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Running over charging cable while in use

Sans Gas

Member
Apr 5, 2012
127
4
Punta Gorda, Florida
We have two model S in the garage with one plug for the charging cable. If the car farthest from the plug is charging, can the other car back over the cable without harming it or affecting the charging? Is it safe to do this?
 

kort677

Banned
Sep 17, 2015
4,801
2,241
florida.
We have two model S in the garage with one plug for the charging cable. If the car farthest from the plug is charging, can the other car back over the cable without harming it or affecting the charging? Is it safe to do this?
will it pull the cable from the car or the outlet? if no, it is just putting unnecessary burden on the cable, I would avoid doing it.
 

Dstrohl

Member
Oct 13, 2016
232
145
Seattle Area
The cable *should* be OK, and I would worry much more about it pulling on one plug or the other (I think it would do a lot of damage to the car, if it yanked out the plug from the car side).

However, as kort677 noted, I would avoid this as a normal practice as it is going to put un-needed stress on the wires.

Best suggestion would be to move the plug and charger to somewhere between the cars, so it is only going behind the car that is actually charging and would need to unplug anyway.

Second suggestion, make (or buy) a raceway like Wanter noted. you can do it pretty easily if you want with some long pieces of wood (like 2x4) put them far enough apart to put the cable between them, and get some trim for next to them to make getting over them easier, then fasten these to the garage floor so the car cant just push them around.

Some options (Cable Ramps & Protectors | Discount Ramps)

Alternatively you could look at hanging the wire from the ceiling (there are some pics somewhere on here that show someone doing that).
 

aesculus

Still Trying to Figure This All Out
May 31, 2015
4,304
2,461
Northern California
Alternatively you could look at hanging the wire from the ceiling (there are some pics somewhere on here that show someone doing that).
My neighbor does this. Its pretty slick. If you could put the last 6' of the cord on some sort of track you could move it from one side or the other, thus being available for either car.
 

scottm

Legacy account
Jun 13, 2014
3,070
2,233
Canada
Thanks to all. I'll unplug when she leaves and plug back in when she returns. Nothing like a simple solution.

You could get a little more complex: unplug when she's about to leave, plug back in after she's left, unplug when she is due to arrive back home, plug her car in when she gets parked again.

WIN WIN!
 

ecarfan

Well-Known Member
Sep 21, 2013
19,186
13,841
San Mateo, CA
We have two model S in the garage with one plug for the charging cable. If the car farthest from the plug is charging, can the other car back over the cable without harming it or affecting the charging? Is it safe to do this?
Bad idea. I don't know your garage layout, but is there a way to run the cord up and along the ceiling so that it hangs down between the cars?
 

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