[VoltFish]

I frequently park in a carport with power outlets. I'm always concerned about somebody walking away with my EVSE since there isn't a door or anything on the carport. When I have the car charging I just use a small lock on the charger plug and figure I will hear the car honking if somebody tries to unplug the car.

I'm wondering if anybody has come up with a good way to secure the EVSE when the car isn't around. It seems like most threads I've seen focus on ways to secure it to the car itself, but I'd like to secure it somehow so I can leave it in place in my carport and not have to pack it up and unpack it every time I come and go (this isn't a huge deal but it would be nice if I didn't have to do it).

 

[Steverino]

A brick enclosure.
A steel box or cage bolted to the wall and padlocked.

http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?11606-Suggestions-for-outdoor-cabinet-for-Blink-Charger
http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?9555-Level-2-charger-with-anti-theft-cage

 

[bjrosen]

I frequently park in a carport with power outlets. I'm always concerned about somebody walking away with my EVSE since there isn't a door or anything on the carport. When I have the car charging I just use a small lock on the charger plug and figure I will hear the car honking if somebody tries to unplug the car.

I'm wondering if anybody has come up with a good way to secure the EVSE when the car isn't around. It seems like most threads I've seen focus on ways to secure it to the car itself, but I'd like to secure it somehow so I can leave it in place in my carport and not have to pack it up and unpack it every time I come and go (this isn't a huge deal but it would be nice if I didn't have to do it).

Can you have a permanent EVSE installed in the car port? A Clipper Creek or equivalent is bolted to the wall so it's not going anywhere.

 

[srs5694]

It's hard to say without seeing your carport. I have a driveway but no garage, so I have similar concerns, but I'm sure my solution would not work for you: Because I have no outdoor power outlets, I built a box, inspired by a window air conditioner, that sits in the window. This enables me to run the power cable inside, where the "brick" part of the EVSE lives, while providing storage for the car end of the EVSE and the bulk of the cable. A lock on the box provides a modicum of security, although even without that, stealing the EVSE would require more than just walking off with it, since it's plugged in inside my house and the "brick" part won't fit through the opening. Of course, the box itself creates window security issues, but a stopper device mounted on the window frame addresses that problem. Anybody willing to do property damage could easily grab my EVSE by hacking my box apart -- but it'd be easier to break a window and burglarize my house generally, so I'm no more worried about my EVSE being stolen than I am about my house being burglarized.

Anyhow, you might be able to buy or build a box and mount it with bolts or something to provide some modicum of security. If you need more specific advice, I suggest you post photos, or at least a better description.

 

[VoltFish]

Thanks for the replies... some more details: The carport area is beneath condos and is drywalled/finished along the back wall where the outlet I use is located so I could probably mount some kind of enclosure to the drywall near the outlet. The outlet is metered on "house" power and shares the circuit with other outlets on the wall (luckily I appear to be the only person to ever use the outlets right now). I have the EVSE plugged into a "Kill A Watt" meter that is then plugged into the outlet so I can meter my own kWh usage and reimburse the homeowner's association accordingly.

1. Are there any secure enclosures that can be mounted to drywall to hold the EVSE and have a locking door or something where you can't access the screws to remove the enclosure from the wall without first opening the locked door?

2. I'd love to be able to install a L2 charger but haven't really thought about that because I thought the cost may be high especially if I end up not living in this location for a long time. The breaker panel that controls the outlets is only about 30 feet away along the same wall though. Any idea how much it would cost to have a 220 outlet run and installed? Is there a product other than the external "kill a watt" type meters that could be installed inline with the circuit so I could easily meter my own usage? It would be nice if I could somehow get an outlet installed with a small cage or something around it so both the outlet and my EVSE were protected especially if the outlet is metering to me.

 

[srs5694]

Thanks for the replies... some more details: The carport area is beneath condos and is drywalled/finished along the back wall where the outlet I use is located so I could probably mount some kind of enclosure to the drywall near the outlet. The outlet is metered on "house" power and shares the circuit with other outlets on the wall (luckily I appear to be the only person to ever use the outlets right now). I have the EVSE plugged into a "Kill A Watt" meter that is then plugged into the outlet so I can meter my own kWh usage and reimburse the homeowner's association accordingly.

1. Are there any secure enclosures that can be mounted to drywall to hold the EVSE and have a locking door or something where you can't access the screws to remove the enclosure from the wall without first opening the locked door?

Of course there are, although I don't have any pointers handy. You might want to go to a local hardware or home improvement store and ask about it. If nothing else, you could make a box out of wood, metal, or whatever, and mount it to the wall. If the mounting screws are inside the box, and if it's got a lock on it, then it will be as secure as the materials and lock. Of course, nothing will protect you against a thief with the right tools, but there comes a point of diminishing returns for any security system.

2. I'd love to be able to install a L2 charger but haven't really thought about that because I thought the cost may be high especially if I end up not living in this location for a long time.

There are L2 chargers that are easily moved, but of course those are also more likely to be easily stolen, especially if they use plugs rather than being hard-wired. I'd say that hard-wiring will be a good theft deterrent -- but that will also require another visit from an electrician if/when you move. Personally, if I were going to stay somewhere for more than a year or so, I'd go with an L2 charger. (I plan to move next spring or summer, which is why I'm using my L1 charger in a jury-rigged box.)

The breaker panel that controls the outlets is only about 30 feet away along the same wall though. Any idea how much it would cost to have a 220 outlet run and installed?

