openinverter forum

Hi,

I've recently purchased a Mitsubishi i-MiEV that needs a bit of work, and I'm considering upgrading the onboard charger from the standard 3.6 kW AC unit to something a bit more powerful, perhaps a 7.2 kW single phase or a 11 or 22 kW 3 phase.

What options are available? Has anyone ever tried such an upgrade?

Thanks

Jamie

I asked about it some time ago. If you push more than ~4 kw into OBC wires, car shuts off. You have to plug into QCDC wires. To do that activate QCDC contactor beforehand. It's accessible under rear seats as shown in this thread.(http://myimiev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1373&start=30) If you use additional charger with stock OBC, charging should begin normally. I'm worried about OBC using rising voltage during charging and that it might get damaged if second charger uses flat 360v.
I wonder how to fit type 2 socket in place of type 1.
https://openinverter.org/wiki/Charger - Here is more info about using existing OBC.

jalovick wrote: ↑Sun Dec 26, 2021 12:03 pm What options are available? Has anyone ever tried such an upgrade?

Has anyone tried to connect to CHADEMO DC lines on the contactors?
What i mean would be a straight DC connection to both contactors behind the socket, leaving an Anderson connector in the trunk. One would have to convince Chademo LV section to open the contactors and keep them open. You could have a TC charger or Tesla charger in the trunk or even something more exotic like autotransformer connection...
I think that would be the easiest option with good potential to legaly resell the car later if needed.
...........
What about keeping the car ON when charging and connecting the charge lines at the inverter? The point would be to trick it into thinking charging is regen... You would have to disable the car somehow while charging ... but that can be achieved at a certain pin on the inverter .

arber333 wrote: ↑Wed Jan 05, 2022 12:04 pm

jalovick wrote: ↑Sun Dec 26, 2021 12:03 pm What options are available? Has anyone ever tried such an upgrade?

Has anyone tried to connect to CHADEMO DC lines on the contactors?
What i mean would be a straight DC connection to both contactors behind the socket, leaving an Anderson connector in the trunk. One would have to convince Chademo LV section to open the contactors and keep them open. You could have a TC charger or Tesla charger in the trunk or even something more exotic like autotransformer connection...
I think that would be the easiest option with good potential to legaly resell the car later if needed.
...........
What about keeping the car ON when charging and connecting the charge lines at the inverter? The point would be to trick it into thinking charging is regen... You would have to disable the car somehow while charging ... but that can be achieved at a certain pin on the inverter .

Here's the thread about it being already done. http://myimiev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=2001 I don't know about tapping into inverter but if Ampera can be charged that way(regen) then im sure I-miev can too.

0tik wrote: ↑Wed Jan 05, 2022 12:18 am I asked about it some time ago. If you push more than ~4 kw into OBC wires, car shuts off.

It appears that there is a 20A fuse on the + HV input from the OBC in the inverter junction box. 360V x 20A = 7200W, minus 25% for headroom, would be 5760W that should be able to be pushed through it (if my math is correct).
http://mmc-manuals.ru/manuals/i-miev/on ... C00ENG.pdf

0tik wrote: ↑Wed Jan 05, 2022 12:18 am If you use additional charger with stock OBC, charging should begin normally. I'm worried about OBC using rising voltage during charging and that it might get damaged if second charger uses flat 360v.

I'm looking for options to potentually replace the existing OBC, but it would require the replacement to provide the relevant CAN messages and DCDC functionality.

0tik wrote: ↑Wed Jan 05, 2022 12:18 am I wonder how to fit type 2 socket in place of type 1.

It appears that there is an active, neutral, ground, and pilot signal sent from the socket, and a resistor (I'm not 100% sure yet). I believe you'd just need to match those up with the relevant pins on a Type 2 connector. I'm looking at doing it myself. A logical diagram of the input side is here:
http://mmc-manuals.ru/manuals/i-miev/on ... C00ENG.pdf

Jamie

arber333 wrote: ↑Wed Jan 05, 2022 12:04 pm Has anyone tried to connect to CHADEMO DC lines on the contactors?

I've seen videos of people bridge some pins on a relay and provide power to do it.

arber333 wrote: ↑Wed Jan 05, 2022 12:04 pm What i mean would be a straight DC connection to both contactors behind the socket, leaving an Anderson connector in the trunk. One would have to convince Chademo LV section to open the contactors and keep them open. You could have a TC charger or Tesla charger in the trunk or even something more exotic like autotransformer connection...
I think that would be the easiest option with good potential to legaly resell the car later if needed.
...........
What about keeping the car ON when charging and connecting the charge lines at the inverter? The point would be to trick it into thinking charging is regen... You would have to disable the car somehow while charging ... but that can be achieved at a certain pin on the inverter .

