Should the charger be "on-board" or not?

I'm new to this hobby but I'm also completely new to Electric Vehicles. So I've never been to a charging station, I have no idea what the options are. I assume one of them is a standard 120v 15amp AC outlet, but I wouldn't be surprised either way.

What are the pros and cons of installing the charger so that it is on-board? I have a very small charger, only 3amps, and I believe I will have space for it inside my battery box that I'm about to start building. The batteries can be charged at much more than 3 amps but I couldn't find a better one (I didn't look very hard though, to be honest).

What is the best practice? If the charger is not on-board, then what connector should be used?

Is the term "on-board charging" even what I think it is? It's not some old term that been replaced by "regenerative braking" is it?

Thanks!

For larger EVs, an onboard charger is a great idea. You can use an adapter to charge from EV charging stations, as long as the charger can accept 240 volts. For little EVs it can make as much sense to just carry the charger with you as needed. Do you think that you'll be needing to charge away from home much? If so, then maybe get a spare charger, and carry the smaller one with you. Building in a 120 volt charger is usually only worth it for larger vehicles. How big is yours, and what range are you expecting?

Regenerative Braking is completely different from "onboard charger." It means recovering some (usually less than 40%) of the energy wasted by using friction brakes, instead using it to partially charge the battery.

Some chargers are potted so they are protected against unexpected rains and heavy shocks from hitting a pothole.

I would rather have two chargers, a simple dumb charger for work, and a full-featured smart-charger at home.

mannydantyla said:

What are the pros and cons of installing the charger so that it is on-board?

Click to expand...

Pros -
Less likely to get stuck
Can charge at work/store etc
Can leave battery at lower state of charge (helps with life) if you can charge at both ends of the trip

Cons -
Weight
Rain/dirt can damage it

I would _not_ put it inside the battery housing. Put it elsewhere so the heat does not warm the battery.

mannydantyla said:

I have a very small charger, only 3amps, and I believe I will have space for it inside my battery box that I'm about to start building.

Click to expand...

Does it have a fan? If so, you have to add ventilation to that box that ducts the air in from the outside to the intake, and something that allows or ducts the outlet air to the outside (if you live in a cold place you can let it pass the battery first, if you live in a hot place you should duct it out as close as possible to the charger).

Much better not to put it in the battery box at all unless you live in such a cold place that you always need to heat the battery anyway.

There are many good chargers, and many many many many more crappy ones.

If a charger is not built to handle vibration/etc., I wouldn't mount it on the vehicle. It will probably get bounced apart over time. Various cheap chargers have been shaken to death and posted about on the forum over time--capacitors broken off, or even transformers!, sometimes just cracked solder joints or PCB traces, or even just broken-off internal wiring.

If it is solidly potted, like the Meanwell HLG-600H-54A (which autoswitches between 110v and 220v) I have mounted on the bottom of the SB Cruiser trike (where it has also been submerged in flashflood waters while riding home at least twice), then it will work fine as an onboard charger.

If it is built for the conditions (whether potted or not) like the Cycle Satiator from Grin Tech, which I have carried on the trike a lot though it isn't mounted to it anymore, then it will also work fine as an onboard charger.

Thanks guys. Yes there's a fan on the charger so I guess it would be a bad idea.

And it's not built to handle vibrations, I didn't even think about that.

It's just that there was a really good spot for it inside my oddly shaped battery pack. It's shaped only so that it will fit inside what I'm calling the "battery tank" - a teadrop shaped metal enclosure that will somewhat resemble a gas tank.

I will not fix a charger to my planned build.
I suppose, in most cases I will not need (or have the possibility ) to charge if I am not at home.

IF there will be need and opportunity, I will simply take my charger with me.

All my bicycles and motorbikes (electric or not) have a place where I can transport something.
Otherwise they simply wouldn't make sense to me.