It has probably been mentioned, but it is a Mobile Connector not a charger. The charger is in the car. So yes, it is okay to leave it plugged in because it is just a relay that does not connect or power the plug unless the car is connected.
Good luck. That ship sailed a LOOOOONG time ago!!!
Calling it an EVSE just didn't work for most people...Good luck. That ship sailed a LOOOOONG time ago!!!
Perhaps the OP or other readers cared to know why it is okay to leave it plugged in.
Not just Okay.. Tesla recommends keeping the vehicle plugged in whenever possible.
Your example is not a good one. AC units (also ovens, ranges, etc..) generally only pull the max amperage for short periods while an EV will pull the max current for HOURS. When we're talking about a cheap outlet overheating and causing a fire, that makes a big difference.
It would be ok to leave it plugged in anyway…. I don’t see why their would be a difference.
An ac will draw what it says it will draw for hours. For a AC on a 30 amp breaker that is usually between 17-22 amps as long as the compressor is running.
But AC units cycle on and off, they don't run for hours straight at max current draw. Larger units are also usually hard-wired.
My example was a good one, thank you very much. Heat generated by large currents can rise to steady state values in tens of minutes, it doesn’t take hours. And AC comes on when ambient temperatures are already high. Finally, I don’t know about you, but temperatures in my part California got quite high last summer and my AC was literally on for HOURS at a time, definitely more than my nighttime car charging. I think that qualifies as a continuous current draw. So come to think of it, my example was a not just a good one, it was a great one.
And your AC unit probably hard wired and not just plugged in into the outlet, right?
The question was whether it was okay to leave the charger plugged in. I agree about leaving the car plugged in.
It sure is. I only offered the air conditioner example as a response to the OP’s states concern: “A friend has me paranoid about home charging fires.” This was simply an example of another common home appliance which has a similar continuous current draw. I didn’t expect this to be a controversial post. Of course a plug adds another failure point, especially if one is repeatedly plugging in and unplugging a mobile connector.
However great it may have been it does not meet the standard for a "continuous load" defined by the NEC. I think that is all the other posters were suggesting.
Sheesh! It was just an analogy. Somehow I missed that my example needed to meet the NEC standard.
Your friend is giving you good advice. Order the Wall Connector and have it installed by a local licensed electrician obtain the necessary local permits to pass inspection.
Seriously? You don't know who/what the NEC is?
It was a joke, but poorly executed. Guess I was just slightly annoyed that the AC example I first posted was “bad” because it didn’t meet some NEC standard for continuous current, so tried to make light of it and failed.
