Securing the charging cable

If you lose your J-1772 charger, you can build the "OpenEVSE" one, with the link posted above. The good news is, the electronics will only cost about $150 including the housing, the bad news is the J-1772 connector w/20' of cable will set you back $261 from Avent. That's the entire reason these are so pricey, low volume on the J-1772 connectors... the additonal good news is, the J-1772 EVSE you build will be capable of 30A (double what the PiP needs, so good for your next real EV or a PHEV with a 6.6KW onboard charger)

 

If I were a mischievous thief and saw the EVSE locked to the tire, I would probably find it pretty amusing to steal the EVSE+wheel+tire for kicks.

 

Of course we assume you have at least 1 locking lugnut per tire as well...

 

Well, I did consider that but I didn't see them in the picture, but the picture is small so it's hard to tell. While I have heard of them, I didn't know how they work. So I googled "locking wheel nut" and the top hits are videos explaining how to break them and kits to pick them, which leads me to suspect they aren't that hard to remove...

 

As a bolt cutter will defeat most cable locks, so a "locking" lug nut can be defeated. I have them on some cars, not on others. It is better than nothing, such that maybe the thief moves on to easier marks.

 

Nothing is theft proof. Some things are more theft resistant than others. Generally, the idea is to discourage the opportunistic thief and get them move on to an easier target.

Kind of like two guys being confronted by a bear in the forest. One guy takes off running, and his friend says "You can't outrun a bear." The other guy says "I don't have to; I just have to outrun you."

 

You don't even notice it and it's only a hole.
The plug's hole was 3/16, and I only needed a 13/64 bit for the lock to slip in.

and the tumbler lock was only $6.

 

Why?

 

I'll bet the dew faries and Mr Rain will notice if you drill a bigger hole.


Nice use of a luggage lock in this post
http://priuschat.com/forums/toyota-...onday-initial-observations-2.html#post1490939

 

I don't like modifying expensive things that are brand new. Maybe Toyota will introduce something that is designed to fit in the existing hole. If something went wrong with the electronics, Toyota could easily take one look at the modified hole and say my warranty is void (because if I drilled a bigger hole than they provided, who's to say I wouldn't tinker with the electronic circuitry).

But it won't new forever, so who knows...

 

If I understand my math right, we are only speaking of 1/64th of an inch, most people would not notice. I don't abide by the philosophy of "fear", if I want to modify for the general improvement or convenience I will. What good is owning a car if you are constantly afraid that a mod may void the warranty. Also, from the very first second as you drove off the lot your "NEW" car became "USED". :cheer2:

 

I do not know what function that hole serves. It makes me wonder if Toyota already plans to release a lock accessory for the system in the near future using that hole.

I worry about drilling into the plastic and exposing some critical parts to moisture.

 

Nothing is exposed to moisture if you open the charger Plug hole an extra 1/16".

What I think is interesting is the Warning tag on the charger cable that states "Do not expose the plug to rain and the snow."

So, I guess that there will be no charging in Seattle, WA or Rochester, NY?

 

So for your ESVE, the redrilling did not open up the inside as the 1/16" was within the material wall of the hole (and you drilled straight


Then its good solution.. your lock look like a stronger deterrent than the cable lock that others used.

 

So after reading this thread, I could do nothing but think of my charging cable out unprotected behind my business. And getting home, every car that passed I was sure was eying my cable with dollar signs in their eyes.

And looking at the cable, I'm not even sure how to protect it. Surely if someone just wants the J-1772 connector they can just snip the cable and what could I do? And the black box part looks like the plugs come off the ends...

Well, I settled for this arrangement, looping a cable around a tree and then fitting it into the lock with both sides of the cord:


I'm not terribly thrilled with this, since my plan this morning was going to be to get a second charging cord to semi-permanently install at my office. Now I've made it even harder to move around the one cable I have.

I picked a tall lock with a rubberized coating so I might have this as a backup plan, but you can imagine this would have to eventually start leaving a mark.

 

Toyota Japan sells a locking mechanism that you can install into your car's charging port, and it secures the EVSE using a key.

 

does anybody have a picture of this and know how much it would cost?

 

Yes that would be a good mod to import.

 

Hmm, if its the charging port that is soo expensive, then why aren't the J-1772 connectors at Blink and Chargepoint stations getting snatched up? Wouldn't that be easy enough to snip the wires and walk off with the J-1772 then build your OpenEVSE with your new J-1772?

I am going to look into buying all my own gear, then using the J-1772 that came with my car. Should be able to upgrade it all for less than $200.

 

Or you can just upgrade the evse you already have for $250. Check out evseupgrade.com. That would be a much better way to go.