Charging Inlet Location

I, for one, happen to really like the location of the L1/L2 charging inlet on our iMiEV.

I park very close to the right side of the garage (if I have a passenger, they have to get out first), leaving plenty of room to swing open the driver's side door and leave a wide passageway in the garage. To locate the car in the garage I've dropped a string with a cork attached to it and it just touches the square thingy on the windshield wiper to exactly position it. When looking at the front of my garage, I've located both of my (transportable) L1 and L2 EVSEs on the right side close to the garage door, which also works well if someone needing a charge parks outside the garage. The J1772 cords only need to be unwound about 4' and they never touch the ground so they stay clean. I've mounted a small touch-activated battery-powered LED light on the garage sidewall so it perfectly illuminates the access port.

When using public EVSEs, I simply back into the parking spot and, once again, the J1772 outlet is very convenient and thus keeps the EVSE cords short. The iMiEV's L3 location is ok as it's close to the aft end of the car and it's not for regular use, anyway.

I'm posting this in the "Suggestions for Mitsubishi" Forum category because I'm suggesting that Mitsubishi NOT change this charging inlet location on the vehicle.

Yes, I agree its fine where its located. Especially since if it were located on the front like the Leaf it could be  trashed in a minor fender bender collision.

I'm really happy with the location as well - It works perfect for us. Thankfully, they didn't stick in in the front like it is on the Nissan Leaf . . . . that pretty much ensures a charging cord laying on the ground

We have 2 garage doors and the chargers are mounted on the narrow wall between the 2 doors, which also allows them to easily be used outside the garage. As it works out, I really only need about 4 or 5 feet of charging cord to reach the car and as Joe mentioned, there's no chance of it ever touching the floor

The only disadvantage I guess is that the charge access port is kinda in the dark after sunset, but I've rectified that by mounting a really bright LED inside the charge handle socket for the new charger I'm building and that should make it easy to find the socket even in the dark

Don

I'm on the other side, I don't like it. I need room on the left in the garage so the driver can get out of the car. On the right, I don't need much space because the passenger can get out before we enter the garage. But now I need enough space to walk down with the cord and plug it in.

Also, when I go out to the car with my hands full of stuff, I open the door on the left side to put the stuff into the car. Then I have to walk back around the car to unplug it. Once I almost forgot that step! If the plug were on the left, it would be right there.

Jenn

Jenn, interesting observation. I take it your EVSE is far inside the garage - on the left or right side? Would it help if you backed the car in, leaving plenty of room to open your driver's-side door? No need to worry about driving off with the car plugged in - it won't start (but I have driven off with the charging port open). My neighbor installed the EVSE for his Leaf on the left side of his garage door and he backs in with the right side of his car very close to the wall - it's a two-car garage so he has lots of space in the middle between the two cars.

Joe,

Same problem if I back in, I need space on one side for the driver, and now I need space on the other side to plug in. (Although it would be closer to the EVSE, which is in the middle of the back wall of the garage.) I still have to get in on one side, and plug/unplug on the other.

However, me and backing in... let's just say that we're not like a Reese's peanut butter cup. There is no way I'm going to back into the garage every time I drive. Just not going to happen!

Another time this bugs me is when I want to plug in, and realize I need to pull the switch to open the port door. Now I have to walk around the car to do it. Argh! And if I want to check the status of the charge before I unplug? You got it, I have to walk around the car to do it (even have to open the car door, because the gauge is not visible through the window - double argh!).

Jenn

jennrod12 said:

However, me and backing in... let's just say that we're not like a Reese's peanut butter cup. There is no way I'm going to back into the garage every time I drive. Just not going to happen!

Click to expand...

Hi Jenn, Unlike you, I usually back into all parking spaces (except my own garage) because the visibility is so much better when pulling out - especially with the short nose on the iMiEV. One of these days I expect to get a ticket on my iMiEV (which I'll take to court) because some garages and parking lots have anachronistic signs prohibiting backing in.

jennrod12 said:

However, me and backing in... let's just say that we're not like a Reese's peanut butter cup. There is no way I'm going to back into the garage every time I drive. Just not going to happen!

Click to expand...

