spkobay
Active member
Fortunately, no damage done; however, I did want to offer a piece of caution. Today I needed to utilize one of the new EVSEs installed at one of LA's metro stations (Sierra Madre). See the link for an image of the stations. http://www.evconnect.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Sierra-Madre-charge-stations.png. It's actually a pretty elegant design. Touch your RFID card and the cable drops from the upper structure, from where it is stored and protected. The caution comes in once charging has completed. I've noticed on both the Volt and the Leaf that once charging stops on other stations that I've used, the pilot signal indicates that it's still connected. The RAV appears to not behave in this manner - my home EVSE also indicates it as disconnected once charging completes.
So here's the rub with the auto-retracting station. Once the RAV indicated it was finished charging, the station thought that it had been unplugged. When I returned to my fully charged RAV, the cable had retracted (while still attached) and had significant strain on both the cable and the charge port on the RAV; the station indicated "trouble". It took quite a bit of pressure and tugging against the retracter to get the cable to disconnect from the RAV and, because of the identified trouble to the station, the cable never did retract. I called and left a voicemail for the station operator.
Again, fortunately no damage, but that doesn't mean someone won't be so lucky in the future.
So here's the rub with the auto-retracting station. Once the RAV indicated it was finished charging, the station thought that it had been unplugged. When I returned to my fully charged RAV, the cable had retracted (while still attached) and had significant strain on both the cable and the charge port on the RAV; the station indicated "trouble". It took quite a bit of pressure and tugging against the retracter to get the cable to disconnect from the RAV and, because of the identified trouble to the station, the cable never did retract. I called and left a voicemail for the station operator.
Again, fortunately no damage, but that doesn't mean someone won't be so lucky in the future.