Avcon
Encyclopedia
Avcon is a company that manufactures charging interfaces for battery electric vehicle
s (EV). The lettering convention is Avcon for the company and AVCON (capitals) for the EV charging head.
The AVCON conductive interface was used by the Ford Ranger EV
truck and the Honda EV Plus
. The AVCON conductive EV charging system consists of a rectangular charging head (the male
handle) which plugs into an AVCON inlet (the female receptacle) mounted on the vehicle.
It is compatible with the November 2001 version of the SAE J1772
"SAE Electric Vehicle Conductive Charge Coupler" recommended practice for surface vehicles.
The American and Japanese plug-in vehicles that came to market in 2011 such as the Chevrolet Volt
and Nissan Leaf
use a round connector based on the 2009 revised SAE J1772 specification for level 2 charging.
inductive charging
paddle used by the General Motors
' Saturn EV1 and Chevy S10 EV, plus the 2002 Toyota RAV4 EV
. Ford and Honda
chose AVCON as a more cost effective EV charging solution to transfer the same 6KW AC power to the EV's on-board charging system (208 to 240 VAC, 40 amp circuit into the charging head).
Many public EV charging installations funded by the California Air Resources Board
(CARB - money came from DMV
fees) had to have both an inductive and a conductive AVCON charging head. This meant twice as much money was spent because the simple, cost-effective AVCON was not adopted by all Automakers. These public EV charging installations did not use Avcon model charging heads; they used the more expensive EVII ICS-200 model AVCON charging heads.
Automakers abandoned their promise to CARB to produce production EVs for public purchase by using a CARB mandate loophole (selling slow neighborhood EVs or carts to obtain their CARB credits) and very few production EVs were actually sold to the public (either inductive or conductive).
(SAE J1772-2009), the evolutionary conductive charging successor to the AVCON based on the SAE J1772-2001 standard. Previously in 2002, AVCON was ultimately endorsed by the California Air Resources Board
(CARB) over Magne Charge, which caused GM to retire inductive paddle technology.
Since conductive EV charging AVCONs can be used by all EVs by using an AVCON adapter box that provides a 240V NEMA 14-50 outlet), and inductive EV charging cannot, some RAV4 EV drivers have taken to bringing their SPI TAL inductive charger with them. This allows RAV4 EVs with an inductive charging system to recharge from public, conductive, AVCON EV charging heads. This practice will fade away since virtually all 2011 and later production Electric Vehicles are equipped with a SAE J1772
charge port. Drivers of the few 2011 and later or conversion vehicles are either using SAE J1772
adapters that connect to their chargers or are putting SAE J1772
charge ports in their vevicles.
hosts (the companies giving the free electric power: Costco
, shopping malls, etc.) withdrew they support for the cost of repairs of their public AVCON EV charging stations. The Electric Auto Association
(501.3c nonprofit) members have stepped up by having EV charging funds the public can donate to so these EV charging stations can be repaired after vandals damage them. This keeps the EVs on the road by extending their range for very little electricity cost to the host.
AVCON stations are being converted to SAE J1772
(SAE J1772-2009) or phased out starting in 2011.
Battery electric vehicle
A battery electric vehicle, or BEV, is a type of electric vehicle that uses chemical energy stored in rechargeable battery packs. BEVs use electric motors and motor controllers instead of, or in addition to, internal combustion engines for propulsion.A battery-only electric vehicle or...
s (EV). The lettering convention is Avcon for the company and AVCON (capitals) for the EV charging head.
The AVCON conductive interface was used by the Ford Ranger EV
Ford Ranger EV
The Ford Ranger EV is a battery electric vehicle produced by Ford Motor Company. It was produced starting in the 1998 model year through 2002 and is no longer in production. It is built upon a light truck chassis used in the Ford Ranger. A few vehicles with lead-acid batteries were sold, but most...
truck and the Honda EV Plus
Honda EV Plus
The Honda EV Plus was the first battery electric vehicle from a major automaker with non-lead acid batteries. Roughly 340 EV Plus models were produced and released. The EV Plus was taken out of production in 1999 when Honda announced the release of its first hybrid electric vehicle, the Honda Insight...
. The AVCON conductive EV charging system consists of a rectangular charging head (the male
Gender of connectors and fasteners
In electrical and mechanical trades and manufacturing, each half of a pair of mating connectors or fasteners is conventionally assigned the designation male or female...
handle) which plugs into an AVCON inlet (the female receptacle) mounted on the vehicle.
It is compatible with the November 2001 version of the SAE J1772
SAE J1772
SAE J1772 is a North American standard for electrical connectors for electric vehicles maintained by the Society of Automotive Engineers and has the formal title "SAE Surface Vehicle Recommended Practice J1772, SAE Electric VehicleConductive Charge Coupler”...
"SAE Electric Vehicle Conductive Charge Coupler" recommended practice for surface vehicles.
The American and Japanese plug-in vehicles that came to market in 2011 such as the Chevrolet Volt
Chevrolet Volt
The Chevrolet Volt is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle manufactured by General Motors. The Volt has been on sale in the U.S. market since mid-December 2010, and is the most fuel-efficient compact car sold in the United States, as rated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency...
and Nissan Leaf
Nissan Leaf
Nissan introduced its first battery electric vehicle, the Nissan Altra at the Los Angeles International Auto Show on 29 December 1997. The Altra EV was produced between 1998 and 2002, only about 200 vehicles were ever produced, and it was mainly used as a fleet vehicle for companies such as...
use a round connector based on the 2009 revised SAE J1772 specification for level 2 charging.
