When choosing charging solutions for your electric car, safety comes first, along with the shortest possible charging time, because the practical side also has to be considered. You can see that all our products comply with the guidelines of the European Union and are provided with a CE quality mark. Many of our charging stations and charging cables go much further and even comply with the NEN1010 standards. But what does this actually mean and why is it so important for a charging station, mobile charger or charging cable?
What is NEN1010 and why is it important?
NEN1010 describes the provisions regarding the safety of low-voltage installations that are used in the Netherlands. This is a standard, or an agreement that has been made, but which is not law. NEN1010 and the many other safety provisions are particularly important, because they offer clear guidelines and regulations that must promote and guarantee safety in all buildings in the Netherlands. Since almost all buildings have an electrical installation, NEN1010 is relevant for almost all installers.
We will not elaborate on this on this page. What we want to talk about here is the role and function of the NEN1010 standards for charging products. Not all manufacturers and distributors pay attention to this, while it is of great importance if you want to charge safely, something that we at Accu-Machine.nl pay full attention to.
How do you know if a product complies with the NEN1010 standards?
A charging station, mobile charger or charging cable that complies with the NEN1010 standards is equipped with a type B earth leakage protection. You would expect that the products always state when they comply with important guidelines, but because this is a standard and not a provision or law and because other sellers pay relatively little attention to it, the information is often missing from the description. Because we attach great importance to safe charging and optimal, high-quality charging solutions, we state with all products when they comply with the NEN1010 standards. This makes it considerably easier for you to find the right charging solution, even if you want to charge safely and optimally at high or very high charging speeds.
What advantages does NEN1010 offer in charging cables and charging stations?
The Dutch Standardization Institute (NEN) has followed the guidelines of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) when drawing up the NEN1010 regarding charging stations. It states that these must be connected to a type B RCD, although a type A offers almost all the necessary safety and protection in most cases. The ( on-board ) charger in the electric car is galvanically isolated from the other components. However, the IEC has prescribed the type B RCD because a standard type A RCD could simply miss pulsating fault current (which cannot be detected by this earth leakage circuit breaker) and that is why a type B is the standard .
Please note: the Renault ZOE is the standard exception when it comes to type A and type B ALS leakage protection. In this car, there is no galvanic isolation between the charger and the inverter. Because this can cause leakage currents that can only be detected by a type B ALS, a type B ALS is always the rule when charging a ZOE .
Do I only have a charging station or charging cable that meets the NEN1010 standards when I charge DC?
Unfortunately, the story is a bit more complicated and this has to do with the connection where the charging takes place and the way in which you charge the car. If we turn the story around, it becomes considerably easier. If you opt for a charging cable or charging station with a type B earth leakage circuit breaker according to the NEN1010 standards, you do not need an additional earth leakage circuit breaker with type B (or a type A with DC leakage protection). It also means that you can charge on any desired group, because the charging solution itself is already equipped with leakage protection that detects DC voltage differences and switches them off in time (within 0.3 seconds according to the NEN1010 standards).
If you do not opt for a charging station or charging cable that meets the NEN1010 standards, extra attention must be paid to the connection itself. Pay particular attention to this, because a cheaper solution is often chosen (standard type A ALS or a type A with DC leakage protection, which is cheaper, but switches off much faster, causing the charging session to be interrupted too often). This is possible because the NEN1010 is a standard and therefore not a law. This is also one of the reasons why choosing a charging station, mobile charger or charging cable that meets the NEN1010 standards is immediately the easiest way to create a suitable and safe charging environment.
Find the right charging solution for your situation immediately at Accu-Machine.nl
With us you will always find the right charger or charging cable to charge your electric car optimally and safely. Can't find the right charger or do you have questions about a specific product? Then contact us, our experts are ready to assist you personally so that you too can soon charge your EV with a new charger or charging cable from our extensive range.
