Question about tethered chargers

[Rolfe]

Sorry I've been away from the forum for a few days. I might have something to report as a result, too early to tell yet.

Anyway, can someone tell me this. In chargers with tethered cables, is it possible to take the plugs out of the holsters before you've identified yourself to the charger with a card or an app or something? I mean, could any Tom Dick or Harry just walk up to the charger and take the plugs out of their holsters? Or are the plugs secured from casual interference until the charger is shown that it's got an actual customer?

I have seen a broken charger with its plugs on the ground, and when I tried to put them back they just fell out again. But I just can't remember with chargers I've used. Is it possible to plug in before you've selected the charger from the app, or tapped a card or whatever? I mean I know it isn't possible with some, but is it ever possible? Maybe Tesla chargers?

I just don't know.

 

[johnb80]

I haven't found one that locks the cable into the charger before registering either with card / code / app etc. It does seem it would be a good idea though. I also hate it that on most rapids, anyone can stop your charge, it happened to us on our inaugural MG5 trip, some kids playing in the service area went down the line of EVs stopping charges. I witnessed one driver that saw them do it to his car, he went to talk to the parents and was getting a right mouthful of abuse back, they were obviously anti EV peasants.

 

[maskull]

I think it depends on the charger . I know that BP Pulse won't release the cable without using the RFID Card, App or card details if registering as a guest

 

[Rolfe]

I know some do lock the plugs. What I needed to know was whether it was all of them or only some.

I can't remember ever trying to take the plug out of the holster before interacting with the charger, but with all these different models of charger around it's really hard to recall!

So some of them don't lock the plugs in when they're not in use. That's the answer, thank you!

 

[siteguru]

I've not yet encountered a charge point that wouldn't let me access the plug first.

 

[Rolfe]

I haven't found one that locks the cable into the charger before registering either with card / code / app etc. It does seem it would be a good idea though. I also hate it that on most rapids, anyone can stop your charge, it happened to us on our inaugural MG5 trip, some kids playing in the service area went down the line of EVs stopping charges. I witnessed one driver that saw them do it to his car, he went to talk to the parents and was getting a right mouthful of abuse back, they were obviously anti EV peasants.

I can't even remember as regards our village charger, because it has a sequence of actions (shown on the screen) which you have to do before starting the charge, and if you don't do them in the right order it won't work. One of the early steps is to tell it which of the three connectors you want (CCS, CHAdeMO or Type 2) before you plug the car in.

That's awful about kids stopping the charge. As far as I remember with our village charger you have to tap your card again to stop it. I remember one day when I was seconds from an overstay fine, frantically trying to get the damn card reader to recognise my card before the critical moment.

I've not yet encountered a charge point that wouldn't let me access the plug first.

Now I'm going to have to walk down the road to our charger and check!

I'm remembering that broken charger at Moffat. It had pretty long cables and they were all lying tangled up on the ground, with the plugs on the ground. I tried to put the CCS plug back in its holster, and it wouldn't stay there - just fell out on to the ground again. Suggests there was some active mechanism for keeping the plug in the holster in the working charger.

OK, I'm a bit sad. I went to the charger at the end of the road and I could indeed take the CCS plug out of its holster without showing it my card or indeed doing anything to the charger. Seems a bit daft, although I've never seen anyone interfering with it.

 

[siteguru]

I'm remembering that broken charger at Moffat. It had pretty long cables and they were all lying tangled up on the ground, with the plugs on the ground. I tried to put the CCS plug back in its holster, and it wouldn't stay there - just fell out on to the ground again. Suggests there was some active mechanism for keeping the plug in the holster in the working charger.

The working one probably had a working retaining hole on the plug (or an intact pip on the holder - or vice versa), whereas the broken one didn't. (E.g. someone may have simply pulled hard on the plug to get it out of the holder, rather than tilting it to release it from the retaining pip, and that action broke the plug and/or holder).

 

[Rolfe]

I don't even notice a retaining pip in the charger here. The plug only seems to stay in the holster because of the way it's designed - gravity I suppose. I could take it out with no resistance whatsoever.

 

[5teep]

A lot of the Chargeplace Scotland ones lock the plug into place but I guess it depends on the make and age?

 

[Rolfe]

I think that's right.

This was all sparked off by one of Lee MacMaster's gripes. In a very smart town, the sort of place you probably don't even bother to lock your door at night, he yanked and tugged at a plug as if it was a fault, saying "never seen that before" and then announced it was "all locked up because of vandalism." I realised I wasn't sure whether this was common, or indeed all chargers, or just some. I'm sure he has come across it before!

The CPS charger I went out and checked this afternoon is quite old actually - I'm not sure how long it's been here but it seems like a long time. It doesn't seem like a good idea to leave the plugs so that they can be pulled out by anyone and possibly damaged, and maybe newer chargers are incorporating a locking mechanism? But I'm damn sure it's not some special measure they had to implement because of vandalism in Kingussie!

 

[mg4mc]

I can't remember which ones but I've used a couple that locked the cable until you authorised - probably one of them a CPS. The vast majority though have had no lock.

 

[Rolfe]

The one that MacMaster was trying to use was CPS. So was the one I went out to try, that didn't have a lock!

 

[Gomev]

...

That's awful about kids stopping the charge. As far as I remember with our village charger you have to tap your card again to stop it. I remember one day when I was seconds from an overstay fine, frantically trying to get the damn card reader to recognise my card before the critical moment.
..

Does your village charger have an emergency stop button ?

 

[Rolfe]

Yes. I don't see how they could do away with that though.

 

[slmorgan42]

Yes. I don't see how they could do away with that though.

It does depend on the charger type. The DC rapid chargers have stop buttons but the slower AC chargers I have used don’t have stop buttons.

 

[Corindikev]

I'd have thought an emergency stop button would be a legal requirement. Certainly my home wall charger has one

 

[johnb80]

I'd have thought an emergency stop button would be a legal requirement. Certainly my home wall charger has one

I don't see why it would be a requirement nor a need for it. The system can monitor all what's happening and stop automatically if parameters are exceeded. Is there an emergency stop button on your vehicle? on your washing machine? etc

 

[Gomev]

I wonder why it's there then ?

 

[DBedford]

I don't see why it would be a requirement nor a need for it. The system can monitor all what's happening and stop automatically if parameters are exceeded. Is there an emergency stop button on your vehicle? on your washing machine? etc

NO, but this is potentially dangerous equipment in a public place. Requirement of PUWER.

 

[Corindikev]

If there is a major failure in the software that manages the EVSE it can blow all the circuitry but still have the high voltage, and high current part of the system operating as it is already connected. The emergency stop button is a manual high current circuit breaker.