General Electric Company
System and method of pre-charge testing to prevent misuse of electric vehicle charging station

Abstract:

A charging station for charging an electrically powered vehicle includes a power source that provides recharging power to one or more energy storage devices on the electrically powered vehicle and a charging device that controls energy transfer from the power source to the electrically powered vehicle. The charging device provides a control pilot signal to a vehicle control circuit of the electrically powered vehicle, with the control pilot signal being received by the vehicle control circuit upon connection of the electrically powered vehicle to the charging station. The charging device measures a voltage level of the control pilot signal upon connection of the electrically powered vehicle to the charging station, performs a selected pre-charge testing routine based on the measured voltage level of the control pilot signal, and enables charging of the electrically powered vehicle from the power source upon compliance with the selected pre-charge testing routine that was performed.