Can someone stop your car from charging without setting off the alarm?

2261 Views 16 Replies 14 Participants Last post by JRRF, Aug 22, 2017

mcstrangelove

Discussion Starter · Aug 15, 2017

I have reason to believe that someone is somehow interrupting my charge, out of spite. I'm not sure how that is possible without triggering the loud alarm. But in several cases, I'll confirm that the green light is on (Mode: Charge Immediately) and when I come back at the end of the day the EV miles are the same as when I plugged it in (i.e. it didn't charge much at all).

Normally I would chalk this up to some sort of occasional charging glitch. But there is an interesting coincidence. Every time this has happened, it's when I've parked in a particular spot that has been "claimed" by an i3 BMW who leaves his charge cord plugged in whenever he leaves to "hold his spot." The policy is first-come first-served, but I have a feeling this individual is tampering with my charge cord because he is upset I'm taking his "personal" space. I'm planning on reporting this to our Operations Dept. But first I want to confirm that this is possible. And not some crazy coincidence.

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bjrosen

· #4 · Aug 15, 2017

mcstrangelove said:
I have reason to believe that someone is somehow interrupting my charge, out of spite. I'm not sure how that is possible without triggering the loud alarm. But in several cases, I'll confirm that the green light is on (Mode: Charge Immediately) and when I come back at the end of the day the EV miles are the same as when I plugged it in (i.e. it didn't charge much at all).

Normally I would chalk this up to some sort of occasional charging glitch. But there is an interesting coincidence. Every time this has happened, it's when I've parked in a particular spot that has been "claimed" by an i3 BMW who leaves his charge cord plugged in whenever he leaves to "hold his spot." The policy is first-come first-served, but I have a feeling this individual is tampering with my charge cord because he is upset I'm taking his "personal" space. I'm planning on reporting this to our Operations Dept. But first I want to confirm that this is possible. And not some crazy coincidence.

What kind of EVSE is at the spot? Is it's Chargepoint or similar that has to be enabled for each charge or is a free EVSE? Is the cable disconnected or is it still plugged in when you return? If it's a Chargepoint you can use the app to see if your car is charging or not, and if not you will see how long you were charging before it stopped. If it's a free EVSE it should charge as long as the cable is plugged in.

I'd come back 30 minutes after you've plugged in and check if it's still charging assuming it's a free EVSE, or check the app if it's a non-free EVSE. I also agree with bro1999 about getting a dash cam if you really suspect that you are being disconnected.

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bjrosen

· #9 · Aug 15, 2017

mcstrangelove said:
I guess I've been holding off on the dash cam - probably a good idea for that investment. If anything, to have a record of psycho drivers in the event of (God forbid) an accident.

To answer other questions... These are free spots, courtesy of the company. It's just a regular 120 circuit at each spot. I have the OnStar app that tells me if it is charging or not. I've been more cognizant of checking it periodically. Yes, I've thought about turning in the dude's charge cord but I want to confirm that this guy is doing this first. I've casually mentioned it to our Ops Dept and they say he can't "hold" the spot - it's first come first served. Assuming I am correct and this guy is passive-aggressively unplugging my car, I think he'd flip out if I turned his cord in.

Are you plugged in or not when you return? If your EVSE is plugged in it should be charging assuming that the outlet is working, simply unplugging and then replugging the EVSE shouldn't matter.

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