Experts point out that lack of knowledge and laziness are the reasons behind Norwegians taking this safety risk.
– Our impression is that many Norwegians still charge their electric car from a socket. We think a lot of this is related to a lack of understanding of the electric vehicle charging load on the socket and the electrical system, says Rune S. Nielsen, a firefighting expert at Gjensidige Forsikring.
In a previous survey conducted by YouGov on behalf of electric vehicle charging company Zaptec, 8 percent of Norwegian electric vehicle owners answered that they charge from a regular socket. This corresponds to more than 70,000 Norwegians.
Charging an electric vehicle from a regular socket can be deadly, and can be the cause of fires in both homes and garages. Christine explains that plugs in the garage or on the wall of the cab are not designed for the type of current draw that electric vehicle charging experiences over time, plus older plugs do not have ground fault protection or protection in the event of a direct voltage return S. Sanad, Department Head at Skirt Midt Company – Norway, responsible for the “Mrs Midt” Instagram account. Electrical safety.
The load will be very large
The risk of a socket, cable or fuse box overheating from charging an electric vehicle is high, Sund says.
– There are several reasons why charging from a socket is not recommended permanently. First, charging an electric car with a regular socket means that the load on the wires becomes very large as they are loaded to maximum capacity over time. The socket or system is not designed for this, and this load can lead to overheating and, in the worst cases, a fire, Nielsen agrees.
– Secondly, the socket is not designed to hold the weight of the charging cable, so it is important that it does not “get stuck” in the plug. Inside the socket, such a load can cause damage, which also leads to overheating when something else is used in the same socket.
Easy solutions and weak knowledge
Both Nielsen and Sund point to a lack of understanding of how electricity works when it comes to charging electric cars, as well as laziness and frugality as reasons why Norwegians continue to charge from plugs.
-It's an easy solution and people think it works because there is electricity in the socket. Many people don't care about having a proper charging box, because they think that “power is power”. “That's the most dangerous thing about electricity,” Sund says. “You don't see the danger until it's too late.”
Sund himself conducted several electrical inspections where he discovered heat buildup in the plugs that were used for charging.
– It is often discovered by accident, as users do not think about the fact that it has melted into the socket until it is almost gone. We Norwegians are lazy and don't pull the plug more than we need to. What we often see is that the inside of the connector is burned out or the plastic and rubber surrounding it is starting to melt. Then it's only a matter of time before it starts burning.
Be careful – especially at night
Today, charging an electric vehicle from a socket other than emergency charging is no longer permitted, unless you are able to set up a separate socket for charging the electric vehicle before 1.6.22. These connections must have their own path, type B earth fault protection and over-voltage protection in the fuse box.
-As a general rule, emergency charging should only be used when you have no other options. By installing a charging station at home and in the cabin, you can get safer charging, while at the same time being able to charge at higher outputs and automatically control charging based on electricity rates, says Maiken Oakland, communications manager at Zaptec.
– The dedicated charging box can handle more current and has many additional safety functions built into the system so you avoid the risk of overheating and, in the worst case, fire. This is especially important if you are charging your electric car at night.
If you still have to charge the car in an emergency, Oakland recommends monitoring your contact during the charging session. You should be able to touch both the socket, plug, and cable to make sure it is not hot. You also don't have to think about using an extension cord.
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