Matt GrayI hacked car charging to work with my electric bike!
YouTube
Sammy Arson, flirting with the hard left :3@mattgrayyes one step closer to my dream of CCS to USB C
Arch 
@theresnotime @mattgrayyes USB CCCS
Alda Vigdís@theresnotime @mattgrayyes Woah. Imagine a liquid cooled high current USB-C.
Christian Kent 𝘊𝘒 :＼﹥@alda @theresnotime @mattgrayyes imagine any public transit with USB-C
They basically started rolling out USB-A in the late 2010s, so we’re only *checks watch* 20 years away from getting USB-C in the open public spaces
Natanox 🇺🇦🇵🇸@whophd @alda @theresnotime @mattgrayyes Rip. Hamburg's Hochbahn (Subway and busses) already got combined USB-A & USB-C ports.
I only see them being used very rarely though. They also only put out just enough to charge something like a smartphone (Something between 5V 1A and 2A I think, so 5 to 10W). Almost anyone is carrying a power bank by now capable of way more current.
I only see them being used very rarely though. They also only put out just enough to charge something like a smartphone (Something between 5V 1A and 2A I think, so 5 to 10W). Almost anyone is carrying a power bank by now capable of way more current.
RTG-powered Vel@Natanox in Moscow, Moskva-2020 metro trains only have USB-A (5V@3A), while some buses have USB-A and USB-C. i'm not sure what interfaces Moskva-2024 has
i have never seen either being used
Andrew@Natanox @whophd @alda @theresnotime @mattgrayyes yea I’d rather see the local AC outlet variant than gamble on a USB port
@cinebox @Natanox @whophd @theresnotime @mattgrayyes As someone with a background in the electrical trades, I'd advice against running 230 V AC on a city bus.
@alda @cinebox @whophd @theresnotime @mattgrayyes Doesn't really make sense in terms of usability anyway, those AC outlets wouldn't provide a lot of energy. Regional trains over here often have AC outlets with a sticker telling you not to pull more than 65W (despite the train being connected to a power grid). On a bus the maximum output per outlet would be miniscule.
__Miguel_@mattgrayyes That is MUCH fancier than the Mennekes to Schuko adapter I had for my Renault Twizy! 😄
Also, now we need e-bikes capable of "fast charging". Not 400/800V DC fast charging (though that would be hilarious), but capable of pulling like 1kWh from the power line to top up the battery much faster.
Of course then you'd also need to be able to cool down the battery, and something tells me air or water-cooled batteries on an e-bike might be *a tad* of scope creep... 😛
Carlos SolísAnd of course it involves a custom circuit board. Companies like PCBWay and JLCPCB have made custom circuitry far easier than before, but I wonder what might happen when those shut down with no replacement.
MichD@csolisr There are loads of prototype PCB fab places out there but certainly not all of them are quite so affordable - https://pcbshopper.com/
JWcph, Radicalized By Decency@mattgrayyes I loved the kettle test 😂😂😂
Ignacio
The Crafty Miss@mattgrayyes Now I just need a hack to make me less terrified to cycle in the city!
But seriously, this is cool and an especially helpful idea for people who don't want to have to spend £4k just to get a bike with biggest possible range. That's why -- as you say -- we need the infrastructure
World Basement Classic@mattgrayyes The image of the Dutch bike chargers looks like they have a cable rather than a socket. Is there a standard socket on ebikes to receive charging?
Simon Hewison@diffrentcolours @mattgrayyes no there is not. When I first got my ebike in 2009, the charger was rather massive. That charger eventually failed and the official replacement was considerably smaller and gained an IEC input. That made it easier to carry around. A detachable battery pack helps too. It still charges just as slow as ever, but was great when I was commuting 1h20 each end of the day.
Dag Ågren ↙︎↙︎↙︎@mattgrayyes You can actually buy converters from charging connector to normal wall socket. I bought one for this exact purpose! Not as fancily integrated, but, a good option for sane people.
gabboman the wafrn devFINALY PORTABLE TEA MACHINE
TheNovemberFella ✊🏳️🌈 🇺🇦☸️🛰️🚀
marcus@mattgrayyes Personally I'd settle for more/all e-bike models to be able to being charged via USB-C PD, which allows for 240 W for quite a while now. Just to get away from these awful, heavy, and vendor-specific charging bricks.
Wilfried Klaebe@mschomm The first 240W capable charger I saw is still quite a brick though.
