Tesla is suing an organization producing an EV charging accent aimed toward stopping carjacking as a result of it believes it’s making Tesla’s charging expertise harmful.
Some EV house owners are afraid of carjacking at public charging stations as a result of the truth that if you’re in your car whereas charging, you’re a considerably simple goal as a result of if some individuals rush your automotive, you’d need to get out to unplug earlier than you’ll be able to escape along with your car.
It’s not a quite common drawback within the EV business, however it’s apparently large enough that an organization, EVject, determined to construct a product round it.
The $299 EVject Escape Connector is designed to have the ability to separate itself from the cost connector by driving away.
The corporate describes the system on its web site:
Expertise a safer EV charging expertise with EVject. In an emergency, you now not have to fret about leaving your car, disconnecting the charger, and dashing again to security. Merely connect the EVject connector to the charger’s head every time you plug in. Within the occasion of an emergency, disconnect the charger out of your dashboard like typical, however now you’ll be able to instantly shift into drive—all from the security of your automotive.
Tesla is now suing the corporate in California court docket, claiming that the connector can attain harmful temperatures, which creates a security threat. Tesla wrote within the grievance (by way of Jalopnik):
Within the occasion of an over-temperature situation within the Connector, the shortage of overtemperature safety creates a security threat. Testing of high-current simulated charging via the Connector, utilized at the side of a Tesla Supercharger cable and Tesla EV cost port, demonstrated that floor temperatures of the Connector might attain as excessive as 100C, after half-hour of charging at 420 ADC. Throughout an over-temperature occasion, a person of the Connector could also be burned throughout (or following) charging by touching or grabbing the Connector. Moreover, the excessive temperature current within the Connector poses a threat of fireplace and ignition of different flamable supplies within the charger cable, the car linked to the Connector, and the Supercharger infrastructure.
With the civil go well with, Tesla is searching for to stop the corporate from promoting the connector as protected and from importing it into the US. It’s also searching for a minimal of $75,000 in damages.
Electrek’s Take
If it will probably attain these temperatures, and Tesla seems to have examined it, then I believe it’s protected to say that the system is extra harmful than the potential arm it will probably stop.
Personally, I’ve by no means felt unsafe at a charging station, however I do perceive how this might occur as some charging places will be sketchy, like in a darkish nook of a Walmart car parking zone with out anybody or something shut.
However hopefully charging station operators are going to maintain that potential drawback in thoughts when researching charging places.
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