Vehicle charging systems and methods for mitigating electric vehicle supply equipment overheating

A method, comprising:

• monitoring a temperature associated with an electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) assembly during a vehicle charging event;
• shutting down the EVSE assembly when the temperature exceeds a predefined temperature threshold;
• and
• restarting the EVSE assembly at a first reduced charging current in response to determining that the temperature has fallen below the same predefined temperature threshold that triggered shutting down the EVSE assembly during the charging event.

A vehicle charging system, comprising:

• an electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) assembly;
• and
• a controller programmed to, during a charging event:
• (i) monitor a temperature associated with the EVSE assembly,
• (ii) reduce a delivered charging current of the EVSE assembly to zero when the temperature exceeds a predefined temperature threshold,
• (iii) restart the EVSE assembly at a reduced charging current that is lower than the delivered charging current supplied immediately prior to the shutdown only after the temperature subsequently falls below the predefined temperature threshold during the charging event, and
• (iv) repeatedly perform steps (ii) and (iii) with successive reduced charging current levels, each lower than a charging current level previously supplied prior to a respective shutdown, until the temperature associated with the EVSE assembly is maintained below the predefined temperature threshold during the charging event.