Length of cord on universal charger (can it reach from right side of car?)

[evinfairfax]

I had an electrician come in today to look at the cost/feasibility of installing a 50 or 100 amp 240V line for the car, and his feedback was that it will be a lot simpler and look a lot nicer if we can just install the plug/charger on the right side of the garage.

Of course the plug on the Model S in on the left. (Is that a bit strange? All 3 of our other cars have the gas filler on the right, so why is Tesla putting the plug on the left?)

So is the cord on the universal connector and or the high speed charger long enough to bring it below the bumper and around to the left side of the vehicle if the charger or plug is mounted on the wall to the right of the rear bumper?

Thanks!

 

[dsm363]

It should be long enough since the Roadster UMC is 18 feet. The cord on the HPC for the Roadster was even longer at 25 feet. If they can put it on the left, that would probably be nicer but shouldn't matter too much.
It's not too uncommon to have the gas port on the left in ICEs as well. I used to have a car that had that but most do seem to be on the right.

 

[brianman]

You could also get in the habit of parking your car at home in reverse. Makes for a simpler exit in the morning.

 

[ElSupreme]

You could also get in the habit of parking your car at home in reverse. Makes for a simpler exit in the morning.

+1

I back into my garage every time. I normally back into parking spots as well. It is good practice for parallel parking, which I don't get to do much. But after backing out of the garage once a few months ago, I forget why my car went in nose first, I think it is a lot easier to back in, than back out. Granted almost all my experience is backing in versus backing out.

 

[bonnie]

My charging outlet is installed between my two garage doors - whether I pull my Roadster straight in or back in, there is no problem with the reach.

 

[MitchL]

Of course the plug on the Model S in on the left. (Is that a bit strange? All 3 of our other cars have the gas filler on the right, so why is Tesla putting the plug on the left?)

That's interesting... every car I've owned has had the filler on the left, but I'd prefer to have the Tesla's charge port on the right.

I'll park in the right-hand space in the garage, near the wall, and the right wall is where the breaker panel is, so it's the easiest place to install the charger plug.

My wife's car is in the middle space, and the somewhat smaller left space is for workshop tools (it's not quite large enough for a car).

The Tesla store people showed me the cable, and it looks long enough to run from a wall to the opposite side of the car - I'm not worried about the distance. I assume the car won't move while the cable is plugged in, so I can't forget to unplug it....

but I am worried about the cable sticking out when one of us parks to the left of the S (I've measured it, we'll need to park carefully since the model S is so wide). I guess it won't stick out any further than the side mirrors do, but I'll need to make sure that there are no coils of cable that can be run over when the other car is parked.

I'm not sure why it would have been difficult to have charge ports on both sides.

/Mitch.

 

[ETM]

i suppose they're doing it because the driver is most likely the one plugging the car in, and then he/she wouldn't have to walk around the car. It is also easier for tesla to have it put on just one side than on either the left or right side for each car. i do not see why they couldn't put two, one on each side.

 

[dsm363]

i suppose they're doing it because the driver is most likely the one plugging the car in, and then he/she wouldn't have to walk around the car. It is also easier for tesla to have it put on just one side than on either the left or right side for each car. i do not see why they couldn't put two, one on each side.

Probably a cost issue. Two ports doubles the chance something could break, adds cost and extra engineering...etc. It would be nice but I think most people will be happy with it on one side.

 

[Rifleman]

I have always thought that the charging port should be on the right, so when you park along the street next to a charger (one set up like a parking meter) your charging port would be on the curb side, and your cable would not have to wrap around the car and lay out in the street. A nose mounted port like the leaf is also a good option, as it gives access from either side without to many problems.

 

[evinfairfax]

My charging outlet is installed between my two garage doors - whether I pull my Roadster straight in or back in, there is no problem with the reach.

yeah, that was my first choice, because that way I can still park in the middle space, which is my habit. That leaves my wife with the left most spot nearest the door to the house. But there was some reason the electrician didn't want to bring the 100 amp option down the middle between those doors. I'll have to remember why or maybe ask another electrician to come by and take a look.

Thanks to everyone else for the idea of parking backwards.

 

[evinfairfax]

It should be long enough since the Roadster UMC is 18 feet. The cord on the HPC for the Roadster was even longer at 25 feet. If they can put it on the left, that would probably be nicer but shouldn't matter too much.
It's not too uncommon to have the gas port on the left in ICEs as well. I used to have a car that had that but most do seem to be on the right.

