500 (Electric) Hi, new from Norway.

[OrGazM]

Just replaced the wife's Smart ForTwo (2003) with a Fiat 500e (2021).
Gonna take a while to get used to it......it's 20 years more advanced!

I'm Gary (Gaz) my wife's name is Hille.

I'm a Yorkshire Lad, now married to a Norwegian woman.

My username may sound a little strange (rude), but it was actually given to me by a teacher at school when I was 15.
He asked a class of 30 teenage boys a question, and said..... "Who can answer this Gaz H or Gaz M?" (There was a Gary Hardcastle, and a Gary Metcalfe in the class).
Took around 5 seconds before laughter started as a "Master" (yeah, they were called that then!) saying "OrGazM".

I've used the nick since then.
(Should mention that was 50 years ago!)

Hope I don't have too many questions.

Gaz

 

[ben]

Hey Gaz, great to have another 500e member on board. Slowly but surely they're building up!

Why not add your car to the garage, properly show it off

 

[OrGazM]

Hey Gaz, great to have another 500e member on board. Slowly but surely they're building up!

Why not add your car to the garage, properly show it off

Hi Ben,
REALLY new 500e owner (like 3 days now).
Wife's..... "has to get her to work and back", nurse mostly working nights!
Still finding my way around the forum, but the "Electric" section seems limited (by current standards....pun intended!)

Tried to respond to your "Moderator(s)" wanted......but was denied.

I'm a 65 year old "ex-petrol head".
She's got the 500e, I've got a VW 2.5TDi T4 van.

I usually spend at least 3 hours/day causing trouble in the VW T4 Forum (https://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/categories/t4-forums.4/)
I'm "opinionated" and Bi-Polar....read a few of my threads/posts in there if you want to get an idea of what I am like.

"Moderators" when I 1st started in forums had the job of deleting spam/blatant adverts and "calming arguments down".
What does it involve now?

I don't know if I'm suitable (and wouldn't until I was tried and tested I guess), but feel free to ask me any questions you want.

NOT everyday I have 3 hours spare, but especially in "winter time" (October to March in Norway), I spend most of the day in front of my PC.

You have my email if you want to contact me.

Roll The Credits.

Gary (Gaz/OrGazM)

 

[varesecrazy]

Hi and welcome Gaz

 

[OrGazM]

3rd post, and sorry, a question (I hated this on the T4 forum), but does anyone know if the 500e can be charged 3 phase at 230 volts?
Strange system we have in Norway...3 wires, 230 volts between them, but NO Neutral wire. (The "earth" is just a copper rod 2m into the soil!)

I've just started digging my drive up to run a cable, but then I got a msg from the charger manufacturer, that as far as THEY know, only Tesla can use 3 phase 230 volt system.
Dealer doesn't have a clue (as usual!).
Anyone "testical" out there that can help?

Gaz

 

[varesecrazy]

Hi Gary

Electrical.. NOT my field of expertise

Typically - I was surrounded by people who MIGHT know today..

Can you give us more specific info?

There are a few on here who MIGHT know

 

[OrGazM]

Well UK electrics I was raised on (1st 240 shock when I was 9!).
Live, Neutral and Earth.
Touching live tingles, neutral does nothing, same for earth.

Norway has a strange system to old houses.
It's 3 phase Delta.
3 wires, 230 volts between each one, and NO neutral.
Touch any one and you "feel it".
It's quite silly, as Norway use the screw bulbs, so the metal screw section is just as "live" as the centre pin.
Also makes a joke of labels that say "This appliance must be earthed".

So in my house, the basement runs from P1-P2, ground floor P2-P3, upstairs P3-P2.
NOT quite that simple as I had to mess around trying to balance out the loads between them.

Anyway, got this Fiat 500e....bought a Norwegian designed (but probably built in China!) charger box.
Zaptec is the make, and approved by Norwegian vehicle authority.

3 phase supply actually runs to my garage, so "only" needed to take part of the drive up and drill through some concrete to run a cable.

Then I contact Zaptec about how I should set the current on it.
They tell me..."Well, with a 16A supply, it should be set to 16A output. BUT, with the Norwegian 3 phase system, only the Tesla currently (another pun) can use that method......most other cars in Norway would default to singe phase 230v."

That means, I've gone to a hell of a lot of work (and almost 1000 quid), to gain about 10% extra than the "plug in the wall" charger.

I've either bored (I did in concrete) the hell out of you, or given someone a laugh at my expense!

Gaz

 

[OrGazM]

Update.
It seems the Fiat only charges on single phase.