SAE 2009: Yazaki's booth proudly displays J1772 connector
J1772 connector - click above for more
At the SAE World Congress last week, one of the more important technical discussions revolved around a new connector standard for plug-in vehicles called J1772. As we mentioned in our write-up of the progress made at the event, the Yazaki company was behind the connector's original design. The Yazaki booth at the Congress drew our attention thanks to a small-scale frame car model that showed off the company's products. You can see in the gallery some of the parts, like the connection system and DC to DC converter. The highlight, of course, was the plug. You can see the inside of the connector above, but what you can't tell is that all of those circles are retractable. They slide up to cover the actual connection points so that the risk of electric shock is minimized. Yazaki calls it "finger safe, touch-proof contacts." The mechanism is robust, Yazaki says, and should be good for over 10,000 insertion/removal cycles. If you plug in twice a day, that's something like 13 years of service. Sound reasonable?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
BillySharps 4:17PM (4/26/2009)
What exactly is the problem making them accept a standard plug? You'd be able to use a regular extension cord.
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stevezilla 5:34PM (4/26/2009)
I think the concern is that standard electrical cords aren't as robust; they're simply not designed to be used on a daily basis and don't provide enough protection against accidental shock.
why not the LS2LS7? 12:22PM (4/27/2009)
There's no single standard plug for the voltages and amperages involved, let alone a range of voltages as electric cars are expected to work on.
Tohe 4:25PM (4/26/2009)
I like the design, and the safe measures in place. I'd have liked to learn more about the communication link and underlying technologies to protect the battery etc. Any word when the standard will be made available to the public? as well as kits for conversion cars?
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Tohe 9:56PM (4/26/2009)
BTW I hope the iMiev applies this standard, their current connector is a bit scary.
http://media.canada.com/6c8714d8-471c-4ede-8876-90dda09eae8f/imiev.jpg
Snoopy 6:09PM (4/26/2009)
Sounds reasonable if...
A: it works (I guess that one's obvious, and I'm assuming the one they were showing off was already a working model).
B: it is priced reasonably.
C: it is safe enough to plan ahead for crazy/extremely stupid people.
D: it is easily replaceable at the end of its cycle (maybe you get a new cable when you get a new car or if you just plan to keep your car for even longer).
Looks cool!
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paulwesterberg 9:44AM (4/27/2009)
e. is not patented or owned by one company so you can buy a cable from many different suppliers and find compatible charging stations.
Snoopy 12:03PM (4/27/2009)
Well, there's nothing wrong with the company that designed the plug owning the patent for it. The problem arrises when the company is unwilling to license the design to other manufacturers or the product to other suppliers. As long as they do that, things should be available in good amounts and at decent price points.
Regardless, does anyone know how to get some stock in Yazaki by any chance?
Geoff de Ruiter 6:48PM (4/26/2009)
Is it possible to find out whether or not Tesla uses this system as well? or perhaps even any of the other start ups such as Aptera. Hopefully Tesla is and Aptera should before their production start. I still feel that Tesla and Aptera should parter, different enough products to not overlap, same future goals of an electric future.
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why not the LS2LS7? 12:24PM (4/27/2009)
Tesla does not use that system.
Aptera? What? There are 3 Apteras in the word, why does it matter what Aptera adopted?
Geoff de Ruiter 2:59PM (4/27/2009)
Thanks for the answer. Your snarky comment was not appreciated though in regards to Aptera, grow up. I was looking to the future for Apteras sake, I of course want the best for them.
TEG 7:45PM (4/26/2009)
I put some related information here:
http://TEG.NET/EV/charging.html
Tesla doesn't use this system *yet*, but I imagine they might make a J1772 to Tesla adapter at some point once this standard takes hold.
BillySharps,
NEMA standard connectors aren't really designed for the outdoor frequent plug/unplug activities you need with an EV charger. Also there are additional safety interconnects with this sort of plug that will cut power if there is a ground fault or the charging equipment doesn't detect an actual EV plugged into it.
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BillySharps 3:16AM (4/27/2009)
I'm not so sure about that. Heavy duty, standard extension cords are pretty durable. Think of construction sites. Those things go through many more cycles than a car would. Besides, they're cheap and easily available, meaning that if they go bad you can grab a new one from anywhere. Also, can't they put the safety hardware in the car itself? Or is there more to it? If they work for everyday use, surely we can use them for an electric car. The current levels for the Volt shouldn't be that high. Also, no alignment issues as others have pointed out.
Correct me if I'm wrong.
why not the LS2LS7? 12:25PM (4/27/2009)
This isn't supposed to be a standard for a Volt, but for all electric cars.
Chris M 12:08AM (4/27/2009)
The positives: Good safety design.
The negatives: Proprietary design could prove to be expensive if Yazaki gets greedy. Round connectors often have alignment issues that are likely to be annoying - the little round mini-DIN connectors used on computers have been notorious for being difficult to align and plug in, leading to bent pins and damaged connectors.
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CJ 8:37AM (4/27/2009)
Exactly. I was wondering how alignment issues would be avoided with this design. I mean, I suppose a threaded clip that only fits the correct way or something could help avoid that, but it could get somewhat annoying.
Snoopy 12:17PM (4/27/2009)
From the look of things, it appears that it will be rather difficult to connect this improperly.
why not the LS2LS7? 12:27PM (4/27/2009)
DINs were round too, and although difficult to get oriented at times, they didn't have problems with bent pins, because the pins are so much larger. This, having even larger pins won't have a problem with bent pins.
As to the problem of orienting it correctly. this seems to have a huge lug on one size and a big clip on the other.
TEG 12:29PM (4/27/2009)
Regarding alignment issues, look more closely at the big picture they have here at the top. There is a beefy guide pin at the bottom, and a clip on the top that must align first before the pins try to mate to the socket. This is no mini-DIN. I doubt it will have any alignment issues.
BillySharps,
Yes, you could use NEMA standard cables but they wouldn't be as safe and consumer friendly. The average person doesn't want to be exposed to the same level of shock hazard as can be found at a typical construction site. (They don't want to have to wear a hard hat all day either). This J1772 connector is designed to make it basically impossible to electrocute yourself, which isn't true of something like a NEMA 14-50 where you could touch the pins as they go into the socket. Also the safety interconnects on proper EV charging cables prevent you from doing things like driving away with the charging cable still plugged into the vehicle.
These sort of cable standards allow some communication between the vehicle and charge controller which you don't get with a 'vanilla' NEMA cable.
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TEG 12:32PM (4/27/2009)
This picture shows a bit more:
http://www.sae.org/dlymagazineimages/5889_5641_ART.jpg