Perfect, thanks for the precise lengths. I hadn't been able to find those.

It would be awesome if they could offer a choice of right/left. Or if they could just go with right side in left-hand drive cars, that would be nice. As others have pointed out, that is the curb side when parking.

I wonder if they plan to put the port on the left still in right-hand drive cars?

 

[strider]

I ran my outlet along the rafters - I don't have a ceiling in my garage so I just ran some flexible conduit from the breaker box and attached the gang box to the rafter. Then just zip-tied my UMC around the rafter. When the car is not plugged in I attached a hook to the side of the garage door opener (car parks on the right) and the plug hangs there. Model S outlet is also on the rafter above the left spot. Will likely put a hook on the wall for that plug since it'll be on the left.

 

[strider]

It would be awesome if they could offer a choice of right/left. Or if they could just go with right side in left-hand drive cars, that would be nice. As others have pointed out, that is the curb side when parking.

I've never seen a parallel-park charging space - every one I have seen is in the front or back. At SFO there are two spaces in tandem with the chargers at the back (if two cars pulled in nose-nose). Or you can back in and then the charger is in the front. It was nice having the charger at the back left - perfect for the Roadsters charge port.

I guess my point is that there is no "perfect" place for the charge port - there are a lot of variables. Over time I assume the locations will standardize as they have in ICE cars (left or right above the rear wheels) - but in the past they have been everywhere (under the hood, behind the license plate, on top of the rear fender, you name it).

 

[Andrew Wolfe]

At the Tesla factory event, the engineer in charge of the cord told me that it would be 18 ft. I grumbled that my current J1772 is 25 ft and she admitted that 25 ft. was allowed by code - but that they though 18 ft. was adequate. She suggested that they would think about an optional long cord - but I think that was just to make me go away

 

[Doug_G]

At the Tesla factory event, the engineer in charge of the cord told me that it would be 18 ft. I grumbled that my current J1772 is 25 ft and she admitted that 25 ft. was allowed by code - but that they though 18 ft. was adequate. She suggested that they would think about an optional long cord - but I think that was just to make me go away

I could see how an excessively long cord might be irritating. They've probably come up with that number as a reasonable compromise that works for most people.

 

[jkirkebo]

I've never seen a parallel-park charging space - every one I have seen is in the front or back.

Come to Norway, we have hundreds of them. Works well with the Leafs front center port too.

 

[cinergi]

I've never seen a parallel-park charging space - every one I have seen is in the front or back. At SFO there are two spaces in tandem with the chargers at the back (if two cars pulled in nose-nose). Or you can back in and then the charger is in the front. It was nice having the charger at the back left - perfect for the Roadsters charge port.

Mayor Menino Inaugurates Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Announces EVboston Initiative | Boston Complete Streets

 

[Robert.Boston]

They don't have pictures, but the Lenox Hotel's EVSE is also curbside, and so the charging port ends up on the wrong side. (Kudos to the Lenox Hotel, though, for offering free parking and free charging for hotel guests driving EVs.)

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

Mayor Menino Inaugurates Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Announces EVboston Initiative | Boston Complete Streets

...Boston is testing a Toyota Plug-In Prius free of charge to evaluate for future use within the City’s fleet.

Wouldn't that end up being just an ICE?! :wink:

 

[roblab]

At the Tesla factory event, the engineer in charge of the cord told me that it would be 18 ft. I grumbled that my current J1772 is 25 ft and she admitted that 25 ft. was allowed by code - but that they though 18 ft. was adequate. She suggested that they would think about an optional long cord - but I think that was just to make me go away

For a small handful of dollars, one can buy a male and female Nema 14-50 plug and outlet and a length of cable at any hardware, Lowe's, Home Depot, and make what is known as an "extension cord", which can be plugged into an outlet, and can have a Tesla cord plugged into it. I have made two cords, one 30 and one 70 feet long for plugging in a charger to my brother's work shop (behind his house), and a variety of other short adapters that would adapt my "extension cord" to a half dozen outlet types. Unlike the Falcon, it ain't rocket science. It's only wire cutters and a screwdriver, and Tesla doesn't have to make them for you for several hundred dollars extra. See Charger Adapters on Darell's Electric Vehicle Page