What prevents a home electrical vehicle outlet from being ripped off of the wall when driving while being charged?
Do we have a safety feature that prevents this?
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My wife’s Prius Prime is a hybrid plug-in. I accidentally tried to drive it when it was plugged and it wouldn’t budge. Must be the safety feature to prevent dullards like me from messing up.
I believe there are two mechanisms:
1) as @gondwanalon wrote, there is a logical/digital interlock that won’t allow the car to move if the charger is connected. (That is, the starter interlock is set).
2) As I understand it, the charger ‘nozzle’ itself has some sort of plastic lock that, when stretched enough, will break apart (i.e. separate) to cut the electrical connection to the vehicle. You might have to buy a new plastic piece, but your walls won’t fall down.
This is analogous to the ‘regular’ gas pumps where there are breakaway valves built into to gas pumps that separate.
See this
I’ve tried to do this. The car won’t move and gives you a “Hey dumbass!!! you’re still plugged in!!!” alert—only it’s more polite about it.
My Hyundai PHEV won’t shift out of Park if it’s still plugged in. Then it dings and pops up a polite message on the dashboard.
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