Securing the charging cable

Here is a cheaper alternative, with a bit more security than the small 3/16'' plastic hole:

Located right next to the exhaust hanger:


Use most sized locks, combination, or with a key:


This solution is cheap, fairly secure, easy to access and will not limit the distance of your charging cable by much at all. Hope this helps some folks.

 

Well, I think you'd better not eat that lock.

 

I use one of these, through the passenger rear wheel, and around the charging cable and tire:

Products - Motorcycle Locks - 8428DPS - Master Lock®

 

No, but presumably you should wash your hands as soon as you can after handling it.

 

Outstanding pictures and tip I am going out today to my local home depot and picking this up. THANK YOU!

 

If you want to purchase Toyota Japan's charger lock, I suggest you use proxy shopping service.
I've used whiterabbitjapan.com and bought all kinds of original Toyota accessories for my Pip past 3 months.
They'll charge 15% of total as a fee and actual shipping cost from Japan (no mark up on shipping).
I took 10 days in average to actually get the item from time of order to delivery)

Here is link for a vendor in Japan that I've purchased from before through whiterabbitjapan.

http://item.rakuten.co.jp/chuwa-parts/t-1prp021/

Good luck!

 

Not only that, it expires after a certain number of uses. I'd secure it too, knowing that it's worth $1200.

But I question that value. Dealers are given a very high suggested list price, so that they have more freedom to offer discounts and increase customer satisfaction. I have known a few dealers who mark up the suggested list, which amounts to usury in my opinion.

I would probably buy a cable-lock, entwine it around the cord in a spiral, and lock it to the rear wheel. Yet more hassle, which is why I don't plug it in at work anymore.

 

If relying on the charger handle hole, which is what I do, and if choosing a lock other than those already tried and tested here, be careful that the hasp is long enough as well as slim enough. Sounds obvious, maybe it is obvious, but it still caught me out on my first purchase...

 

Locking isn't part of my charging scenarios. Either I am using the stock EVSE in my home garage, or I am using the plug attached to the public charging station. (Note: in the U.S., the car plug and cord are part of the public charging station for L2 charging. In Europe, the public charging stations only provide a socket; you bring your own car plug and cord. ) And the L1 Chargepoint chargers I have seen provide a socket behind a locked door, so even though you have to provide your own EVSE, its "wall plug" will be locked while charging.

I am curious as to what are the scenarios (in the U.S., particularly) where locking is an issue? Plugging into a an ordinary power outlet in a public place?

 

I've done this once only if no other options or tools are available. You can put the transformer thingy and the female plug plus the male plug of the extension cord inside the car through the passenger side rear window. Roll up the window enough to not let the transformer and plug to slip through. Obviously thief can still break the window.

 

The other option that Dianne Whitmire suggested when I picked up my PiP was to roll the tire over the cord to prevent theft. Other than cutting the cord, it seems rather foolproof for security.

However, I never take my EVSE with me. I'd much rather find an L2 charger at my destination.

Of course, finding an available free charger (located in a place that doesn't charge for parking) in Orange County, CA is akin to finding a unicorn, and any that charge by the hour are economically infeasible for PiP owners ($1/hr at L2 would still come out to $1.50 or $2.00 for the charge, which equates to what our UK and EU friends pay for petrol.

 

I would not dare to roll the tire over the cord and risk breaking the cables inside and shorting it out.

 

I doubt that would be an issue, but in theory it's possible. Not that I've ever done it.

 

+1
I could just imagine the conversation with the warranty department if something did go wrong with the EVSE... "(Dealer) The cable's worn out- looks like it's been run over multiple times?" "(PIP owner) yes, I park on top of it every time I recharge to prevent theft". Dealer reaches for the "Warranty Denied" rubber stamp.

 

Best policy!
Professional L2 or go without. It's just not worth exposing your $500+ (aftermarket ClipperCreek) EVSE for 60 cents of free electricity.

 

Actually a Blink network charger will give you 1:15 for a dollar, which equates to 95% of a charge at Level 2. At current gas prices, that's not too shabby, especially when it stretches the time between refueling trips.

 

Here is my setup <----Click

I work in an office plaza in NJ with a parking deck. I know you can jack the car and take the cable but I believe the other three PIP's with unsecure charging cables would be a first strike for a would be thief.

 

I recently purchased the lock that is sold in Japan only. I used White Rabbit as a buy service (BTW, not cheap but VERY good experience...lots of communications and very well packaged). The instructions are in Japanese and I am in the process of having them translated into English. While I am pretty sure that I can figure it out from the pictures alone (and the spare parts that came with the installation), I just want to be sure. Once I get the instructions done, I am happy to make them available and will post some pictures of the installation - once I get everything ready!

 

Just curious - what other accessories have you purchased?

 

Not sure why you are using a pad lock.
You could just secure the charging cable close to the tire with the python lock.