Charging Cable Brainstorming

[PianoAl]

We will soon have a second Tesla, and it will live to the left of our current car. They will take turns charging (not a problem because the new car will rarely be driven).

As you can see, the cord won't be long enough to go around the back of the new car. I'll probably buy a short extension cord (14-50 plug, charges at 22 MPH), but I thought I'd see if there are any other clever ideas. I could suspend the cable, but that's kludgy, inconvenient, and seems risky. I could park the existing car face in, but I don't want to take the chance that the cable would be driven over by mistake.

Any other ideas before I buy an extension cord? Advice on which extension cord to buy?

Thanks!

 

[RayK]

My initial thought would be to locate another outlet, or move the existing one, to the center of the ceiling, behind the garage door opener. Combine that with some sort of arm system which can swivel around to get the cord closer to the charge port. That should make the cord available for either car parked rear in.

I found this with a little searching: Affordable and convenient way to get Tesla cables off the garage floor, trip-free charging from above!

I wouldn't think that a hanging system would be that kludgy, but it seems convenient and should be safe if there's no kinks in the cabling or places to pinch the cable. Of course it is probably the most expensive method to get the job done but it can look professional if done right.

 

[PianoAl]

Thanks. Yes, the swivel arm thing may work if I make it myself ($449 for the one in the video!). Moving the outlet would be much more expensive than an extension cord. Over the two years we've had Tesla 1, I've had no problem with the cord being on the floor.

 

[dusty22]

My mobile cable is plugged into a wall outlet. I have 4 evenly spaced bungee cords that are hooked to U hooks nailed into the ceiling cross beams. The cable is suspended on the opposite hooks of the hanging bungees. It hangs down about a foot from the ceiling and is out of the way. If I need to take the cable down for a trip, it takes just a minute to lift it off the bungee hooks. My cable never touches the garage floor.

 

[DuncanM]

Keep the primary car close to the NEMA 14-50 and purchase an inexpensive J1772 level 1 charger (and adapter), for the lesser used car and just keep in plugged into a 110v socket, and charging at ~8amps.

 

[MN-MS100D]

If your other car will rarely be driven, then simply have a dedicated 120 volt 20 amp outlet installed wherever you want. Yes, it will experience long charge times, but it is a cheap installation without extension cords.

 

[3sr+buyer]

The plug head on the Tesla mobile connector has a heat sensor to detect excess heat buildup if the plug to outlet interface is poor. If you use a 14-50 extension cord, this safety feature is lost at the outlet, though excess heat at the receptacle end of the extension cord can be detected.

 

[3sr+buyer]

Keep the primary car close to the NEMA 14-50 and purchase an inexpensive J1772 level 1 charger (and adapter), for the lesser used car and just keep in plugged into a 110v socket, and charging at ~8amps.

If a dedicated 120V 5-15 or 5-20 outlet is available for the lesser used car, a second Tesla mobile connector with a 5-15 or 5-20 plug head is probably a relatively inexpensive EVSE -- and can, if necessary, be used in other plugs with the appropriate plug adapter.

While recent electrical codes require a dedicated outlet for each parking space in a garage, older houses may have garage outlets shared with other things in the house, so using the full 12A on such outlet may be risky, hence the common recommendation to charge at a lower amperage on a 120V outlet shared with other things. However, lower amperage charging may be relatively inefficient, since the car's consumption while awake for the longer charging time significantly cuts into the amount of energy going into the car's battery.

 

[brkaus]

I used this one for 6 months or so while I was determining best spot for the WC install.

NEMA 14-50 Extension Cord for electric vehicle only, 20 ft. – EVSE Adapters

www.evseadapters.com

 

[MLXXXp]

I could park the existing car face in, but I don't want to take the chance that the cable would be driven over by mistake.

Going on "no idea is stupid when brainstorming", you could build a "speed bump" type protector with a channel to lay the cable in, that a car could drive over without damaging the cable.

I'd try two lengths of of 1x3 lumber (which is actually ¾" x 2½") anchored to the floor, with a gap wide enough for the cable (about ½") between them. You could cut angles on the outside edges to form a ramp, to make it easier to drive over.

If you put this about half way in, and maybe on an angle if necessary, you would only have to drive over it once, and the existing car might still be able to back in. You could even make two shorter lengths, covering only where the tires would cross.

 

[PianoAl]

a "speed bump" type protector with a channel

Yes, I had the same thought.

But getting the new baby home, I found that I can easily suspend it over the new car. I'll post photos when I get that installed.

 

[threeputts]

What I did:

Wife considering getting a Tesla too, one charger enough?

Well, the title kinda says it all. We've had a wall charger for my Tesla since day one. Getting another one installed for my wife won't be cheap because of the copper run it would take. I don't typically charge every day because I don't drive a lot. She won't either. Planning for a two-car road...

teslamotorsclub.com

 

[PianoAl]

What I did:

Wife considering getting a Tesla too, one charger enough?

Well, the title kinda says it all. We've had a wall charger for my Tesla since day one. Getting another one installed for my wife won't be cheap because of the copper run it would take. I don't typically charge every day because I don't drive a lot. She won't either. Planning for a two-car road...

teslamotorsclub.com

Very nice. I'm going set something up temporarily today so I can charge both tonight, then I'll put together a more elegant solution like yours. We back in, so the garage door isn't in the way.

Do you have a link to your balancer (or the weight rating)?

 

[threeputts]

Do you have a link to your balancer (or the weight rating)?

Available at Grainger Supply or online.

 

[PianoAl]

Okay, here's Mark I of the system:

To charge the midnight silver car, I unhook the cable from the mid-garage carabiner. See any problems?

I'd like something that grips the cable and has a ring to hook onto. Suggestions?

 

[Gauss Guzzler]

Wow, when you said "soon", you meant SOON! You get more Tesla's bought and charged by 9AM than most of us do all week!

If you're not happy with the clothesline method, another alternative would be to run a 10' extension cord along the wall toward the side door.

https://www.amazon.com/GearIT-Welder-Extension-14-30P-Charging/dp/B09ND1HGNT

 

[PianoAl]

I've replaced the orange carabiner with a soft strap.

The only disadvantage I've discovered so far is that if I open trunk when the dark car is plugged in, the cord slips under the top part such that closing it would cause a DISASTER! That is, I can imagine the trunk lid getting broken. I'll have to work on that, because it's not enough to just remember to avoid that.

 

[PianoAl]

another alternative would be to run a 10' extension cord along the wall toward the side door.

Right. That has some advantages (like avoiding the above disaster).

 

[Big Earl]

Sorry if I missed it, but why not have a wall connector installed in the center of the back wall? That location would easily reach both vehicles. It shouldn’t be too expensive to run some conduit from your existing location.

 

[PianoAl]

Sorry if I missed it, but why not have a wall connector installed in the center of the back wall? That location would easily reach both vehicles. It shouldn’t be too expensive to run some conduit from your existing location.

That would be nice, but it would be considerably more expensive than my hanging cord approach (free) or an $80 10' extension cord, yes?