Product Overview
EVBM-V01-R1 Installation and Operation Manual
BasicCharge Intelligent EV Charging Pedestal
December 2022
Page
8
of
36
About PEN Protection
The TruePEN system removes the need to install a dedicated earth for the chargepoint.
In the event of a fault, the system will break all power cable connections between the
chargepoint and the vehicle.
A PEN fault is most commonly seen as either, an undervoltage or an overvoltage entering
the chargepoint from the mains supply. Following initial power ON, the TruePEN system
monitors the supply voltage for 5 seconds and determines if the voltage is within normal
operating parameters. If within limits, TruePEN allows the connection of Live, Neutral and
Earth to the vehicle and continues to monitor the supply.
If the voltage goes out of limits (below 207 Volts or above 253 Volts) for a continuous
period of 5 seconds, this could be caused by a PEN fault. The TruePEN device will activate
(‘trip’) and isolate Live, Neutral and Earth to the vehicle.
x
Undervoltage
– Following an undervoltage trip, TruePEN continues to monitor the
supply and if the voltage returns to within limits for a continuous period of 5
seconds, the TruePEN device will automatically reset and restore the Live, Neutral
and Earth connections to the vehicle, allowing charging to resume.
x
Overvoltage
– An overvoltage condition is potentially more likely to damage the
vehicle so, for safety reasons, automatic recovery following an overvoltage is NOT
provided and charging cannot resume until a manual reset is performed.
Following an overvoltage condition, EV drivers are advised to investigate as far as they
can, the reasons for the overvoltage condition and to check their vehicle for correct
operation.
Occasional overvoltage conditions may simply be caused by fluctuations in the supply
but if they are frequent, the cause should be investigated by an appropriately qualified
and experienced electrical engineer and/or the electricity supply company.
Security – Tamper Protection
In conjunction with a number of the ‘Smart’ requirements, it is a requirement in the United
Kingdom that chargepoints of this type, sold after 30 December 2022, have two-levels of
anti-tamper protection.
1. Chargepoints must incorporate a boundary to guard the electrical components
from tampering whilst also providing safety to engineers.
2. The chargepoint must log and issue an alert if there is a breach or an unsuccessful
attempted breach of the boundary.
The purpose of this protection is to:
x
Protect people from harm.
x
Protect the chargepoint, the charging network and the electricity network from
malicious or accidental damage or abuse.
x
Protect the data held on the chargepoint and/or within the associated online
applications.
