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First time I've seen one of these in the wild. I wonder if the guy is paying or if the device cycles every few mins to get free electric?

The commando is nothing more than a connector. But that looks like the extension is only 15A, so too flimsy (cross sectional area of conductors) for anything more than a ‘granny’ charger.

Oliver90owner wrote: ↑Thu Jun 05, 2025 7:41 pm The commando is nothing more than a connector. But that looks like the extension is only 15A, so too flimsy (cross sectional area of conductors) for anything more than a ‘granny’ charger.

I don't think there is any suggestion of a "granny" charger!

Stinsy wrote: ↑Thu Jun 05, 2025 5:52 pm First time I've seen one of these in the wild. I wonder if the guy is paying or if the device cycles every few mins to get free electric?

What type of device is it?

Fintray wrote: ↑Thu Jun 05, 2025 9:26 pm

Stinsy wrote: ↑Thu Jun 05, 2025 5:52 pm First time I've seen one of these in the wild. I wonder if the guy is paying or if the device cycles every few mins to get free electric?

What type of device is it?

It is a Type 2 to commando. It convinces a charging point to open its contactor so you can power mains devices. Back when you could get free charging, "vanlifers" used them to power the lights, kettle, and whatever...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/156967801858

”Ideal to charge campervan or caravan battery from EV charging points. Enables charging at services stations and public destinations where mains plugs are not available.”

Its the sort of thing that would be handy if Octopus only gave you cheap EV charging but not the house, you just need to integrate with a suitable charger and not the EV.

nowty wrote: ↑Thu Jun 05, 2025 10:29 pm https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/156967801858

”Ideal to charge campervan or caravan battery from EV charging points. Enables charging at services stations and public destinations where mains plugs are not available.”

Its the sort of thing that would be handy if Octopus only gave you cheap EV charging but not the house, you just need to integrate with a suitable charger and not the EV.

I don’t know if it still happens, but back when dumb workplace charging points were common, van lifers would pull up at office buildings at night and leech free electric using one of these.

The chargers at Tesco used to give 4hrs of free charging, then it was 15mins and you’d see people sat in their car unplugging-and-replugging every 15mins. I believe the free period is now 5 or 7 mins or similar, I wonder if the device pictured disconnects and reconnects every few minutes?

I repeat: it is simply a line-to-line connector. Nothing more. I wrote, earlier that the lead (after the connector) looked like suitable only for a’granny’ charger. I stand by my suggestion. The type 2 charging leads are all capable of delivering 7kW from a home EVSE and likely 22kW (only 3 phase items) which is the generally accepted maximum AC charging.

Early Renault Zoe cars, I believe, were able to charge at up to around 40kW from some AC public chargers, but these would almost certainly be by a tethered lead from charger to car.

Oliver90owner wrote: ↑Fri Jun 06, 2025 6:07 am I repeat: it is simply a line-to-line connector. Nothing more. I wrote, earlier that the lead (after the connector) looked like suitable only for a’granny’ charger. I stand by my suggestion. The type 2 charging leads are all capable of delivering 7kW from a home EVSE and likely 22kW (only 3 phase items) which is the generally accepted maximum AC charging.

Early Renault Zoe cars, I believe, were able to charge at up to around 40kW from some AC public chargers, but these would almost certainly be by a tethered lead from charger to car.

Repeat it all you like it isn’t true!

The device needs to communicate with the charging point to tell it to close the contactor and supply power. I believe there is a square wave communication protocol.

In EVSE devices such as the MyEnergi Zappi that can track solar generation when charging an EV at a variable rate, the square wave comms is generated by the Zappi and acted upon by the EV. It is a variable mark-space signal to indicate the maximum current the EV is allowed to take at that instance in time. Once the EV battery is full it just ignores the square wave signal and stops taking current of its own accord.

There is no intelligent comms from the EV back to the EVSE when using the Type 2 connector. That only occurs with rapid charging say via a CCS connector when the chargepoint receives data from the EV so it knows the current state of charge %.

I do not know what happens if the EV load continues taking more current than the EVSE is offering. May be the EVSE drops out the contactor to stop the charge process all together.

If anything like a Type 2 V2L connector, the only signalling back to the power source is with 2 specific resistor values and a momentary switch used to signal the EVSE to start.

Here is an example of the Type2 to Commando cable, with instructions that some charge points require operation of 2 switches in sequence to trigger the charge process and that some just require the switches to be in the on position.

https://toughleads.co.uk/collections/ev ... 9946612034

The van owner is probably charging the leisure battery, boiling a kettle etc, Could be before or after visiting an overnight stay with no mains electric available. And will still have to pay for the electric consumed if required by that chargepoint, just not very much compared with recharging an EV.