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Charging a Model S In the Wild
- Thread starter Todd Burch
- Start date
NigelM
Recovering Member
AndyM
Member
Nothing will save you from a determined copper thief. This provides an extra level of security.
I imagine that there is at least some threat from people stealing the cables to sell them for scrap metal. At least around here, the guys who buy the "scrap" are worse than pawn shop owners about questioning where something comes from. I doubt it's much better up there!
Adm
Active Member
Hey, hey... I take offense here... I am a scrap metal guy, and I have to admit that many of my collegues don't ask or don't care about the answer...
> Nothing will save you from a determined copper thief.
>
Tesla should have mounted the connector jack inside the trunk, or on the S inside the hatch door. A cable notch would be made in the door jamb big enough for the largest cable OD anticipated. Rubber grommets of various sizes would hang nearby- you would slip in the smallest for the 'basic cable' or larger to match whatever cable you are using at the moment. Then you would pull into the trunk all the excess cable that you can, based on how close to the EVSE you happened to park. Be sure the 'python' module is safely inside. Then clamp on a rubber faced 'vice-grip' style tool to prevent the cable being pulled out of the vehicle. Now, during charging, a perp can of course cut your cable, but all she will get will be whatever cable you left outside the vehicle. The valuable connector + at least a few feet of cable will remain, which will allow for easy repair since you won't have to take the connector apart.
When you came back to the car at the EVSE and discovered the cable theft, you thanked yourself for having remained there in person during enough of the charge cycle to allow for the trip home. Now just put in the 'no cable' grommet and drive off --or-- reach deep into the trunk and retrieve the spare cable + plug assembly, stripper tool, and crimp tool and effectuate the repair right then and there. Then complete the charge cycle.
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>
Tesla should have mounted the connector jack inside the trunk, or on the S inside the hatch door. A cable notch would be made in the door jamb big enough for the largest cable OD anticipated. Rubber grommets of various sizes would hang nearby- you would slip in the smallest for the 'basic cable' or larger to match whatever cable you are using at the moment. Then you would pull into the trunk all the excess cable that you can, based on how close to the EVSE you happened to park. Be sure the 'python' module is safely inside. Then clamp on a rubber faced 'vice-grip' style tool to prevent the cable being pulled out of the vehicle. Now, during charging, a perp can of course cut your cable, but all she will get will be whatever cable you left outside the vehicle. The valuable connector + at least a few feet of cable will remain, which will allow for easy repair since you won't have to take the connector apart.
When you came back to the car at the EVSE and discovered the cable theft, you thanked yourself for having remained there in person during enough of the charge cycle to allow for the trip home. Now just put in the 'no cable' grommet and drive off --or-- reach deep into the trunk and retrieve the spare cable + plug assembly, stripper tool, and crimp tool and effectuate the repair right then and there. Then complete the charge cycle.
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> Not sure if you are being tongue-in-cheek or serious.
The important thing is how do *you* feel about this. 8^|
It is actually much easier for me to squeeze fob than to pry open charge door. Maybe just a little wd40 is all I need. Since the 'basic cable' is all I own I'd much rather have as much of it as possible within the locked trunk, esp since it takes some 4 hrs+ to add any kind of margin to my expected range. And I'd much rather be somewhere else rather than watching this process.
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The important thing is how do *you* feel about this. 8^|
It is actually much easier for me to squeeze fob than to pry open charge door. Maybe just a little wd40 is all I need. Since the 'basic cable' is all I own I'd much rather have as much of it as possible within the locked trunk, esp since it takes some 4 hrs+ to add any kind of margin to my expected range. And I'd much rather be somewhere else rather than watching this process.
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roblab
Active Member
A sign saying "Caution -- 400 volts: This can kill you" might help. Even better, actual live wires that can actually deliver 400 volts. Ok, bad taste, but so is stealing people's charge cable.
"Don't taze me, Tesla"
I'd pay $500 extra to have "taze suspects" as a feature of my Model S security system.
gg_got_a_tesla
Model S: VIN 65513, Model 3: VIN 1913
Fodder for more anti-EV FUD
Or fodder for "don't touch my cable or my car will kill you, punk."
I've been informed there's another use for this feature.
http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/showthread.php/5897-How-to-cook-road-kill?highlight=road+kill
All of which would just make people scared (even more than they already are) of electric cars. You have to know that there are already people afraid that electric cars will electrocute them. These are the kind of jokes that can go viral, turn from jokes to urban legends, and make it that much harder to gain widespread public acceptance. Do you really want to promote a general belief that EVs are dangerous? The up side: maybe a vandal leaves your car alone. The down side: they pass laws against installing public chargers because a child who touches a cable may be killed.
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