I'd like to make it as OEM like as possible, with a suitable 3rd party charger and DC to DC, perhaps with a board or CAN bridge to translate. unfortunately, space is limited.

Jamie

Knowing that there is charging possible using the right firmware on a hacked Prius inverter, I'm wondering if that would be another option? Unfortunately, it's also probably a little tall to fit into the OEM location, but may be able to emulate the OEM OBC.

jalovick wrote: ↑Mon Jan 10, 2022 3:18 pm

0tik wrote: ↑Wed Jan 05, 2022 12:18 am I wonder how to fit type 2 socket in place of type 1.

It appears that there is an active, neutral, ground, and pilot signal sent from the socket, and a resistor (I'm not 100% sure yet). I believe you'd just need to match those up with the relevant pins on a Type 2 connector. I'm looking at doing it myself. A logical diagram of the input side is here:
http://mmc-manuals.ru/manuals/i-miev/on ... C00ENG.pdf

Jamie

I meant the physical dimensions of type 2 socket. I'm worried about limited space to work with.

0tik wrote: ↑Mon Jan 10, 2022 6:26 pm I meant the physical dimensions of type 2 socket. I'm worried about limited space to work with.

There may be some enlarging required. I'll confirm once I get my hands on a suitable socket.

Jamie

jalovick wrote: ↑Tue Jan 11, 2022 1:08 am

0tik wrote: ↑Mon Jan 10, 2022 6:26 pm I meant the physical dimensions of type 2 socket. I'm worried about limited space to work with.

There may be some enlarging required. I'll confirm once I get my hands on a suitable socket.

Jamie

Hm... or you could just fit L2 socket to your bumper and routed the wires behind it. Then you would use a Tesla charger for some 3phase power .

Maybe you could first connect wires directly to inverter where you have AC compressor or heater connected. Those should be accessible contacts on Mitsubishi inverters. I remember from Outlander rear inverter.
Then keep the car ON and provide DC power to the battery, maybe from rectified autotransformer... See what happens with BMS. If it wont mind the charge with the car ON you proved a concept works and you can invest in a good fast L2 charger like Tesla. Or 3x Elcon air cooled chargers... https://evshop.fr/en/chargers/224-tc-ch ... v-10a.html

arber333 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 11, 2022 6:26 am Hm... or you could just fit L2 socket to your bumper and routed the wires behind it. Then you would use a Tesla charger for some 3phase power .

I don't mind enlarging the hole where the J1772 socket is to fit a Type 2 socket.

arber333 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 11, 2022 6:26 am Maybe you could first connect wires directly to inverter where you have AC compressor or heater connected. Those should be accessible contacts on Mitsubishi inverters. I remember from Outlander rear inverter.
Then keep the car ON and provide DC power to the battery, maybe from rectified autotransformer... See what happens with BMS. If it wont mind the charge with the car ON you proved a concept works and you can invest in a good fast L2 charger like Tesla. Or 3x Elcon air cooled chargers... https://evshop.fr/en/chargers/224-tc-ch ... v-10a.html

I may have to get the tape measure out to see if I can cram in a Tesla charger. At least there is a board available for it that should be able to be configured to emulate the Mitsubishi one.

Jamie

jalovick wrote: ↑Mon Jan 10, 2022 3:22 pm
I'd like to make it as OEM like as possible, with a suitable 3rd party charger and DC to DC, perhaps with a board or CAN bridge to translate. unfortunately, space is limited.

Jamie

Did you ever put this through? Lots of these cars are failing on the OBC and DCDC

Friends had theirs repaired, but its broken again.

If the CAN bus communication is known it could be doable to put in an Elcon charger or something like that

Hi,

Swing wrote: ↑Thu Mar 21, 2024 5:24 pm Did you ever put this through? Lots of these cars are failing on the OBC and DCDC

Friends had theirs repaired, but its broken again.

If the CAN bus communication is known it could be doable to put in an Elcon charger or something like that

No real progress so far. Due to the physical dimensions, I was going to go for an 11 kW VW MEB charger, I found one out of an e-tron for about $700 AUD. The downside was that it does not have an integrated DC to DC, so something like a Tesla Model S DC would be required to charge the 12V. Sadly, the reverse engineering of the VW charger has stalled (I believe Mitchy is still tinkering). With Damien's recent work on the MG ZS EV chargers, there is a temptation to look in that direction. There is a quite small 11 kW version with in-built DC to DC that could be a good option and where I am in Australia, should be relatively common. Not as common as the 7 kW versions, but still should be quite common.

I've had a fair bit going on with life, so this has been on the back burner for a while, I also recently picked up a reasonably priced portable 10 kW CHAdeMO charger, which while a bit of a clunky way of doing things, increases my travelling options, especially when combined with a Type 2 to 3 phase outlet so I can use power from destination chargers.

Jamie