called a "wall box". Because it is all they are, boxes on the wall.

[@m0llux]

Yep. The colloquial term is "wall box", and the correct term used in the technical specifications is "Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment".

[@andrewholden1501]

I've never heard them called that over here in New England, but I like the term. More descriptive of what it is.

[@jamesphillips2285]

@@m0llux Problem is only nerds know what you are talking about if you say EVSE; except from context.

[@IMelkor42]

I suppose 'Set-top boxes' for digital TV were 'just boxes' too...

[@HumanUnit7873]

Yes. Absolutely do the shop heater air fryer experiment! 💡 (And, thank you for actually captioning your videos!)

[@mdrudholm]

EVSE connectors may transcend their original purpose and become a generalized power connector standard for heavy duty use the way USB became one for light duty applications.

[@hauberbrian]

We just need heavier duty USBC cables that can handle 30amp@240v or 5amp @4.5v for your phone 😂

[@Shredxcam22]

Uh there is already common plugs out there. Melteic, kilarc. Nothing new

[@TheNobody1324]

@@hauberbrianLemme just plug this giant cable in to charge my phone

[@creeper6530]

Ooh, I wish

[@bahamutbbob]

​@@hauberbrian Let Linus know, he's already overbuilding USB cables, why not overbuild them some more? 😅 (I'll probably snag a few of his cables when they release, unless the price is ludicrous)

[@doubledude4381]

16:54 well that actually made me think of how much energy it takes to move just 1 person(usually) in a giant metal box.

[@jamesphillips2285]

Yup. To get order of magnitude energy reduction you need to abolish R1 zoning (to allow multiple dwelling units to share walls) and get most people on mass transit (economies of scale).

[@ledsalesoz]

And then you realise that, with over 9kWh in a litre of petrol, that ICE vehicles require 5 times or more of the energy to move the same person the same distance. Typical ICE vehicle efficiency is below 20% in the real world, 80% of the energy in the fuel is simply wasted as heat, noise and vibration. Think about that...

[@putteification]

@@ledsalesoz All of it is wasted as heat at the end. Unless one counts the potential energy gained by going somewhere higher.

[@icetwo]

I have an electric bike. As the chargers for these bikes have a normal household connection, if you run out of power on the road you either have to pedal yourself or drive to a charging station for e-bikes. But there are also a few manufacturers who have built adapters from electric car charging stations to household sockets. They also have to pretend that the charging station is a car, but it works. It works not only with bicycles but with all electrical devices that you might need on the road.

[@jamesphillips2285]

Problem is that your charger needs to be designed to tolerate 240V. Also you should be converting to a NEMA 6-15 socket instead of a NEMA 5-15 socket.

[@ab-tf5fl]

If, at some point, somebody manages to produce an e-bike battery that could recharge itself in 5-10 minutes, being able to use car charging infrastructure to extend your range would be awesome! (Hopefully, the charging adapter required to do this would not be too bulky to carry on a bike).

[@harshitbelwal9925]

Well, here I am, a person who design policies for governments and institutional banks in the energy and sustainability sectors, particularly in the electric vehicle (EV) sector. I wholeheartedly agree with you that direct current fast charging (DCFC) should only be recommended and deployed for long-distance highways, fast charging public infrastructure, and other high-traffic areas. However, the challenge lies in the cost of transmitting electricity to these locations. The cost of electricity generation is borne by the CPO, and the business is asset-heavy. Consequently, governments are often reluctant to invest in transmission lines, as they may want to prioritize revenue from oil. I’ve come across some interesting situations where people have resorted to using inexpensive smart WiFi sockets to charge multiple EVs at home. In India, electricity is relatively cheap, making it an attractive option for charging EVs. I was particularly surprised to see someone charging 10 EVs simultaneously using a 10 smart plug, based on the amount of electricity consumed he calculated the cost. It’s quite a clever solution, considering the cost-effectiveness of using smart plugs.

[@KlueBat]

This would be a great way to hook up an occasional use welder!

[@mister_milkman]

Why not just plug that into the socket in the wall? Wtf am I missing here, is there some US regulation that forbids using that socket for anything else?

[@davidroddini1512]

@@mister_milkman as mentioned in the video, there’s nothing *wrong* with unplugging the car charger to plug in a welder. However the plug is not designed for frequent plugging and unplugging. The 1772 connector at the other end is designed for it. So if a welder can be modified to *safely* use the 1772 connector for power input, it would be a good idea.

