EV owner abuse of public charging stations

bwilson4web

bwilson4web

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I shared this with our local Tesla group:
upload_2021-9-13_10-16-1.webp

  • tight loops - this puts extra stress on the conductors. Called 'work hardening', copper can become brittle, break, and the cable needs to be replaced.
  • lying on ground - in a wind, the rough surface wears the outside insulation leading to early cable failure. It is also a trip hazard for anyone walking by.
  • loop on loop - this adds weight to the cable putting stress to pull the cable from the charger. Once separated, repair is expensive and time consuming.
If you've seen similar charger abuse or anything I've left off, please share images with this thread.

Bob Wilson
 
bwilson4web said:
I shared this with our local Tesla group:
View attachment 13434
  • tight loops - this puts extra stress on the conductors. Called 'work hardening', copper can become brittle, break, and the cable needs to be replaced.
  • lying on ground - in a wind, the rough surface wears the outside insulation leading to early cable failure. It is also a trip hazard for anyone walking by.
  • loop on loop - this adds weight to the cable putting stress to pull the cable from the charger. Once separated, repair is expensive and time consuming.
If you've seen similar charger abuse or anything I've left off, please share images with this thread.

Bob Wilson
Click to expand...
When time allows, I will sometimes stop and straighten up the cords at public L2, whether I charge there or not. Majority of the time, the cords are laying on the ground in a coiled heap, along with the connector gathering debris and moisture while creating a trip hazard as indicated above. Appreciation for the outlay and expense of the owner(s) who provided the (mostly free) service(s) in the first place. If the cords and equipment are left to rot, the cost of replacement will surely passed on to the end user in the form of increased charging fees, also the down time related to parts availability. It really comes down to respect of others property and equipment.
 
American said:
Hopefully, a design with retractable cables will be introduced soon. This kind of neglect should have been foreseeable!
Click to expand...

The ChargePoint L2 have such a retraction mechanism. And to top it off, you need to use the app or the RFID card to authenticate before it releases the handle from the tower.
 
ericy said:
The ChargePoint L2 have such a retraction mechanism. And to top it off, you need to use the app or the RFID card to authenticate before it releases the handle from the tower.
Click to expand...
My experience with ChargePoint locations is the retracting cord breaks, and the cables end up in a tangle on the ground. To make it worse, there's no bracket on the station so there's no way to loop them.
 
Puppethead said:
My experience with ChargePoint locations is the retracting cord breaks, and the cables end up in a tangle on the ground. To make it worse, there's no bracket on the station so there's no way to loop them.
Click to expand...
I report problems to ChargePoint. Do you?

Bob Wilson
 
bwilson4web said:
I report problems to ChargePoint. Do you?

Bob Wilson
Click to expand...
I have and found that in Vancouver their stations are sometimes owned by another company and they do not do the maintenance, for example, Vancouver Airport. Unfortunately for ChargePoint the non-functioning chargers reflect more on their reputation than on who actually owns it since they are very obviously branded with the ChargePoint logo. If I owned a charge station company I would insist on the end user having a maintenance contract.
 
DJP said:
I have and found that in Vancouver their stations are sometimes owned by another company and they do not do the maintenance, for example, Vancouver Airport. Unfortunately for ChargePoint the non-functioning chargers reflect more on their reputation than on who actually owns it since they are very obviously branded with the ChargePoint logo. If I owned a charge station company I would insist on the end user having a maintenance contract.
Click to expand...
Good point, and I agree. Publicly funded chargers (installation incentives) and operations in Canada (and possibly U.S. included) require more stringent regulations concerning the up time and accountability:

“There is currently no coast-to-coast standard being used by most government-funded public charging initiatives that require proponents to report on user experience (including uptime/downtime) at funded stations,”
Source:
https://electricautonomy.ca/2021/01/14/ev-charger-anxiety-uptime-metrics/
Lots of applications and installations accepted, but no "tracking" or minimum service requirements as of yet imposed conditionally to those receiving installation funding, a "loophole" that should be addressed;)
 
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Oddly enough I ended up at YVR on Sunday night and the ChargePoint DCFC was out of order. According to PlugShare it hasn't been working since last April!
 
At my local ChargePoint, they resolved this problem by shortening the "hose" substantially, which requires one to get really close.

o.webp


Also, makes it difficult when the charging port is on the drivers' side. And, if it's on the rear, you'll have to back in (could be interesting situation, as the spaces are angled, which means, you aren't suppose to back in).

I just hope they get 'em fixed. Luckily, I don't use it often. But, the one time I did go there, both of them were down (even though the website showed 1 Available).
 
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Y'all are taking the time to call in these problems and demand ASAP attention, right?? If the providers
don't hear about it, stuff isn't going to get fixed.

_H*
 
This is spot on!
hobbit said:
Y'all are taking the time to call in these problems and demand ASAP attention, right?? If the providers
don't hear about it, stuff isn't going to get fixed.
Click to expand...
For ChargePoint, I use their App to report the problem.

For the JuiceBox 40 Pro at Propst, I'm the 'manager' and handle any repairs. For example, the NEMA 14-50 socket melt down.

Any others, I report to the 'powers that be' if I can find them.

Bob Wilson
 
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