Why is the charge port in the back?

[EVer Hopeful]

Of course. I also like to think I'm a better driver then most.

But you'll get a better view of the space previewing it out of the side window before parking butt first then looking over the hood when pulling in forwards.

I bet you do. (I mean it's not like we don't ALL think that ... and I mean think that we're better than average, not that you are - lol)

Here's where your case falls down though - sure you get to do a quick drive by, although to follow the logic of safety-in-a-parking-lot, you should really be looking forward and not over your shoulder at a prospective parking space (maybe THAT'S why people drive into other people who are backing out of the slot!), but then you just assume the spot stays that way as you take the time to reverse into it

If instead you drive forwards into the spot, you can check it for the full duration of the maneuver

 

[EVer Hopeful]

If you are afraid of hitting the other cars you should give up your driver’s license.

You should always be afraid of hitting another vehicle. That's mostly what stops you from ... hitting another vehicle

Now if you do hit other cars (especially repeatedly) well yes THEN you should probably give up your DL



But you're going to take advice from valet parkers - Seriously? Have you ever seen what those people do with the cars?

I'd rather walk a mile than hand over the keycard to a valet parker

 

[EVer Hopeful]

. . .. and whoever it was who said you reverse when parallel parking ... well yes that's the maneuver. You can't really do that going forwards unless you have about 100 feet of clear kerb space (you do you spell that?) or are prepared to temporarily go about six feet onto the sidewalk


In fact that's why I gave up reversing into the carport at home as it's a rear entry house and reversing from the narrow alleyway into the driveway swung the front end out so far that is was only a question of time before I misjudged something and clipped the neighbour's fence

 

[hgmichna]

A simple fact got lost in the discussion. Parking backwards requires much less maneuvering space.

There's an asymmetry here, caused by the fact that the rear wheels cannot steer in most cars.

 

[sleepydoc]

Well given that most EVs are RWD based for single motor it makes sense to put it in the rear spot whether that is the left or right side to reduce the cabling length needed.

It actually would make minimal to no difference since the charging circuitry is separate from the motors and the battery typically spans the entire floor of the car.

 

[sleepydoc]

A simple fact got lost in the discussion. Parking backwards requires much less maneuvering space.

There's an asymmetry here, caused by the fact that the rear wheels cannot steer in most cars.

which is irrelevant because all parking lots are designed for people to drive into the spaces. If they are trying to save space they angle the parking spots so you have to drive in forwards. If backing out were so dangerous that it would be cause to change the location of the charge ports, just why are these parking lots even legal?

No, the 'backing out is dangerous' argument is simply an excuse made up by Tesla apologists.

 

[sleepydoc]

Of course. I also like to think I'm a better driver then most.

But you'll get a better view of the space previewing it out of the side window before parking butt first then looking over the hood when pulling in forwards.

You really believe this? Sorry, at this point it seems like you're making up excuses. Not unlike the people trying to justify the yoke.

 

[EVer Hopeful]

Can you imagine reversing into a parking slot WITH a yoke ??!!!!

 

[tga]

You really believe this? Sorry, at this point it seems like you're making up excuses. Not unlike the people trying to justify the yoke.

You do you. I prefer to back in whenever possible. I don't really care how you or anyone else parks, just as long as you don't hit my car in the process.

 

[EVer Hopeful]

I don't really care how you or anyone else parks, just as long as you don't hit my car in the process.

. . . which ironically was my point all along

 

[sleepydoc]

A couple of observations -
A supercharger I use has one bay that allows people to park ‘normally’ rather than backing in. This bay is almost always occupied. This doesn’t prove or disprove any of the points discussed above but does give an indication of people’s preference for parking.

The other thing I noticed, as I was plugging in my car to charge was that The charge port is actually at the very rear of the car, behind where a fuel door typically is placed. One advantage of this position is that it allows the actual charging cable to be much shorter. I can fully believe that this was one of the reasons for the charge port placement since the amount of current used in DC charging can cause significant heat issues in the cables, and as I recall, Tesla actually uses active cooling in their cables to reduce the wire size.

 

[hgmichna]

… does give an indication of people’s preference for parking.

You just have to look at a parking lot to see people's preference.

As soon as a problem is not utterly simple, many people do not think it through. In this case, they do not consider getting into the parking space and getting out again, and optimize the sum of both processes. Instead they do what seems simplest at first sight.