[@stazeII]

Wonder if the inrush current from a welder might damage the contactor…

[@davidroddini1512]

@@stazeII that’s why I said it would be a good idea if it can be done safely. I’m not certain whether it can be done safely or not as I don’t have any experience with welding.

[@mister_milkman]

@@davidroddini1512 Guess I missed that part. Strange to me that a plug would not be designed for frequent plugging.

[@Stryford1]

We have two EVs and we've also never felt we needed to have two chargers (EVSE). I hope a company will take your idea and make a heater like yours!

[@essentricaudio]

I completely agree. For most use cases, a single "charger" at home is all that is needed. We have 3 EVs/drivers on a single 20a/220v else on the driveway, and 99% of the time, it is all we need. That 1% is when I plug in at work using the portable box in the fridge or hit a DC fast charger on the way out of town.

[@rocbolt]

Oh god instead of everything becomes crab its everything becomes thunderbolt

[@BeckyStern]

Love this project and video. Thanks, Alec! 🔥

[@ignem432]

21:00 I wouldn't use relays in this kind of circuit - high power relays with high current ratings are expensive and should be avoided. The easier way would be to have the heater refuse to turn on if the configuration is set to the wrong amount of power. This could be achieved with a 3 way switch and a small sensing circuit, avoiding the extra cost and providing more safety.

[@JustaMuteCat]

Talking about plugs, remember the video where you explore the holes used for indexing during manufacturing of the regular plugs? You probably know this already by now but in Japan they use those holes as part of a locking safety system specially for outdoor plugs (like varanda placed washing machines). You just stick them in and twist, then a mechanism inside the wall outlet will lock the pins. You CAN use them without locking and you can install them indoors too but I have only seen them outdoors on apartments and on industrial settings. You could check if you have any patreons that live in Japan that would be willing to mail them to you so you could do a video on them if you interested.

[@Anderino]

I'd look into buying and shipping those to him if he's interested. I'd just need a shopping list

[@SteveRowe]

Happy Late December Commercialization Festival, Alec! And Happy New Year!

[@limegreenbean]

This is such a great video. Love seeing people make the custom things that fit into their life so well

[@ntsecrets]

I have co workers that charge at work and essentially never pay for charging their car.

[@dgriff-can]

It’s the best thing ever. We have free charging at work as well.

[@jsnsk101]

they should be fired for theft

[@4rtie]

@@jsnsk101 you should get a better employer

[@synestetic1687]

In the country where I live, this is allowed to be a tax-free employee benefit.

[@Mister-Whiskers]

My daughter’s apartment complex has several free level 2 charging parking spaces. She never pays to charge her 2024 model Y.

[@xmas1888]

Has a NEMA 14-50 outlet on his wall, but decides to put a J1772 port on the heater instead. This is why I love this channel!

[@sjmww1235]

To be fair, the 14-50 is a pain to plug/unplug as described in the video. Personally, I did something similar but I used a California style twist lock connector instead of the j1772

[@KristinaBaker-ql5hi]

@@sjmww1235 he should’ve just installed a second plug. It would’ve been far less trouble and much safer.

[@MHawkeye]

@@KristinaBaker-ql5hi sometimes im not sure if people actually watch the entire video or not, would be interesting to see youtube timestamp when a comment was posted for xmas comment 3:10 was addressed and reasoning is at 3:44 for kristina 14:18 all of this isnt even the point of the video anyway

[@KristinaBaker-ql5hi]

@ my point was never to unplug and re-plug the heater in my point was that you can just install a second plug sometimes I wonder if people even read the comment before they post mindless banter in reply

[@kepstin]

@@KristinaBaker-ql5hi It's explained in the video at 14:18 why installing a second plug would be impractical. (To repeat from the video: because adding a second circuit for a second plug would nearly fill up the electrical box, and probably wouldn't be approved by an electrician without an electrical service upgrade.) Edit: I guess the part that's not obvious is that North American electrical codes do not allow you to have multiple outlets of this type on a single circuit.

[@jongranada]

Merry Christmas! I really appreciate our parasocial relationship!!

[@leumel900]

As a European, watching you talk about the different nema plugs and electrical systems in North America always kinda scares me. Over here, we have basically 5 types of plugs, including two very rarely used ones and also two three phase connectors (16A and 32A). Our the charging plug is very similar to yours, but it has a electronic locking mechanism so the car and/or the charging station can prevent disconnection under load. You would have to switch off the resistor at CP (or rather change the resistance) to be able to unplug the cable.

