So... I was parked at a public charging station nearby my place. And someone came and violently smashed the charger at the charging port of the car (to disconnect it?). The charging port is messed up on my car and there are dents on that side of the car. Not sure what to do at the moment. I do have comprehensive, but this is just a sucky thing in my day.
None :-( I am wondering about the insurance policy that these public charging stations sometimes carry. Maybe something to pursue?
I guess you could ask. My guess would be that you'll be stuck with what you get from your insurance after the deductible. But it's sure worth a try.
That really sucks. Sorry to hear that. Not a good reason, and it may not apply to you, but a scenario I can think of that might set someone off is being plugged in after being fully charged with limited stations for others that might have been EV only with no ICE option to fall back on? There are older posts on here about owners not locking the charge port so others could unplug with out vehicle damage just in case their vehicle finished charging and they were unaware. Your damage sort of sounds like that scenario. I only mention it as something to consider for future charging stops. None of this makes it right but people seem to be a bit crazier/shorter fused since COVID-19 started.
Ah crap! Sorry to hear that! I’ve seen charges get vandalized somewhat, but, so far, I haven’t seen cars plugged into them get vandalized.
Mines been vandella ized 4 times already. The latest one was a parking lot bump and run with a 1100 repair estimate and the first not covered by comp. That one was the least of the 4 sorry to hear they got at yours too....
Dang... So I am trying to find out what time the thug destroyed my charging port. Surely I should be able to find out what time the charger was disconnected, right? Even if charging was complete (which it was)? Would it be in some logs somewhere in the car? The reason being is that I could maybe get some surveillance footage of a nearby traffic light of the perp's car. It was very early in the morning and I'd be looking for an EV or PHEV.
Excellent point to leave the charge port unlocked! All manner of crazies out there, who knows what the motivation might have been. We even avoid using political bumper stickers lest some wack job gets agitated (though my Veterans plates brand me as a sucker and a loser).
That really sucks. I have been wondering with Newsome’s announcement about going all EV/FCEV within 15 years in California if we would see a rise in future vandalism against our vehicles. I am afraid this may already be happening!
Using a Toyota Techstream diagnostic system, look under Powertrain > Plug-in Control > Utility > Vehicle Control History. If the car was charging, or scheduled to be charging, at the time it was disconnected, you should see event X0546, Charge Delayed/Canceled (Power Supply Voltage Low), or X1010, Charge Canceled (Power Failure). The Repair Manual (more info) says both of these can occur if the plug is disconnected. Feel free to contact the agency responsible for the traffic signal, of course, but if the cameras were installed for vehicle detection or traffic management, there may be no recordings. Caltrans and many local agencies choose not to save or record video from their traffic signal and highway cameras, in part to avoid the cost of responding to requests or subpoenas.
It's a very sad state when citizens refuse to provide even meger benifits for veterans returning from defending other citizens liberty and freedoms. And neighbors who wish to provide those benifits are also branded as losers and unwanted rif raf, Even by professionals whom some still believe are employed to protect others from such abuses.
Just wondering if this is a charger that you use often, are there others that you see there that also charge there often? Perhaps one of them has a dash cam that they can review. Nobody that charges wants to see this happen. Locate the charger on plugshare.com and do a check-in report and leave a detailed note with dates and approx times asking to see if anyone saw anything. Don't wait too long as cam footage will get overwritten with time. Good luck. The craziness has gotten worse since March and it wasn't great before that. I appreciate your service and even from this distance know for a fact that you are no sucker or loser. That whole national embarrassment will be rectified soon enough. I learned a log time ago not to wear my opinions on my sleeve, bumper, or front yard.
Oh, No. That is really irritating. Do you have a large deductible on your comprehensive? I have never used a public charge station on my Prime. And reading things like this is another reason I dislike the idea of moving to BEV even if the charge station is available in our area, which there aren't. This would not have happened on a few minutes of pumping gas while you are at the car side. Leaving vulnerable charge port exposed to potential vandals for hours while the unattended car is being charged just doesn't seem safe to me.
Did you leave it in overnight? Were you shopping nearby? Just wondering the time/circumstances - 2am early? 6am? We all have different definitions.