Hi all,

 

Don't even have my car yet and I am already looking at modifications.

 

Does anyone know if it is possible to replace the UK rear storage compartment with the, I believe European, compartment that has the 230v invertor? Is the wiring all there already and it's just a matter of changing the part and maybe getting someone to do a little recoding if required?

 

I have a mobility scooter (a major reason for buying the Superb Estate) and would like to be able to charge it on the go.

 

Thanks

Sadly, no. I tried to get it done as a retrofit primarily for the second active USB and had several different dealerships in Germany look into it but all eventually came back with the same answer: Sorry, it can only be fitted at the factory at time of production.

Probably cheaper and easier to buy an inverter for the 12 volt socket. I have a 150 watt inverter sat in the glove box which, when I need it, is good enough to charge a laptop using the mains lead along with two USB ports for tablets but there are larger capacity inverters to cope with your scooter if you require more wattage. Just bear in mind the higher in wattage you go the louder the cooling fan will tend to be, but for you that may not be an issue as you can plug it into the 12 volt socket in the boot.

I know nothing about mobility scooters - battery types, charging connectors, control of charging current etc. but putting "mobility scooter car charging" into Google gets lots of hits for chargers.  I would expect that converting 12v to 24v would be better than 12v>230v>24v.  

Just an update on this topic, I am looking at have my dealer retrofit the 230v socket to the rear of my car. There was a small error with the ordering of the car that meant that the socket wasn't included on delivery a couple of weeks ago. Dealer is being great about it so its not a big issue to me - mistakes happen and they are resolving issue in a professional way so no need to make a fuss. One thing they mentioned today when giving me an update on progress they have found out that the unit can be ordered and fitted no problem and the 230v socket will work fine. The problem apparently is getting the two USB ports to work and be able to be used correctly with the head unit (ie so you can plug devices in the rear and share or control data via the Columbus unit).

 

Thought I would mention as it seems for someone wanting just the 230v socket, as with the mobility scooter scenario, it seems possible albeit with the caveat that the USB wouldn't work.

 

The dealer is in touch with the factory to find a solution for me, so i'll update when I know more - if they don't get an answer quickly from the factory, they are going to attack one of the showroom cars that has a 230v from the factory with a spanner to see what is lurking underneath the socket  

1 hour ago, markytop said:

Just an update on this topic, I am looking at have my dealer retrofit the 230v socket to the rear of my car. There was a small error with the ordering of the car that meant that the socket wasn't included on delivery a couple of weeks ago. Dealer is being great about it so its not a big issue to me - mistakes happen and they are resolving issue in a professional way so no need to make a fuss. One thing they mentioned today when giving me an update on progress they have found out that the unit can be ordered and fitted no problem and the 230v socket will work fine. The problem apparently is getting the two USB ports to work and be able to be used correctly with the head unit (ie so you can plug devices in the rear and share or control data via the Columbus unit).

 

Thought I would mention as it seems for someone wanting just the 230v socket, as with the mobility scooter scenario, it seems possible albeit with the caveat that the USB wouldn't work.

 

The dealer is in touch with the factory to find a solution for me, so i'll update when I know more - if they don't get an answer quickly from the factory, they are going to attack one of the showroom cars that has a 230v from the factory with a spanner to see what is lurking underneath the socket  

 

Sounds like an unusually proactive dealer, unfortunately we can't have the 230v socket option in the UK

 

What charging current are you looking to need for the mobility scooter?

Thanks for all the answers. Was just hoping to trickle charge the scooter while on the go. It is 24v, but will have to check the charger input in the next few days.

I didn't think the USB sockets connected to the head unit anyway, thought the rear one only provided power? Was just hoping that as the same parts are used in multiple cars it might be the case of just finding the correct connection on the wiring loom.

5 hours ago, knfruitbat said:

I didn't think the USB sockets connected to the head unit anyway, thought the rear one only provided power?

rear also connected to Columbus, just the provided power isn't enough strong to charge device which is in use.

 

i charge by 12v adopter

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Qualcomm-Certified-Quick-Charge-3-0-3-USB-Charge-Ports-Car-Charger-Quick-Charge-3/32671333375.html

Hi,

 

if all you want is to charge the scooter battery this should do the job for you, you may want to put in a series resistor to limit the charge if the scooter does not have any charge regulation on-board.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Voltage-Booster-Power-Converter-Regulator-x/dp/B00OLCRXF8/ref=pd_cp_60_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=7W7AXGSTQD6MTTHWWPHY

 

John