[@youdontknowme5969]

Almost all of those are very uncommon. In residential settings, we just see 5-15 for 120v (what the rest of the world thinks we only have LOL!), and 14-30 for electric dryers and 14-50 for electric ranges. All those other types are either legacy/now out-of-code (the 1-, 2- and 10- series) or for very special-purpose commercial or industrial purposes (especially the 3-phase versions). And then, usually stationary 240V or 277V 3phase appliances or machines are often just hard-wired. 😉 _edit:_ couple of dumb typos

[@leumel900]

@@youdontknowme5969 Ok, that checks out. Still I probably won't need to mention the dangerous flaws that the 5-15 has (as well as the 14-30 shown in the video) because you surely have seen Alec's video about that as well 😉 I have found out though, that there are in fact "L" versions of the nema plugs. How common are those?

[@derfurz8618]

I mean Europe has it's fair share of obsolete and weird plug standards. I think the difference is that it was much easier to get away from them because of the universal 3 phase 230/400V supply both to most residential homes and to commercial buildings. There just never was a big need for a plug that supplies more than 16A on a single phase at 230V. Anything more power hungry can just be connected with an appropriate CEE plug or is hardwired. There just was less incentive to add plug standards.

[@kendokaaa]

5:53 Raw electricity. None of that pasteurized electricity, no sir

[@Ipergorilla]

Hey, thanks for stating out the Celsius conversion at 16:24. I know it's a chore and commenters can give you a hard time when you don't. It's a show of kindness on your side towards us international viewers and it doesn't go unappreciated with me ❤️

[@michaelmartin9022]

Fahrenheit is "the percentage of how hot it is". Boom, solved in five seconds. (Grew up with and exclusively use C, have barely been to that hemisphere and never to the USA) (Neither is "more scientific". Distilled water at 1atm of pressure means nothing to most of the universe) (Imagine having your day ruined because "it's a chilly 267 out!")

[@Ipergorilla]

@@michaelmartin9022 i don't know, I wouldn't look at an icy road and think 'it must be no more than 32% hot out there'

[@SI0ter]

i'm so happy i live in a country where the CEE-Plug is used as a high demand energy plug.

[@johnkem2630]

This is a good usage of the power connection you already have in place and I agree it can be a consideration for multiple uses of such charging stations.

[@bjarkeistruppedersen8213]

Yes, now rebuild it as an air fryer. We all know you want to do it 😃

[@rm3141593]

Lol😅

[@DasWunschkind1]

to the metric world: 17:34 -> 310°F is 154°C

[@hansdampf2084]

Only metric makes sense, THX ;)

[@youdontknowme5969]

428 K 😉

[@Montgomerygolfgator]

Ooh, I bet running the heater for a few hours before charging the car on extremely cold nights to warm the car up a bit is probably an excellent idea. Not to mention, it melts off the ice. If Alec had a drain in his garage, he could warm up and give his car a quick spray off to remove salt and let it dry for a few dollars every few days to keep rust at bay. Then the car would be nice and warm for charging too!

[@mikemondano3624]

Is the car's heater broken?

[@TOMASZ19890605]

AC charging is not impacted at all by cold. I charged y EV on AC at -28 degrees Celsius, with no impact on charge speed.

[@nogmeerjan]

@@TOMASZ19890605 That is only possible with a battery heater. Unless your battery has some battery chemistry specifically design to do so.

[@jsjs6751]

​@mikemondano3624 Running a heater of a modern EV inside a garage will cool the room. Not ideal.

[@ThePlumbeus]

@@jsjs6751sadly there are many EV without heatpump. For my car it would add 3 grand as extra.

[@trenthorton9532]

Confirming what you said at the end. 2 EV household with a one car garage, 100 amp service, and one 7.5kW charger. Park on car in the garage most of the time and charge whenever it is below 50%ish, swap the cars one time per week to keep the other between 20-80% for regular commuting and misc. driving. Beats pumping gas in the winter by a long shot.

[@treeboi]

I bought a charger with two J1772 hoses for my 2 EV household - a Grizzl-E Duo. She plugs in her EV when she wants, I plug in mine when I want, no coordination necessary, no arguments on when to charge, Well worth the cost difference to get a dual hose charger. I bought it from the beginning too, when we had a single EV, as I knew we'd eventually get 2 EVs.

[@trenthorton9532]

@@treeboi Nice, if it weren't for the single-car garage situation we would probably do the same. Both of our commutes are about 10 miles round trip, so even if we are taking the car parked outside to do all the typical weekly errands and running around town, it generally gets by easily within the 80-20% range.