L1 Charger in the trunk theft concern

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IBELEAF

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 7, 2010
Messages
1,235
Location
Seattle, WA
Since learning that L1 charger is apparently a $700 piece of equipment and there is a high chance that 99% of us we'll be keeping it in the trunk permanently, it's just a matter of time until car stereo/gps thieves will realize that it's a gold mine. Thoughts about this and how to protect yourself other then leaving it at home?
 
IBELEAF said:
Since learning that L1 charger is apparently a $700 piece of equipment and there is a high chance that 99% of us we'll be keeping it in the trunk permanently, it's just a matter of time until car stereo/gps thieves will realize that it's a gold mine. Thoughts about this and how to protect yourself other then leaving it at home?
Record your serial numbers and report thefts immediately to the police. I asked my insurance broker about an additional rider for the Level 1 EVSE, however they said for $500 it would be better to self-insure (keep $500 in the bank).

The only place thieves will take these will be pawn shops and they won't know what to do with them and not offer much... Thieves don't usually have the time to Craigslist or eBay.
 
Gonewild said:
I beleave you can put a small lock on the handle to lock it to your car.
Granted, but I believe the question is how to stop someone from smashing in your glass and stealing it from your trunk - when it isn't plugged in or locked. You can pretty much guarantee that every LEAF has this readily portable $500+ piece of equipment sitting in the trunk. Potentially easy pickings for an informed theaf. But I'm still not too worried.
 
GeekEV said:
Gonewild said:
I beleave you can put a small lock on the handle to lock it to your car.
Granted, but I believe the question is how to stop someone from smashing in your glass and stealing it from your trunk - when it isn't plugged in or locked. You can pretty much guarantee that every LEAF has this readily portable $500+ piece of equipment sitting in the trunk. Potentially easy pickings for an informed theaf. But I'm still not too worried.
so keep writing about it.
nuts.
 
It is an EVSE NOT a charger, regardless I don't see much of a market to steal these. Even dealers don;t know what it is.
 
This strikes me as unlikely. Thieves steal for cash value, meaning something they can quickly turn into cash (TV, car stereos, or certain car parts).

The dealership tried to 'sell' me on anti-theft provisions, but I couldn't see the point -- nearly 100% of Leafs are going to be leased or financed (maybe a few people pay cash), so we are all carrying comprehensive insurance, and we are all under manufacturer's warranties. There is simply no reason for me to buy a gray-market part, and thus no reason for anyone to steal a Leaf for parts. And stealing one to use seems really crazy as well (a getaway car?), given the infrastructure and re-'fueling' requirements. So I feel like I have one of the more theft-proof cars on the road.

Given that the only market for the L1 charger is another EV owner (Volt, Leaf), and we are all in a position to buy/lease new cars, I can't imagine buying an L1 charger in a pawn shop.

I'm more concerned a thief would see the iPod cable and break in looking for my nano.... ;)
 
Some may not be worried, because it might never happened to them, but my car has been broken in a few times where I didn't even have anything laying in sight. Actually, for that reason I rarely leave unattended anything expensive if the car is parked for extended periods of time.

In the future the prices may drop on these units, so they won't be worthwhile stealing, but I doubt it will be anytime soon.
 
IBELEAF said:
In the future the prices may drop on these units, so they won't be worthwhile stealing, but I doubt it will be anytime soon.

of course it will be soon, they are just fancy extension cords.
 
Yes, record your serial number off the back of the unit. If yours ever gets stolen there's a good chance we may end up seeing it at some point, and might be able to help you bust the thief!

-Phil
 
It seems that some are getting really locked up on the theft issue.

Maybe consider:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDrzMGdYWZc
:lol:
 
DarkStar said:
IBELEAF said:
Since learning that L1 charger is apparently a $700 piece of equipment and there is a high chance that 99% of us we'll be keeping it in the trunk permanently, it's just a matter of time until car stereo/gps thieves will realize that it's a gold mine. Thoughts about this and how to protect yourself other then leaving it at home?
Record your serial numbers and report thefts immediately to the police.
Is the serial number the one above the bar code on the back of the L1 charging dock?
 
Gonewild said:
I beleave you can put a small lock on the handle to lock it to your car.
I bought a two pack of Brinks locks, keyed alike [1 3/16" (30 mm) warded lock, part number 102-30211] for $6.00. Took my L1 into OSH and tested to make sure it fit (snug, perfect size) before purchasing. The hole on the handle of my AV EVSE is the same size, so if needed I could have one lock for each, with the same key. Good enough to prevent casual theft of L1 while charging at my sister's house.
 
IBELEAF said:
Since learning that L1 charger is apparently a $700 piece of equipment and there is a high chance that 99% of us we'll be keeping it in the trunk permanently, it's just a matter of time until car stereo/gps thieves will realize that it's a gold mine. Thoughts about this and how to protect yourself other then leaving it at home?
DarkStar said:
Record your serial numbers and report thefts immediately to the police.
Stoaty said:
Is the serial number the one above the bar code on the back of the L1 charging dock?
Mine is N1A210D140082: if yours is different, the answer would be yes.
 
I don't carry mine around, unless I've planned a trip where I know I will need it. I don't want to haul around the extra weight.
 
Jim66 said:
I don't carry mine around, unless I've planned a trip where I know I will need it. I don't want to haul around the extra weight.
I would guess that how you drive the Leaf is at least 100 more times important than a small amount of extra weight. Or to look at it another way, you could slow down by 2 MPH and it would make a much larger difference than an extra 10-15 lbs. of weight.
 
Stoaty said:
Jim66 said:
I don't carry mine around, unless I've planned a trip where I know I will need it. I don't want to haul around the extra weight.
I would guess that how you drive the Leaf is at least 100 more times important than a small amount of extra weight. Or to look at it another way, you could slow down by 2 MPH and it would make a much larger difference than an extra 10-15 lbs. of weight.

Not if you don't want to bake that thing (or freeze it) everyday depending on where you live. Right now it's my primary EVSE (upgraded to 220v) so it stays @ home; but when I get a "home" dock I'll still only take it with me when I think I'll need it (which shouldn't be too often).
 
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