Would anyone in here who owns an EV be prepared to charge it overnight in an internal garage?
I would think it would depend where and what type of EV charging port one has installed, charging in the garage one is in the equipotential bonding zone. That is not the case if charging outside the garage. Since most homes have a TN-C-S supply, in the garage there is no requirement for loss of PEN protection, but outside the garage often there is.
Distance from an TN-C-S earthed device is important, this is causing problems with street furniture, how far away from a street light etc. In the main other items which we want to be some distance from the equipotential bonding zone, is not a problem as fire regulations require a distance greater than that which is required for electrical safety, caravan comes to mind, they need from memory 2.7 meters to the building, so the ESQCR regulations will not permit the use of a TN-C-S supply in the UK.
The BS 7671 now talks about similar construction, Section 717 Mobile or transportable units and Section 721 Electrical installations in caravans and motor caravans both talk about earthing requirements and how any items with a metal skin is a problem with the TN-C-S earthing system. So that earthing system is not permitted and it has been clarified this extends to mobile homes with metal skins. Also there is the touch voltage, in the main 50 volt is the limit with AC, after that is stops being extra low voltage, there is reduced low voltage with 55 or 64 volt to earth, but in the main the limit is 50 volt.
However the UK supply is 230 volt +10% - 6% so 216.2 to 253 volt and for loss of PEN protection the standard method is to measure the three phases, and if any phase goes out of the range 216.2 to 253 volt then disconnect not only the lives, but also the earth. This is not a problem, however if you only have a single phase of a three phase supply to the house, the system can't monitor the other two phases, so one can have a loss of PEN without the voltage to a single phase going out of range, so they have permitted the system to go 75 volt from true earth on the PEN, some systems do use a small earth rod as a reference, but not all.
So the in garage or on the drive becomes a big issue when charging. Personally I think TN-C-S should be banned, but that would cost too much, so the EV needs to be so that when charging, with a loss of PEN you can't touch two metal objects one true earth and one connected to the PEN. It seems simple, make the EV class II, but that has not been done.
So charged in garage or on the drive is a big issue. My garage well before I bought the house was turned into a flat, bedroom, bathroom, living room and kitchen, that would have been a great garage, 24 foot wide, not sure how deep, but I also have a drive at the rear of the house, where I could park an EV 10 meters from the house on its own TT supply, most people are not that lucky.