Bruno Girin@mattgrayyes your laugh when you boiled that kettle is the best bit!
Effken
Paul@mattgrayyes Love the positivity in this video, not just in the solution but the joy of making. Really brightened up my day.
(and yes, nobody wants surprise live mains.)
Thank you for making and sharing.
grmon@mattgrayyes TL;DW
sebastian ⚡@mattgrayyes Fun fact about the kettle test: Back when I still worked on energy management systems I used a kettle as a dummy load all the time. I had a bunch of incandescent lights to do the 50w to 200w range and a kettle that did about 2kw for a moment on a good day. Used it to test charging stations, electricity meters and some smaller battery systems. (We did get a proper electronic load at some point.) The main problem with the kettle was that the noise kept summoning people that wanted some hot water to the lab. Folks kept drinking the coolant from my dummy load.
When a colleague did some investigation into the security of vehicle charge points, he used something else though: https://youtu.be/pUEp3uWAWqY?si=BJgFhl0kMjpkVq5X
(Full video: https://media.ccc.de/v/34c3-9092-ladeinfrastruktur_fur_elektroautos_ausbau_statt_sicherheit German but should have English translations)
Waffeln an der Elektrotankstelle backen
refraction 
@sebastian @mattgrayyes "Folks kept drinking the coolant from my dummy load" is such a funny sentence 😂
Jeremiah Fieldhaven@mattgrayyes One thing I'd suggest you do is add some drainage holes to the bottom of the box.
Water shouldn't get in there, but you could get condensation as humid air gets pulled in through gaps as a result of temperature cycling, and without drainage you might get some moisture buildup.
Wonderful project though!
Terminal TiltGreat video! While I don't live in a place that this would work (semi-rural US), I am fascinated by the tech and the idea of it.
I subbed.
Rue Mohr@mattgrayyes When I was diffing into the signalling on car chargers (cause WTF are they so expensive!?) I realized the basic handshake it pretty easy. cool project!
ken Tucky Swinson@mattgrayyes so inspiring! Love your positive energy! Thanks for sharing!
Matt Steele@mattgrayyes this was so great! I loved the @TechConnectify callout, and also I am so glad you used the DC fast chargers as a prop and not an actual power source 😀
caravantravellers 🌈By far not the first. Rene Kreher from Leipzig has done this for at least three years.
Tyrone Slothrop@mattgrayyes Amazing 🤯🤯🤯
Now what if I just plug my smartwatch into this Tesla supercharger right here… 🤔🫣🫠
Final Round Player 😷🇪🇺🍸@mattgrayyes This is the kind of problem, the EU is really good at. Legal E-Bikes should have a standard charge connector (SCC) (USB-C). The market should compete to make the smallest charger for this standard, mains electricity socket to SCC. Cafes, service stations, car charger companies, trains should compete to implement the standard so all the rider has to carry is a cable.
@jbond @mattgrayyes not a bad idea, since most ebike batteries don't charge particularly fast. Ditto for power tools. There's no reason why my drill batteries don't have USB-C PD at least as an option.
Only problem is most plug socket USB C supplies of the sort you find in cafes and trains only do +5V not the full PD spec.
Only problem is most plug socket USB C supplies of the sort you find in cafes and trains only do +5V not the full PD spec.
concretedog@mattgrayyes absolutely brill. Also here in deepest old N Wales we have lots of pre car infra (for example no road access the last 80meters to my cottage). On lane/track/gatepost bike charging would be utterly useful here.
JF 
@mattgrayyes Brilliant video.
I am amazed that the charger I have to carry is nearly as large as the battery itself.
Tryst 🏴 🇮🇪 
@mattgrayyes I need this for my wheelchair among other things >.>
Josh@mattgrayyes
Extremely cool project!
Extremely cool project!
Tobias@mattgrayyes exceptionally nice.
Christopher M0YNG@mattgrayyes brilliant! Now I'm wondering if you could do faster by replacing the BMS...
Cheetah Fluff@mattgrayyes the kettle was the funniest thing I've seen all week, lol. Great idea too!
Large Format ProjectionistI haven’t words for how brilliant your idea is, and the eloquence of your disclaimer.
You are an excellent engineer.
Ellen Propellen@mattgrayyes Love this idea, and your positive attitude 🏆
@mattgrayyes wiring diagram when? I need it for my long distance project