What are the safety protocols for the AC side of the equation when I charge my EV?
First, grounding. The vehicle chassis should be connected to AC ground. Second, GFI (ground fault interrupt) circuits should be employed. The NEC requires a Ground Fault Interrupt (GFI) device to be incorporated into the AC wiring used to charge any EV. A GFI (also called a GFCI for Ground Fault Circuit Interrupt) senses the difference in current between the hot and neutral AC lines. When there is a difference, the GFI shuts off the circuit. Some people have argued that a GFI is not required for “every” EV. C’mon folks. Regardless of whether it is or not, GFI breakers and outlets are so common and inexpensive that you really don’t have an excuse to not use one. The most inexpensive chargers (K & W and Russco) have them built in, which is handy when opportunity charging. Third, there is a form of protection called isolation. This is accomplished by running the AC through a transformer with a 1 to 1 ratio (called an isolation transformer) before it goes into the charger. This provides pr