You'll have to consult a local electrician, but the impression I get is that most professional installations cost $200-$500. (That's for the installation only; the L2 EVSE is another $300 to $1,000.)

Is there a product other than the external "kill a watt" type meters that could be installed inline with the circuit so I could easily meter my own usage?

Yes. I've seen YouTube videos with such inline meters. I don't know what they cost, though.

It would be nice if I could somehow get an outlet installed with a small cage or something around it so both the outlet and my EVSE were protected especially if the outlet is metering to me.

I don't think that would be a problem -- but if you're hard-wiring an EVSE, I think a cage or box would add little to the security of the system, unless perhaps you live in a high-crime area.

 

[bjrosen]

A ClipperCreek Level 2 costs about $600, they sell versions that are meant to be hardwired in and ones with a plug. Because the area is protected you could buy one with a plug which would make it easier to take it with you if you move. Having an electrician run a 240V line will cost ~$300. There is a federal tax credit for installing an EVSE which will cover 30% of the cost.

https://www.clippercreek.com/30-federal-tax-credit-for-purchase-installation-of-clippercreek-evse

 

[ChevyEMF]

Screws are through the mounting flange, but could easily have been behind the locking door.


http://imgur.com/VyMLrTX

http://imgur.com/6vB5iKk

 

[flyingsherpa]

Is there anything there you could loop a steel cable around? I keep my EVSE in a rubbermaid box, look closely and you can see the EVSE cord (and my extension cord) are padlocked to a steel cable that is looped around a nearby fixed structure. To steal anything, you'd have to cut the padlock or the EVSE cable... it's not perfect, but it's a deterrent.

 

[VoltFish]

Thanks again... I'm going to check and see how much it will cost to get a 220v circuit run over to the parking spot and maybe go the hardwired route with a Clipper Creek EVSE. Seems like that would be a pretty good deterrent and I don't think it would be a huge deal to just unwire it later and put a blank plate over the junction box or whatever the electrician ends up using when I move. Now I find myself debating on whether to just get a 16 amp unit which will max out the Volt or if I should spend the extra money now for a 32 amp or higher unit for whatever my next EV will be later.

Then it becomes this whole decision over will 6.6kW be sufficient for 3 years down the road or will cars have moved towards the Tesla trend and 10kW will be the way to go... Might just go with the 16 amp for now since I don't plan on getting another car for 3 years and by then who knows what the standard will be and what the EVSE prices will have come down to. Plus I'm not sure if 32 amp is a lot more expensive to run versus 16 amp when it comes to the panel and wiring necessary.

 

[bjrosen]

I have the HCS-40 which is a 32A charger, it's only costs $565 and it's Bolt or Tesla ready if I go that route in the future. The 16A EVSEs are only $200 cheaper which isn't much of a savings.

 

[Barry]

A very simple, cheap option is to sink a large eye bolt into a stud in the wall, then place the hasp of a pad lock through the eye and around your charge cable. Not perfect, but a decent deterrent.

 

[VoltFish]

I have the HCS-40 which is a 32A charger, it's only costs $565 and it's Bolt or Tesla ready if I go that route in the future. The 16A EVSEs are only $200 cheaper which isn't much of a savings.

Yeah that's the other model I was looking at. I guess I'm thinking that if 3 years from now I get a Tesla or whatever else is out then the 32A won't be enough. The Teslas can already handle up to 10kW home charging which require a 48A EVSE and those are a lot more expensive right now.

 

[markh21518]

If you have a 16 or 17 evse it's already L1/L2 compatible. You just need an adapter. Easily made

 

[Joe67]

I frequently park in a carport with power outlets. I'm always concerned about somebody walking away with my EVSE since there isn't a door or anything on the carport. When I have the car charging I just use a small lock on the charger plug and figure I will hear the car honking if somebody tries to unplug the car.

I'm wondering if anybody has come up with a good way to secure the EVSE when the car isn't around. It seems like most threads I've seen focus on ways to secure it to the car itself, but I'd like to secure it somehow so I can leave it in place in my carport and not have to pack it up and unpack it every time I come and go (this isn't a huge deal but it would be nice if I didn't have to do it).

Why not keep it in your vehicle?

 

[VoltFish]

Why not keep it in your vehicle?

I was trying to find a way to not have to keep hooking it up and unhooking it, storing it, etc. every time I come and go. I'm doing that for now but it would be nice to just be able to pull into my spot and plug in the one cable instead of having to get it out of the hatch each time.

 

[Barry]

That is a lot more convenient. Once I started using mine that way, it made a big difference.

 

[sduck]

When I've had to leave mine outside, I've used a rubbermaid tub as above. If I had to have a more permanent solution I might look for one of those fake ornamental rock things they sell to hide away irrigation plumbing or whatever. http://www.improvementscatalog.com/landscape-rocks/13075

 

[mike100]

expanded metal mesh cage? May be a bit industrial for a residence, but this covers both theft and 'mailbox baseball' vandalism.

 

[Joe67]

I was trying to find a way to not have to keep hooking it up and unhooking it, storing it, etc. every time I come and go. I'm doing that for now but it would be nice to just be able to pull into my spot and plug in the one cable instead of having to get it out of the hatch each time.

Understood. Try securing any eyelet of some kind near the power source and use a cable similar to those used to lock a bicycle. You can choose from combination or key lock solutions. That lock could go through the handle of the EVSE / charge cord unit. Good Luck.