Charging connector installed outside - how to keep your power secure?

[RIV1]

I’m not sure on a Tesla home charger, but on my ChargePoint charger, I turn down the charging rate to the lowest setting. So if anyone attempts to use it, they’d be waiting for days for a quality charge.

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[John.S]

While I use a Tesla connector, which was free with the Tesla Batteries... no security for non-tesla products. I just installed these at work, as we are next to a golf course, and the golfers were using our charger stations. Take a look at the UniFi EV charging station Pro. This is a commercial level charger with a camera and a touchscreen. You use an RFID card to authenticate, and if you want, you can charge a fee if someone asks...

 

[CrazyOne]

1. Don't worry about it. No one is parking in your driveway to charge their car for hours.
2. No home charger that I'm aware of has that capability anyways.
3. Add the wall connector to the Tesla app. You can see when it is in use and shut it off if you wanted.
4. Get a camera and face it towards your charger.
5. Turn the breaker off in the panel box when not in use.

Great suggestions, but I would recommend against using breaker as switch though. Breakers aren't designed as switches and the may end up costing more in replacement than they save by being off.

Also, someone charging let's say once per year isn't worth the cost of the countermeasures.

 

[SwampNut]

Also, someone charging let's say once per year isn't worth the cost of the countermeasures.

What, you don't believe in wasting hundreds to stop a $5 risk?!?

Great point on breakers, but again, it's fine. It's only $40 or so for those HD breakers, and might save you $5.

 

[ENVErider]

I was pretty much sold on the Tesla connector for the outside of my garage - BUT - then I read where it is always on. It cannot be restricted by VIN for NON-Tesla vehicles. While I think it unlikely that anyone would pull into my drievway for a charge while I am away, crazier things have happened.
So, my questions are;
Am I right about the Tesla connector? (I'd like to use that one because I have Tesla power at home, and have the app already)
If so, are there any L2 connectors that provide some sort of power security?
Any insights are appreciated!

I haven't heard of someone pulling into someone else's driveway to charge their EV, basically risking theft and getting messed up to steal $20 of juice over several hours. Are you in a condo complex where the garage is far away from your unit and completely out of sight? Lots of suggestions have already been provided, most without knowing your actual physical setup, but why not just start with using scheduling? If you work a 9-5 job where you leave every day, just schedule it off when you don't expect to be there, and just use manual start for instances where YOU need to charge outside that schedule? If you're in a utility that uses TOU rates, I would recommend using scheduling to minimize your charging rates anyway.

 

[Who-Dat]

I was pretty much sold on the Tesla connector for the outside of my garage - BUT - then I read where it is always on. It cannot be restricted by VIN for NON-Tesla vehicles. While I think it unlikely that anyone would pull into my drievway for a charge while I am away, crazier things have happened.
So, my questions are;
Am I right about the Tesla connector? (I'd like to use that one because I have Tesla power at home, and have the app already)
If so, are there any L2 connectors that provide some sort of power security?
Any insights are appreciated!

QUESTION: Why do you don’t want your charger in your garage? Is there a safety issue charging in your garage?Please advise

I was pretty much sold on the Tesla connector for the outside of my garage - BUT - then I read where it is always on. It cannot be restricted by VIN for NON-Tesla vehicles. While I think it unlikely that anyone would pull into my drievway for a charge while I am away, crazier things have happened.
So, my questions are;
Am I right about the Tesla connector? (I'd like to use that one because I have Tesla power at home, and have the app already)
If so, are there any L2 connectors that provide some sort of power security?
Any insights are appreciated!

is there a safety concern not charging in your garage

 

[SwampNut]

There is a minor safety issue with charging inside a garage. It's a very low risk, but fires are more common during charging.

In my case, I'm not OP, but my garages are shop space and hold motorcycles, cars live outside. And I have my charger listed as free to use, which has only happened one time in many years. The person left a thank-you note and a $20 bill.

 

[emroch]

Looks like Emporia has a model that supports access controls: https://shop.emporiaenergy.com/prod...ng-with-access-control?variant=45937460150527

You need to configure driver access through a portal, and then I assume you would need to initiate charging through an app like at a public charging station, but since you control the billing you can make it free for yourself. Less convenient than auto-detecting the approved vehicles, but probably easier than trying to schedule enabled time windows.

 

[Zathras]

I was pretty much sold on the Tesla connector for the outside of my garage - BUT - then I read where it is always on. It cannot be restricted by VIN for NON-Tesla vehicles. While I think it unlikely that anyone would pull into my drievway for a charge while I am away, crazier things have happened.
So, my questions are;
Am I right about the Tesla connector? (I'd like to use that one because I have Tesla power at home, and have the app already)
If so, are there any L2 connectors that provide some sort of power security?
Any insights are appreciated!

Tesla's chargers can lock to VINs. Not sure what made you think otherwise.

 

[Zathras]

Unifi Home Charger has ability to have access permissions.

Wait. Unifi makes a home charger?!

 

[John.S]

I just checked the Access on the Tesla app, 4 choices.

Any EV​

Any Tesla Vehicle​

Only authorized Tesla Vehicles​

Compatibility Mode​

​

Note no non-Tesla authorized mode.... Unless there is a recent update ...

 

[John.S]

Wait. Unifi makes a home charger?!

It can be installed at home, but it is designed for low-level commercial use. however it does address the original question.

 

[John.S]

From an Install perspective, I just have my Tesla wall connector just inside the Garage door, then run the cable under the garage door when charging. Mount it on a concrete backer board if worried about Fire or overheating.

 

[ElGuano]

My Emporia Pro charger is wifi-connected and apparently I can turn it on and off with an app. I have a Home Assistant control exposed through a 3rd party Emporia integration too so I can set it to turn on or off by time, when my car is at home/away, or any other kind of trigger or control I set.

Luckily, I don't live it a place where sniping chargers is a thing, so it's not something I'll expect to use frequently.

 

[Time2Roll]

Sometimes it takes all your strength to avoid solving issues that do not exist.

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