Don't feel bad, Jenn - I never back into any parking space either, especially not one as tight or cramped as a garage

It just makes no sense to me - Pulling in front first, you can see where you're going. Backing out, you're covering the same ground as you did when you pulled in. Much safer to back where you've already been. Assuming it's a straight shot going in, it's the same backing out . . . . much less dangerous than covering new ground in reverse

Partly due to 30 years of Air Force training for me I suppose - Backing into a parking space without having a spotter get out of the vehicle and 'guide' you back was illegal. Many, many Article 15's (non-judicual punshment) given to those who got caught doing it because the Air Force learned many years ago that a very high percentage of their vehicle accidents happened while backing. If you had a backing accident which caused any damage, a court martial was the usual result, with the offender paying for all damages. As an aside, not parking head to wind at Shemya AFB in the Aleutians was also a court martial offense - If you were not head to wind, when you opened the door and the wind caught it, sometimes the door was lost completely!! :shock:

Don

Don said:

...If you had a backing accident which caused any damage, a court martial was the usual result...

Click to expand...

:shock: :shock:
But...
http://theweek.com/article/index/212052/why-back-in-parking-is-safer
http://www.slate.com/articles/life/transport/2011/02/youre_parking_wrong.html

Not wishing to get off-topic, as I believe this indeed is a personal-preferences issue. With our iMiEV's good all-round visibility (with the rear headrests removed), I haven't had any problems compared to backing up and exposing a much larger portion of the auto into unseen traffic (especially when hemmed in by SUVs and large pickup trucks).

It's certainly a matter of personal preference as you say . . . . at least when the parking space is designed for using it either way, but most aren't - Angle in parking at most large parking lots were not designed for back in parking and when someone does it, it usually has them leaving the space driving the wrong way down the one-way aisle, one of my biggest pet peeves

It also makes little sense (IMO) in your driveway, as most of the 'advantages' they list don't apply there. One other 'advantage' to doing it the old fashioned way is that the driver has the opportunity to check out the 'lay of the land' as he gets into the car - A much better view than backing in blind before you exit the car

No doubt there are those drivers who have done it the 'other way' their entire lives and never had a problem . . . . my brother for one, but for the 'average driver' it's probably a good thing they don't consider it - There would be a whole lot more 'Oh, Damn . . . ' cel phone conversations if they did :lol:

Back on topic - You gotta do whichever one gets your right rear quarter closest to the charging outlet, so you don't have to run the cord all the way around the car. I think our charge port is on the 'wrong' side because the car was originally designed as a right hand drive for the Japanese market . . . . most cars have it on the drivers side, even my 'made in Japan' for the US market Mazdas

Don

My Isuzu Trooper and wife's Toyota Corolla have the filler caps on the right side close to the rear end - never thought much about that location one way or the other on the ICEs.

Continuing to beat a dead horse…on an associated topic (Don, remember, you're the one who talked me out of maintaining thread topic discipline) I first experienced reverse angle parking in Australia, and loved it! As a bicycle rider there, I appreciated its advantages and I hope it continues to catch on here in the US.
http://lda.ucdavis.edu/LDA191/Course Handouts & Readings/05-Back_in_Diagonal_Parking.pdf
http://www.dpw.ci.burlington.vt.us/docs/brochure_v2.pdf
http://www.hampdenhappenings.org/HCC_WEB/Zoning_Pdf/RAP/The_Art_Of_Reverse_Angle.pdf

My husband's pickup has the filler cap on the right side, too. Not an issue, as I can pull up to a pump on the right just as easily as pulling up to a pump on the left. I never had to access that cap in the garage. And it doesn't release from inside the cab, so I don't have to walk back around the truck if I "forget" to release it, I can open it all by itself.

Jenn

In our case.....not a fan of backing into the garage
I decided to place the charging station just inside the to the left of the garage door. My thinking being - if I nose into the garage I can run the cable to the other side of the car to charge inside, (easily done with the garage door open)

Or I can - charge in the driveway
Back the car into the drive way and run the cable under the garage door to charge it .

I joined the plug share web site & I might consider getting a cable support and weather protector for the connector for outdoors.