Chargeport location survey

Where do you think the Chargeport of an EV should be?

http://bmwi3.blogspot.com/2016/02/ev-charge-ports-quest-for-ultimate.html

I both love and hate the location of the LEAF charger port. In an accident, it will get damaged easily. I do like being able to pull into a charging spot and not have to swing the cable around the car.

Like the i3, my i-MiEV had its L2 charger on the right-rear quarter panel. That is completely inconvenient for countries that drive on the right side of the road. (The i-MiEV's L3 charger is on the left-rear quarter panel.)

I do like the position of the Volt/Focus EV's charger -- right in front of the driver's-side door. Not too far back (like the Tesla, where you have to back into the charging spots) but not in the front, as to avoid minor crash damage.

Not unlike on ICE's, the location for an EV's 'filler' will vary but what differs with ICE's is that many will also fill up or charge at their homes and/or at EVSE pedestal points that you pull in to or back in to depending on how they're set up -- I've been watching a few video's posted by new Tesla S owners (one who needed to take a train from MI to Chicago to pick up his new car and then drove it home; he stopped at a Tesla charging station and backed in and remarked that the cord Tesla used wasn't very long, he was concerned over being too close to it while backing up).

In my own case, I really like the front location on the LEAF and I had my EVSE mounted mid-garage (I have a tandem style garage) so I can extend the cord out so it doesn't drag on the floor while charging; on my next EV; I'd look for another front chargeport model; the A3 e-tron and the Kia Soul EV both use that location plus they're well concealed on both although probably prone to damage as mentioned by another poster. I have also backed in my LEAF to charge it but as I'm almost always first out in the morning --- just like preplanning trips, etc. it works best where it is.

One thing that would be a 'nice to have' but perhaps wouldn't justify the extra cost, would be to have more than one location on the car to plug-in; not unlike the older Series III Jaguar XJ's with their either side fuel filler (had two tanks but a pipe that connected them to equalize) but this was designed for a typical gas station -- EV's have more options so simply having it on both sides wouldn't be enough:

I've always loved the location of the port on the Leaf.... BUT, as another writer says, after an accident, the port could be unusable, and require both extra repair and expense. AND IN ADDITION, you can then have a car you CANNOT DRIVE, even if the car did not have much damage!!

After much thought and pondering, I would say, that the left side rear quarter panel (just like a regular car) is the best placement. ALSO, to make up for any problems with connecting to chargers, Nissan should include an 8-10 foot 1777 plug extension cord, so that it could easily reach the nose of the car if charging cables are not long enough.....

I think the Leaf's location is ideal, but the Volt/Energi/PiP/Focus EV is a close second.

At work, we have a line of double-sided EVSEs in between every other parking spot. So each one services two spots. What we end up with is a line of Volts and PiPs, all parked in the right-hand spot, and noone in the left-hand spots. With my Leaf, it doesn't matter. If I have the CMax, I need to either compete for half of the spots, or drag the cable around the car.

Many of the public EVSEs are centered on the spot, so every Volt has to drag the cable around the car.

The i3's and eGolfs are forced to back in either way. But when they do back in at work, they are still competing with the Volts and PiPs, since the door is on the opposite corner.

One thing I like about the Leaf's plug location is that it works well frequently when someone is plugged into the Charger/EVSE already.
I can usually park on either side of them and when they are done (or if they are already), I can plug in my Leaf.
The cords usually reach to the middle of either side...
(Not always tho, which irks me some.. ;-) )

desiv

The Leaf's nose location is far and away the best (the Kia Soul EV uses the same placement.) Being in the center of the car means you can easily reach EVSEs that are on either side, and most EVSEs are located directly in front anyway. The idea that it could cause problems in an accident is silly - it's not ON the bumper so it's not like a tiny tap will hurt things, and if you do hit something hard enough to screw up your charging port(s) you're going to have all sorts of other problems to worry about besides not being able to plug in...

Tesla's placement is very disappointing (my Rav4-EV has the same placement) - for a company that is 100% EV you'd think they would get this detail right. With the Roadster I guess you could give them a pass because it was a conversion - they basically just placed the port where the fuel door was on the Elise (although I think it's on the other side for some reason). With the Model S I can only imagine that they chose form over function - sticking a charge port door on the front would probably upset the car's styling. Actually, they apparently concluded that sticking the charge port anywhere would upset the styling, since they ended up hiding it behind the light. But since Tesla builds out their own charging infrastructure anyway, I guess they don't need to worry about fitting in with standards and can just make it work their way.

I don't have much experience with he matter, but while installing my EVSE I played around with the parking options of the Leaf and a buddies Fusion Energi and quickly realized how superior that the front inlet is as far as access goes.

I really like the front nose charge location.

powersurge said:

After much thought and pondering, I would say, that the left side rear quarter panel (just like a regular car) is the best placement

Click to expand...

The problem with such placement for a US based car is that street parking in on the right (passenger side) of the street. For EVs to become common they must be able to be charged by people who only have street parking available to them which is true for many urban dwellers.

Indianapolis now has hundreds of charging stations with street parking in the city thanks to Blue Indy near restaurants and apartment buildings and their own cars have plugs on the passenger side. The same company operates a similar service in Paris, France and those vehicles charge on the left side.

So if not in the front or rear, it would seem the passenger side would be better, at least in places where one drives on the right side of the road.

My RAV is on the left rear and I do not like it. At home is fine but I did have to move my EVSE.

For public charging the cords are often too short. Even if the cord makes it the cord is sometimes taught and worries me. Far prefer it to be draped to the ground. Other option is to back in and can be awkward depending on traffic.

For curbside parking it is again maximum distance from the EVSE.

Much rather have the connector in the front or on the right side of the vehicle.

Nose is a safe bet but not the most convenient. Usually the driver is the one who uses the plug.
So near drivers door is good. Front driver side fender or driver side rear corner (Tesla).
If EVSE is on the other side then just park in the opposite direction.

I have a Tesla and a Leaf and the Tesla is by far a better location. It's much easier to get out and plug into the back driver's side then to have to go to the front of the vehicle, and the same applies when leaving and unplugging. When out at public chargers, I always back into parking spots anyways since it makes it easier to get out. Most accidents in parking lots occur when people back out, given the limited visibility, even with cameras.

Case in point..
This morning, I'm charging when a car pulls into the spot next to me.

It's a 4 lane 1 way street with angled head in parking.
The guy gets out and gets the cord from the blink EVSE. I'm reading e-mail, so don't check too hard. I know it's not a Leaf, but beyond that, wasn't sure.
He takes the cord and starts to head back between us; so his charge plug is on the passenger side in the back of the car..
And then he walks back to the EVSE, cord in hand.
It wouldn't reach his plug.

So he backs out, and then repositions he car so he backs in to the spot.
Remembering that this is an angled spot on a one way street, yeah, it was pretty funky..

Then I look over to see what type of car...

It's a PIP!! Plug in Hybrid Prius!!!

So, he did all the funky backing in the wrong way on a one way street, just to charge a car that doesn't need it, in a town (downtown Salem Oregon) with LOTS of L2 blink EVSEs around.. (Most not on angled spots on 1 way streets..)

Oh well.. ;-)

desiv

Actually, to gain the most benefit of the "use less pollute less" kind of thinking, charging a PiP is necessary. It's all good.

I think we have different definitions of the word necessary.

desiv

Okay, you folks are right, the nose located charger is the best, but in a front end collision, it may have problems...

I think the front center of the Leaf is the most practical/convenient. If I could get a second port, it would be rear center, which would allow backing in, with the same practicality/convenience.