To speak in the terms of the book "Thinking, Fast and Slow" by Daniel Kahneman, they avoid activating system 2.

 

[sleepydoc]

You just have to look at a parking lot to see people's preference.

As soon as a problem is not utterly simple, many people do not think it through. In this case, they do not consider getting into the parking space and getting out again, and optimize the sum of both processes. Instead they do what seems simplest at first sight.

To speak in the terms of the book "Thinking, Fast and Slow" by Daniel Kahneman, they avoid activating system 2.

Or there’s the simple (and correct) answer that people find it easier to back out of a spot than to back in.

 

[Wattsisname]

Well given that most EVs are RWD based for single motor it makes sense to put it in the rear spot whether that is the left or right side to reduce the cabling length needed. Also it makes sense that it is on the driver side door since it is silly to have the charge port on the passenger side of the vehicle where the driver would have to walk to the other side of the car especially if it is the passenger front side.

For right hand drive Teslas it's on the passenger side. European ICE car makers put the petrol fillers on drivers side whether LHD or RHD. Tesla don't make that concession to RHD owners. However, if they were to do this, the SC layout would have to be modified also. This then could be inconvenient for LHD visitors to the UK. However, longer cables could solve this issue and would, in any case, avoid the problems caused by some nonTeslas at Tesla charging sites where, they take up two bays to charge one car and are quite smug about their right so to do.

PS After posting, I noticed a comment on the reason why the charger cables are so short......

 

[EVer Hopeful]

European ICE car makers put the petrol fillers on drivers side whether LHD or RHD

Well I don't know for certain, but let's say I doubt this

 

[notmeguv]

Well I don't know for certain, but let's say I doubt this

You're correct, well at least it's not like that in the UK. In fact it's so non-standard most manufacturers put little arrows on the fuel gauge to remind you which side your fuel cap is on. I've had so many ICE cars (all RHD) over the years I could never remember which side the cap was on when pulling in to a petrol station so the little arrow was always useful.

Always forget which side your petrol cap is on? This easy solution means it'll never happen to you again

DRIVERS often pull up to a fuel pump only to find that their car’s filler cap is on the other side. It’s especially frustrating for motorists using fleet or hire cars, or people who hav…

www.thesun.co.uk

 

[EVer Hopeful]

It wouldn't make sense because it must be bad enough for them to have different parts and different assembly lines for LHD and RHD vehicles, but at the end of the day, the vehicle is essentially the same with different parts bolted on and if it's something like the steering column going through the firewall, then they most likely have two openings and just use one of them

Now if they had to include a different petrol tank and filler cap, then they'd now start needing different body panels and there's a lot of stuff under the vehicle that they'd also have to have RHD and LHD versions of like the exhaust system

 

[Wattsisname]

You're correct, well at least it's not like that in the UK. In fact it's so non-standard most manufacturers put little arrows on the fuel gauge to remind you which side your fuel cap is on. I've had so many ICE cars (all RHD) over the years I could never remember which side the cap was on when pulling in to a petrol station so the little arrow was always useful.

Always forget which side your petrol cap is on? This easy solution means it'll never happen to you again

DRIVERS often pull up to a fuel pump only to find that their car’s filler cap is on the other side. It’s especially frustrating for motorists using fleet or hire cars, or people who hav…

www.thesun.co.uk

I guess I have been lucky with my BMWs (the first a 1974) and my wife with her Fiats.

However, I now realise that this is not done for our convenience, ( ever the optimist) they are on the right hand side for all countries.

My Dad's Jaguar had twin tanks with a filler for each, L and R sides.

 

[EVer Hopeful]

My CR-V is on the left

I seem to remember reading once that German manufacturers put the filler on the right so that if you had to fill up at the side of the road you'd at least have your vehicle as a shield between you and the passing traffic ... and tough tootie to the countries who drive on the left

What about the Zodiac (or was it the Zephyr?) that had the filler cap behind the rear number plate?

 

[Wattsisname]

My CR-V is on the left

I seem to remember reading once that German manufacturers put the filler on the right so that if you had to fill up at the side of the road you'd at least have your vehicle as a shield between you and the passing traffic ... and tough tootie to the countries who drive on the left

What about the Zodiac (or was it the Zephyr?) that had the filler cap behind the rear number plate?

A lesson learned in the Ardenne; those Tigers were for ever running out at the side of the road. Not fun when the passing traffic are panzers.