Conductive versus inductive charging systems - the historical battle
The AVCON conductive interface was the primary competitor to the Magne ChargeMagne Charge
Magne Charge is a largely obsolete inductive charging system, also known as J1773, used to charge battery electric vehicles formerly made by General Motors, for vehicles such as the EV1, Chevy S10 EV, and other electric vehicles. It was produced by the General Motors subsidiary Delco Electronics....
inductive charging
Inductive charging
Inductive charging uses an electromagnetic field to transfer energy between two objects. This is usually done with a charging station. Energy is sent through inductive coupling to an electrical device, which then can use that energy to charge batteries....
paddle used by the General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
' Saturn EV1 and Chevy S10 EV, plus the 2002 Toyota RAV4 EV
Toyota RAV4 EV
The RAV4 EV was an all-electric version of the popular RAV4 SUV produced by Toyota. It was leased from 1997 to 2003, and at the lessees request, many units were sold after the vehicle was discontinued. A total of 1,485 were leased and/or sold in California to meet the state’s mandate for...
. Ford and Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
chose AVCON as a more cost effective EV charging solution to transfer the same 6KW AC power to the EV's on-board charging system (208 to 240 VAC, 40 amp circuit into the charging head).
Many public EV charging installations funded by the California Air Resources Board
California Air Resources Board
The California Air Resources Board, also known as CARB or ARB, is the "clean air agency" in the government of California. Established in 1967 in the Mulford-Carrell Act, combining the Bureau of Air Sanitation and the Motor Vehicle Pollution Control Board, CARB is a department within the...
(CARB - money came from DMV
Department of Motor Vehicles
In the United States of America, a Department of Motor Vehicles is a state-level government agency that administers vehicle registration and driver licensing. Similar departments exist in Canada...
fees) had to have both an inductive and a conductive AVCON charging head. This meant twice as much money was spent because the simple, cost-effective AVCON was not adopted by all Automakers. These public EV charging installations did not use Avcon model charging heads; they used the more expensive EVII ICS-200 model AVCON charging heads.
Automakers abandoned their promise to CARB to produce production EVs for public purchase by using a CARB mandate loophole (selling slow neighborhood EVs or carts to obtain their CARB credits) and very few production EVs were actually sold to the public (either inductive or conductive).
Success of the conductive system
CARB now endorses SAE J1772SAE J1772
SAE J1772 is a North American standard for electrical connectors for electric vehicles maintained by the Society of Automotive Engineers and has the formal title "SAE Surface Vehicle Recommended Practice J1772, SAE Electric VehicleConductive Charge Coupler”...
(SAE J1772-2009), the evolutionary conductive charging successor to the AVCON based on the SAE J1772-2001 standard. Previously in 2002, AVCON was ultimately endorsed by the California Air Resources Board
California Air Resources Board
The California Air Resources Board, also known as CARB or ARB, is the "clean air agency" in the government of California. Established in 1967 in the Mulford-Carrell Act, combining the Bureau of Air Sanitation and the Motor Vehicle Pollution Control Board, CARB is a department within the...
(CARB) over Magne Charge, which caused GM to retire inductive paddle technology.
Since conductive EV charging AVCONs can be used by all EVs by using an AVCON adapter box that provides a 240V NEMA 14-50 outlet), and inductive EV charging cannot, some RAV4 EV drivers have taken to bringing their SPI TAL inductive charger with them. This allows RAV4 EVs with an inductive charging system to recharge from public, conductive, AVCON EV charging heads. This practice will fade away since virtually all 2011 and later production Electric Vehicles are equipped with a SAE J1772
SAE J1772
SAE J1772 is a North American standard for electrical connectors for electric vehicles maintained by the Society of Automotive Engineers and has the formal title "SAE Surface Vehicle Recommended Practice J1772, SAE Electric VehicleConductive Charge Coupler”...
charge port. Drivers of the few 2011 and later or conversion vehicles are either using SAE J1772
SAE J1772
SAE J1772 is a North American standard for electrical connectors for electric vehicles maintained by the Society of Automotive Engineers and has the formal title "SAE Surface Vehicle Recommended Practice J1772, SAE Electric VehicleConductive Charge Coupler”...
adapters that connect to their chargers or are putting SAE J1772
SAE J1772
SAE J1772 is a North American standard for electrical connectors for electric vehicles maintained by the Society of Automotive Engineers and has the formal title "SAE Surface Vehicle Recommended Practice J1772, SAE Electric VehicleConductive Charge Coupler”...
charge ports in their vevicles.
Charging stations
With no current production EVs available using the AVCON standard, EV charging stationCharging station
An electric vehicle charging station, also called EV charging station, electric recharging point, charging point and EVSE , is an element in an infrastructure that supplies electric energy for the recharging of electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric-gasoline vehicles) or semi-static and mobile...
hosts (the companies giving the free electric power: Costco
Costco
Costco Wholesale Corporation is the largest membership warehouse club chain in the United States. it is the third largest retailer in the United States, where it originated, and the ninth largest in the world...
, shopping malls, etc.) withdrew they support for the cost of repairs of their public AVCON EV charging stations. The Electric Auto Association
Electric Auto Association
The Electric Auto Association is a non-profit educational organization that promotes the advancement and widespread adoption of Battery electric vehicles. It was formed in 1967 in San Jose, California.-Members:...
(501.3c nonprofit) members have stepped up by having EV charging funds the public can donate to so these EV charging stations can be repaired after vandals damage them. This keeps the EVs on the road by extending their range for very little electricity cost to the host.
AVCON stations are being converted to SAE J1772
SAE J1772
SAE J1772 is a North American standard for electrical connectors for electric vehicles maintained by the Society of Automotive Engineers and has the formal title "SAE Surface Vehicle Recommended Practice J1772, SAE Electric VehicleConductive Charge Coupler”...
(SAE J1772-2009) or phased out starting in 2011.