[sosmerc]

We are having a pretty strong lightning and thunder "event" near my house on Hood Canal this afternoon. This makes me wonder if it is safe to leave my Volt plugged in inside the garage? Anybody ever think about this or worry about it?

 

[caronjeff]

I am typically compelled to unplug when there's big lightning in the area. It's probably all protected with fusing but hey why not just unplug until the storm passes.

 

[llninja]

Anything can happen. A direct strike near your house can fry anything. Having the volt plugged in might increase the chances that the lightning travels across the cord and fries the car. But how many times has your house been struck in your lifetime? How many times have you been struck in your lifetime?

I haven't changed my charging habits because of an impending thunderstorm. I do however bring as many cars into shelter if possible hail is in the forecast.

 

[Mister Dave]

But how many times has your how been struck in your lifetime? How many times have you been struck in your lifetime?

Transients come up the line. That said, the only fried cars reported here came from very near strikes. Might want to ask on Facebook.

I never leave my most expensive appliance plugged into the grid when lighting is about. I don't want to be one of the rare few no matter how rare. It's not like unplugging it is a major hassle. Spring through fall it gets unplugged when the charge is complete anyway.

 

[sosmerc]

Thanks, and after finding some other threads (which I should have "searched" for in the first place) I have decided it's always best to unplug the car when there is storm activity about. Why take chances.

 

[volt spain]

The only absolute protection will be a giant FARADAY cage, a grounded garage with metal walls!!! The problem is the huge magnetic wave of the lightining produces its own voltage even in disconnected circuits... I disconnect the wall charger and pray for good luck,,, a tall lightining rod probably will be the best option.

 

[freshcut]

+1 on disconnecting the car. It's not worth the few bucks in gas if there is a chance that a nearby lightning strike may cause a surge/spike that blows either the EVSE or if it managed to actually make it through the EVSE, damages the on-board charger or worse.

 

[2VoltFamily]

Yep. I unplug during every storm due to experience.

After purchasing my first 2013 and only having it a few months a lightning storm came through. Knocked out my EVSE and the CEL came on at the next startup. The on-board charger had to be replaced and the EVSE as well. It was under warranty of course so it did not cost me anything and I got a loaner for the couple of weeks it took to repair.

 

[quirkySquirt]

Your storm just passed me as well. I opted not to plug in tonight and will be burning gas tomorrow. If I feel like it, I might plugin before I go to bed based on weather reports.

 

[Mister Dave]

Your storm just passed me as well. I opted not to plug in tonight and will be burning gas tomorrow. If I feel like it, I might plugin before I go to bed based on weather reports.

With L2 you might even get in a full charge in the morning before heading out. I like that most days our car is finished charging by the time we finish dinner. I habitually unplug and sleep well knowing that a middle of the night storm doesn't require that I visit the garage. Besides, sometimes I sleep right through thunderstorms.

 

[llninja]

Your storm just passed me as well. I opted not to plug in tonight and will be burning gas tomorrow. If I feel like it, I might plugin before I go to bed based on weather reports.

Full disclosure, when I first bought my volt, I worried about lightning and unplugged during storms, but now I don't. I think subliminally I want the car to get destroyed so I have an excuse to go shopping again.

 

[hellsop]

The only absolute protection will be a giant FARADAY cage, a grounded garage with metal walls!!! The problem is the huge magnetic wave of the lightining produces its own voltage even in disconnected circuits... I disconnect the wall charger and pray for good luck,,, a tall lightining rod probably will be the best option.

Faraday cages don't stop magnetic fields.

 

[Taser54]

I move my car into a garage when hail is a possibility. Why not be careful with lightning?

 

[quirkySquirt]

With L2 you might even get in a full charge in the morning before heading out. I like that most days our car is finished charging by the time we finish dinner. I habitually unplug and sleep well knowing that a middle of the night storm doesn't require that I visit the garage. Besides, sometimes I sleep right through thunderstorms.

I chickened out case out of the blue at 11pm, another bout of lightning. Good thing, cause I lost power for a few hours.

Full disclosure, when I first bought my volt, I worried about lightning and unplugged during storms, but now I don't. I think subliminally I want the car to get destroyed so I have an excuse to go shopping again.

No! Just trade up and let someone else home your Gen 1 Volt. Don't want to see such a marvel of engineering and design go to waste.

I move my car into a garage when hail is a possibility. Why not be careful with lightning?

Hmm, I forgot the forcast did mention hail...but we've never gotten hail larger than a mm or two in size.

 

[Mister Dave]

I move my car into a garage when hail is a possibility. Why not be careful with lightning?

Hmm, I forgot the forcast did mention hail...but we've never gotten hail larger than a mm or two in size.

We rarely get it much bigger, but did have a freak ping pong ball hail storm a couple of years back. The cars were as they always are in the garage and I was very happy. It took car dealers weeks of dentless repair fixing their inventory.

Good thing, cause I lost power for a few hours.

Some of the nastiest transients come down the line around power failures.

 

[Jmaj]

When my L2 was installed the electrician put a whole house surge protector on my breaker box.