Securing Nissan brick for airport or other public charging

[DaveEV]

Moderators note: Over-under cable coiling trick posts moved to the sticky thread: How to wrap your EVSE/other cables! (You're doing it wrong!)

[Solangelist]

Good thinking!

Is there any J17772 plugs that is small (without the nozzle like handle) with the cables coming out sideways? I am hoping for something small and flat just like the female jack of the j17772 which is the car. Not a mountable type, but ann inline cable type to connect two cables together?

[Transtead]

I vote for a male NEMA inside the charging compartment -- let the car deal with the step-up to 240v.

It seems like a "no brainer" solution, so I'm wondering if they didn't do it because 1) It would be too many standards to adhere to across the globe (i.e. a different plug for every place they wanted to sell to) to make it cost-effective? Or was trickle-charging more of an afterthought to begin with??

[davewill]

I vote for a male NEMA inside the charging compartment -- let the car deal with the step-up to 240v.

They didn't do it because the contacts would be live all the time, and the user would have to be responsible for setting their car so that it wouldn't overload the source. J1772 handles both of those without user thought or action.

P.S. the "brick" doesn't step anything up. The car directly accepts 100-240v.

[DoxyLover]

I vote for a male NEMA inside the charging compartment -- let the car deal with the step-up to 240v.

It seems like a "no brainer" solution, so I'm wondering if they didn't do it because 1) It would be too many standards to adhere to across the globe (i.e. a different plug for every place they wanted to sell to) to make it cost-effective? Or was trickle-charging more of an afterthought to begin with??

The problem with a standard cord going into the car is that if you unplug the cord without stopping the charge first, you will get arcing on the contacts and eventually destroy the connector.

Yes, with the current brick, you can still get arcing at the wall outlet, but the (expensive) connector on the car is protected.

[smkettner]

I vote for a male NEMA inside the charging compartment -- let the car deal with the step-up to 240v.

It seems like a "no brainer" solution, so I'm wondering if they didn't do it because 1) It would be too many standards to adhere to across the globe (i.e. a different plug for every place they wanted to sell to) to make it cost-effective? Or was trickle-charging more of an afterthought to begin with??

The problem with a standard cord going into the car is that if you unplug the cord without stopping the charge first, you will get arcing on the contacts and eventually destroy the connector.

Yes, with the current brick, you can still get arcing at the wall outlet, but the (expensive) connector on the car is protected.

Could be just as easy for Nissan to have a clip over the cord as it hits the inlet. Of course then have a switch on the clip to start-stop charging.

[aevictory]

I got a hardened steel padlock (weather resistant) and a bike cable. Can attach charger cable to itself around an object or to bike cable around a bigger object (or my wheel or frame or whatever).

[sling]

Had my leaf less than a week before I decided that I need some way to secure the trickle charger... Parked it at a bowling alley and kept having this nag to go out and check in the middle of the game to be sure no one walked off with it or unplugged it. I was uber paranoid and nothing happened, but it's always in the back of my mind when I charge in a public place. My thought at the time was I could drop the brick inside the car and crack a window to run the J1772 and extension cord out the window securing both the extension cord (it has a fat end) and the charger. Was looking to see if anybody else had come up with a solution when I found this thread. Regardless, I'm going to start working on a solution tonight and i'll post what i come up with when i'm done - It'll probably just be a rehash of what everyone else has already done.


Edit: Well, I decided that just using a lock on the J1772 plug is best. Or not taking the L1 with me at all - I going to build and install the openEVSE under the hood so all I have is an extension cord hanging out. The plan it to integrate it in behind the J1772 socket with a switched pilot line

[jstack6]

Very well done. no cost and secure. A heavy extension is always the best if one is needed.

[nerys]

I am thinking there is enough roof of you don't have the QC plug to have both the 110v plug and the J1772 coming OUT of that empty space. a simply hole for the 110v plug and a small "bucket" to "hold" the j1772 in reverse. you only need a few inches of slack on the 110 (enough for you to grab it and man handle it into an extension cord) and just enough on the J1772 to be able to extend turn 180' and plug into the car.

this way you don't need to open the hood at all or modify the car beyond the QC cover plate or the Power Supply at all.

open your charging cover. pull out the 110v a few inches plug in your extension cord pull out the J1772 and plug it in. Done.

I am going to see about doing this. Theft of that charger (especially for now that it is the ONLY way I have to charge the car) is a concern for me. even "spite theft"