Plug-in vehicles come with a charging cables that can be used with any 110 outlet wherever you are. Some owners however are worried that unsecured these devices (which can cost $500 or so to replace) may go walking and have cables and locks to secure the charging cable from easy theft.
Another suggestion made has been to park with a tire across the cable.
Any expert opinion on whether that would damage the cable either “at rest” or while charging?
If it would damage the cable then having something to thread the cable through and support the car weight would be doable, but I wonder about its need.
I’d say that it is a bad idea if they are just normal power cords (although why would they cost $500? OEM markup? Not referring to the 240 v charging stations, which can go for thousands plus installation, only the 120 v cords) or even if not since that likely isn’t designed into the cables; you might get away with it for a while but the insulation will get damaged, even if just from abrasion against the driveway. A flexible conduit (one that is rated for the weight) would protect the cable and still allow flexibility.
The are actually referred to as “Level One Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE).” The 220 version (usually hardwired) that charges twice as fast is Level 2.
I have one for my Volt. I haven’t thought of parking on top of it. Nor have I given enough thought to the fact it could be stolen. $500 seems about right to replace, it’s got some sophisticated electronics. I think the cord could withstand parking on, but I’m not going to take the chance.
they’re not just normal power cords; while the actual charging hardware is in the car, the charging station/cord has to have logic in it to communicate with the car’s on-board charger to negotiate charging currents and cutoff points. I can imagine that the pack-in 120VAC charging cable that comes with most plug-in hybrids and EVs would be $500 if you bought it from the dealer.
having the cord run through a raceway (you might see something used in an office to run cords through an open area) could allow the car to be parked on it if the raceway supports the weight without distortion.
Unless your wire has a very stiff casing, parking on it will constrict the flow of electricity, reducing the voltage that your car receives, and prolong the charging times (and perhaps also damaging the circuitry). On the “upcurrent” side of the constriction, the electrons will build up pressure, causing the wire to bulge. Done repeatedly over a period of months(?) this will weaken the casing and eventually cause the wire to burst. Not only does the ruin the wire (obviously), but you get an electron flood in the parking lot, which may cause your tires (and nearby cars’ tires) to melt and fuse with the asphalt. If the electron flood is deep enough, it may flow over the tops of the shoes of motorists wading through it, with unpleasant effects.
We’ll have to hurry up and get those hydrogen based cars. Then if there’s an electron flood, you can just release some protons on it converting it to hydrogen which will float harmlessly away solving the problem.
Any reason the circuitry that’s in the cord not be put entirely in the car?
As for parking on the cord: it would not be difficult to design it so that it’s able to readily & repeatedly withstand the force of a tire. But I wouldn’t assume this was the case unless the manufacturer said so.
Advised tire pressure is 38 psi. My car weighs about 3600 pounds and each wheel therefore supports about 900 pounds, but the pressure on the cord has to be 38 psi, yes? (Which means the contact area of the tire has to be roughly 24 sq inches, which seems reasonable).) Is 38 psi on an electric cord really all that much?
That sounds like a revenue enhancement feature for the auto manufacturer. I can’t conceive why the circuitry wouldn’t have been built into the car or charger unless it was a profit making scheme.
In normal use the cord is going to be stepped on, run over, abraded, stretched and connected/disconnected thousands of times. It will definitely encounter more abuse than the end units in the chain. Back at the turn of the 20th century when things were built to last, the power cord would have been a low cost universal item available at any general store.
I wonder how effective this would be. It would prevent someone from just snatching it and running off, but most people have at least a scissor jack in their vehicle. It would only take a few minutes to get the tire off the ground and make off with it. Better thieves who steal wheels off people’s cars probably have hydraulic jacks or something that would make it even easier.
Mitch? Is that you? Are you back?
(For the life of me, I can’t find the relevant YouTube clip for that one. So, um, bonus points for anyone who catches the reference)
I believe most electric cars and plug-in hybrid cars currently sold use the SAE J1772 charging port. It can handle significantly more current than your “universal item available at any general store”. It’s also designed to be durable, allow several different charging voltages, and also has an interlock feature (so you can’t drive the car away until you remove the cable).
I believe the charging cable the OP is referring to is a generic 115 AC to J1772 cable. It’s not unique to a particular car brand. (Though I don’t know why it would cost $500; perhaps the connector itself is expensive to produce.)
driving over an electrical cord can damage it. As the tire goes up onto the cord it will try and push the cord across the floor. It will be only a little amount but over time it can tear the outer insulation. I know because I have had people drive over my cords rather than go over the cable ramps. Another thing that can happen is the internal insulation can break down causing a dead short inside the cord. No repair just throw away.
The one side plugs into any outlet, goes into a little box, and comes out into the special connector that attaches to the car. My understanding is that the for now low volume production of those connectors is part of the cost. Here’s an example of what one of these Level one chargers looks like.
CP and how does the cord come out the trunk?
Some discuss locking the cord to the tire spokes … I was thinking this was simpler. Still might be but it seems the ramp is needed. Bulky to carry around.