Manual (unpowered) charge port questions

[Jhenson29]

I get that you can get used to it. My point was simply that if I have to close the DC flap manually after each unplugging, I might as well close the main flap manually too (unlikely to close the DC flap but forget to close the port since the two are done together).

I think @W1NGE ’s point was that the DC cover can be left in a state that will make it spring closed when the plug is removed. I just went out and looked and it looks like there’s about 3/16” clearance or more between a straight edge off of the bottom of where the plug goes in and the furthest the DC cover can move without locking. So, I think it’s possible. But any more and the DC cover will latch open.

As I was looking at it, it occurred to me that they could easily make the plug depress the latch while inserted so that, even if it’s locked open for insertion, it springs close for removal.

The piece to unlatch is somewhat externally accessible (I can stick a small allen wrench in to trip it and close the cover). Seems like it might be an easy mod, but I’d have to look into it more.

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[f1eng]

you'll be surprised as people somehow manage to do it.

I was.
Shocked even.

 

[fgwinn]

I think @W1NGE ’s point was that the DC cover can be left in a state that will make it spring closed when the plug is removed. I just went out and looked and it looks like there’s about 3/16” clearance or more between a straight edge off of the bottom of where the plug goes in and the furthest the DC cover can move without locking. So, I think it’s possible. But any more and the DC cover will latch open.

As I was looking at it, it occurred to me that they could easily make the plug depress the latch while inserted so that, even if it’s locked open for insertion, it springs close for removal.

The piece to unlatch is somewhat externally accessible (I can stick a small allen wrench in to trip it and close the cover). Seems like it might be an easy mod, but I’d have to look into it more.

It would be an easy modification to add a small "stop" to prevent the flap from reaching the locked position. Then the flap would be spring loaded against the CCS plug and automagically close when the CCS plug was removed. The stop could be a small plastic block secured with double sided 3M foam tape. This modification would require holding the flap open with one hand while inserting the CCS plug with the other hand. This technique could be an issue for owners who are not strong enough to handle the cumbersome CCS plug with one hand. Oh how I wish the industry would have adopted the elegant Tesla plug.

I think the 3/16" clearance mentioned above may be somewhat less due to the thickness of the CCS plug casing. I have not DC charged my Taycan yet so I am not speaking from experience. I am hoping that once the CCS plug is inserted then the flap can be disengaged from the locked open position and allowed to rest against the CCS plug until the plug is removed at which time it would close by itself.

 

[Jhenson29]

I think the 3/16" clearance mentioned above may be somewhat less due to the thickness of the CCS plug casing.

Yes, casing is extra and I was assuming it would fit in that space. I don’t have one to test.

And I also just eye-balled the 3/16”. I didn’t have a scale. But I’m pretty sure I got within an inch. ?

 

[whitex]

Ok - so don't add it to your spec...

I just removed it (granted, no allocation yet, may never come given the rumors of CT Turbo being cancelled).

As for forgetting the manual close on the main flap - check the forum, you'll be surprised as people somehow manage to do it.

I do get it. Had a Tesla with manual port close for 2 years and I did forget. That said however, if I forgot to close it on the Tesla, I am just as likely yo forget the DC cap, and then the auto-close becomes useless.

PS> this is not about the price of the port, but mostly about the motors blocking the air-scarf which in my head engineers put there for a reason, so there would need to be more compelling reasons to get the powered port.

 

[Pozuelo]

Those wanting the flap to close automatically when removing a DC plug, must be forgetting that at least once in a while, we have to remove and replace the plug after a charger malfunction. I would actually prefer the cover auto-close feature to have a longer delay if an error in charging is detected, because often when I am re—approaching with the heavy DC cable, the cover has closed and I have to use the sensor to reopen it.

 

[fgwinn]

Yes, casing is extra and I was assuming it would fit in that space. I don’t have one to test.

And I also just eye-balled the 3/16”. I didn’t have a scale. But I’m pretty sure I got within an inch. ?

Last evening I did a test run at a nearby EA station. The site had four chargers all with 150kW capacity. It's a good thing no one else was there. Only my wife got to witness me struggling to get the car charged. The first challenge was figuring out the ID number of the charger. After unsuccessfully attempting to start a charge on the third charger from the left twice I moved to the second charger from the left. I finally found the number of the charger on the screen in what seemed like about a 12 pt font size. Who would have thought that the chargers were numbered 1 through 4 from right to left. The cables are thick, heavy, and difficult to align with the port. I had to park within about 4" from the cable in order for the plug to reach the port. Starting SoC was 49% and after 30 minutes the SoC was 92% with a peak rate of 107 kWh.

I inserted and removed the CCS plug at least four times between the two chargers. Each time I removed the plug the small flap snapped back into the closed position. I did have to fight with the motorized door one time when I was re-inserting the plug. Since it is so difficult to insert the plug, I was wondering if a manual charger door would make it even more difficult to align the plug with the port since the door would block the path to the port. Hopefully the charger cables will be easier to handle in the Summer when the temperature is above freezing.

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