Leviton Manufacturing, Co., Inc.
Ground Fault Current Interruption use
with Electrical Vehicle Supply Equipment
EPRI IWC Quarterly Meeting
PHEV Working Group
Agenda
Introduction
Background on GFCI
Systems approach to GFCI use with Electric
Vehicles
Raising consumer awareness
2011 Code Changes
GFCI / WIU Product Selection
GFCI Testing
Emerging Trends
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Leviton is the market share leader in North
American electrical devices
We Make Wiring Devices, Cable,
Lighting Mgmt. Systems, & Voice &
Data Products
We make millions of units each day
Leviton Manufacturing
Owned and Operated by the Leviton
Family for over 106 yrs
We don’t answer to Wall Street
Diverse sales across multiple
industries
Worldwide presence
Facilities (including plants) in the
U.S., Mexico and China
Leviton is the preferred
supplier of EVSEs
Engineering Sites Worldwide
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Leviton managed turnkey installation
A Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter is an electrical wiring device
that disconnects a circuit…
…whenever it detects that the electric current is not balanced
between the energized conductor and the return neutral conductor
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30.0
600
25.0
500
20.0
400
15.0
300
10.0
200
5.0
100
0.0
0
# of GFCI's
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# Electrocutions
Electrocutions
700
19
94
19
97
20
00
35.0
19
70
19
73
19
76
19
79
19
82
19
85
19
88
19
91
GFCI's (millions)
Use of GFCIs has reduced the number of
electrocutions
GFCI provide protection at 5mA
4 AMPERES AND OVER
20
Heart Paralysis, Serious Tissue and Organ Burning
15
.050 AMPS TO 4 AMPS
.1 - .2 Certain Ventricular Fibrillation
.05 - .1 Possible Ventricular Fibrillation
10
4
.050
.030
30 mA - Breathing Difficult, Fibrillation in Small Children
.015
.010
.005
15 mA - Muscles “Freeze” in 50% of the Population
>10 mA - Let-Go Threshold
5 mA - GFCI Trip Level
1 mA - Perception Level
.001
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Developing tendencies on consumer GFCI
installations
Safety is important to consumers
Consumers are DIYs and cost sensitive
Level 1 cord set features impact the experience
Most consumers are unaware of their GFCI use
At this point nuisance tripping is a minor
customer concern
Consumers are primarily using their GFCIs to
charge their PHEVs
Many consumers will combine their GFCI and
Level 2 installations
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Travel cord set features may impact
customer experience with GFCI
Level 1 EVSE Cord Set
Required Circuit: Single Pole Breaker 120V, 15A; Leviton offers 2-pole breaker
NEMA 5-15P for Power Connection
NEMA 5-15R or 5-20R may be used
Stores in the Vehicle Trunk or Hangs on
the Wall
NEMA 4 Outdoor Enclosure
Auto re-closure feature
CCID – Ability to respond to a 20mA
ground fault
Select Charging Amperage: 7A or 12A
EV cord selection – 14AWG
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Indoor Use:
Height: 450 mm (18 in.) and not more than 1.2 m (4 ft) above the floor level
Outdoor Use:
Height: 600 mm (24 in.) and not more than 1.2 m (4 ft) above the parking surface.
Customer GFCI readiness is important to
reduce or eliminate field issues
Check consumer GFCI
Cord set holder
Educate consumer
on shared versus
dedicated circuits
Cord management
EVSE location
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GFCI device must be installed at a readily
accessible location
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GFCI protection for receptacles located in
nondwelling unit garages
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A 15A or 20A, 125V receptacle is not required
in dwelling unit accessory buildings
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Selecting the correct GFCI will enable
consumers to optimize their EVSE experience
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While in use covers resist moisture and dust…
…and can vary by depth
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In addition to meeting NEMA/UL/NEC requirements we
recommend further testing GFCIs with EVSEs
Every GFCI must pass
Repeatable insertion
the following “in-line”
tests
manufacturing tests
no trip below 4mA (no load)
must trip at 6mA (no load)
no trip below 4mA (with
load)
must trip at 6mA (with load)
must trip with 2 ohm
grounded neutral
must trip within 25 ms with
a 500 ohm fault
must trip with “test button”
must not trip with “noise”
calibration test at 102V
test button at 132V
1500V hi-pot
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Impact of
environmental
conditions on GFCIs
Testing GFCI at and
above load
Real-world use indoor
and outdoor with
multiple travel cord
sets
Emerging trends…
Electrical contractors should educate and
understand how the consumer is using their Level
1 cord set
Receptacles and Level 1 cord set compatibility
impacts the consumer experience
Indoor and outdoor use require different GFCIs and
additional weather protection
NEMA GFCI meet EVSE test requirements
Consumers are using receptacles to charge their
EV s and may DIY
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