Charging Port on both sides of Model 3 please?

[graphic]

I wish Elon and Tesla would break the old ICE trend of having the gas tank/charging port on the driver side rear of the car. Why not have a charging port on the right and left side? This would make my garage configuration easier. This will also make charging easier, rather than maneuvering to align the port to the SC handle, it would no longer matter. Any thoughts??

 

[Garlan Garner]

Interesting concept. I wonder how much more in production costs that would be.

 

[Mark C]

I really don't expect to use public charging that often, but in my garage the EVSE will be located on the passenger side of the car. I will likely put a hanger on the wall near the tail of the car if the charge port is near the left taillight as I believe it is on the Model S. It just isn't realistic to put the charging station between the garage doors, given our doors spacing.

 

[Adrien]

I like the idea of centering it either at the front or back like the Leaf. I respect your idea, but it clearly won't happen because of costs and very little demand

 

[sitter_k]

While we're wishing how about the ability to receive and give a charge to another Tesla!

 

[Garlan Garner]

I like the idea of centering it either at the front or back like the Leaf. I respect your idea, but it clearly won't happen because of costs and very little demand

I'm not sure anything will ever be done to require a person to be in front of / or behind a vehicle. Too may ICE injuries at the pump and not enough garage length after cars pull in.

 

[Ingineer]

There is a lot of copper used to run to the port. On top of that, you are going to need 2 more supercharging contactors (3 in EU spec cars) and some sort of smaller relays to isolate the ports when on AC power. I don't see it happening.

I too prefer the front location of the Leaf, but having lived with left rear, I'm fine with it. I back into my garage so it works well.

 

[Ingineer]

While we're wishing how about the ability to receive and give a charge to another Tesla!

This is a relatively easy thing to build. That hard part is the large cabling needed. Just a simple buck converter (to limit current) and a controller running the supercharging protocol and you'd be able to "donate" about about half your charge to another S. More than half would require a buck/boost which is a bit more complicated, but doable as well. Still, I don't see much demand for such a device.

 

[strykeroz]

Both our ICE have the filler on the passenger side, but then we're RHD so presumably the filler didn't change sides when the driver did.

FWIW my vote would be rear, centre. I can't reverse into my garage so centrally located at the front will mean a long lead since the likely spot for my charger is between our two garage doors.

Hiding the filler cap under a hinged number plate mount used to be somewhat common on 1970's ICE and it meant for easy access regardless which side the pump was on. That'd get my vote for a spot to hide my M3 charge port.

 

[sitter_k]

This is a relatively easy thing to build. That hard part is the large cabling needed. Just a simple buck converter (to limit current) and a controller running the supercharging protocol and you'd be able to "donate" about about half your charge to another S. More than half would require a buck/boost which is a bit more complicated, but doable as well. Still, I don't see much demand for such a device.

i was kind of joking as I thought it was difficult to do. But this would be a great feature that would show the benefits of EVs over Ice and quell range anxiety nay sayers

 

[graphic]

Interesting concept. I wonder how much more in production costs that would be.

I'm pretty sure another port is cheap to install. This idea would make my garage charger location easier to plan also!

 

[Garlan Garner]

Sounds like it would be a great standard to have and either or charging port. More testing would be required though.

You know Tesla would have to idiot proof the thing. You know some bozo would buy 2 charge adapters and try to plug both in at the same time and possibly blow up his car and house - in an attempt to get 2X the charging speed.
I wonder what 2 chargers plugged into the same car would do?
I wonder if when you push the button on the charger - both charge ports would open at the same time?
Can you drive down the street in the rain with the charge port open?

 

[Jason Bourne]

I wish Elon and Tesla would break the old ICE trend of having the gas tank/charging port on the driver side rear of the car.

On ICE cars, the gasoline tank filler location is on the opposite side of the car as the muffler is (if the muffler is only on one side).

 

[Garlan Garner]

On ICE cars, the gasoline tank filler location is on the opposite side of the car as the muffler is (if the muffler is only on one side).

I was wondering how they decided where to put the gas tank / or where to put the muffler. I suppose I could have googled that question.....but... I didn't.

That's good info. Now I'm ready for the Jeopardy show.

 

[gregd]

I think consistency is more important that any particular charging position. If all cars had the charge port in relatively the same place, then the charging infrastructure could adapt in scale to make it more convenient and safer to charge. The extreme example of this is Tesla's "robotic snake" charging thing, though I don't think we need to go that far.

My own garage EVSE is on the opposite side of the car from the charge port, but I have adapted with an appropriate length cable and hook on the ceiling, and now it's very convenient to use. If tomorrow a car drove in with the port on the other side, or in the front, they'd be the one inconvenienced.

 

[Garlan Garner]

I think consistency is more important that any particular charging position. If all cars had the charge port in relatively the same place, then the charging infrastructure could adapt in scale to make it more convenient and safer to charge. The extreme example of this is Tesla's "robotic snake" charging thing, though I don't think we need to go that far.

My own garage EVSE is on the opposite side of the car from the charge port, but I have adapted with an appropriate length cable and hook on the ceiling, and now it's very convenient to use. If tomorrow a car drove in with the port on the other side, or in the front, they'd be the one inconvenienced.

I'm currently adapting a ceiling mount also.

 

[Booga]

A front location would be ideal - I'm hoping my mother will be using a Model 3 maybe a year or two after the initial release for safety reasons, but backing up into a charging spot will be a bit of a challenge for her.

 

[Garlan Garner]

Ok..

So we have people that want the port on the Front, Rear, Right side and Left side.

Do we have any takers for the top or undercarriage?

 

[trils0n]

If Tesla puts the charge ports on both sides of new cars, it will create situations where it is possible for someone at a Supercharger to charge in such a way to block another space while they charge (I guess it would only block cars with a single charge port, but still a bad idea). The superchargers are designed with the consistent charge port location in mind. This is reason enough to not add an additional port. Then there is the additional costs on a car designed to be cheap and easy to manufacture, just doesn't fit.

If you cannot perform basic driving tasks like backing up, you probably shouldn't be driving. But future Teslas will just autopark in supercharger stalls, so even that won't be a big deal.

 

[MissAutobahn]

Ok..

So we have people that want the port on the Front, Rear, Right side and Left side.

Do we have any takers for the top or undercarriage?

I recapitulate:
We need a Model 3 with 6 ports. or more...