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Charging outdoors during a thunderstorm!

Discussion in 'Gen 5 Prime Charging' started by Will B, Sep 12, 2023.

  1. Will B

    Will B Active Member

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    I've had my Prime for almost three weeks and up in the Rockies for a few days. All charging has been inside my garage so far, but here it is outside. A few minutes after starting to charge a big thunderstorm came rolling by with near-continuous lightning and thunder all around us together with lots of rain.

    Probably not a big deal, and I'm sure everything is safe for water exposure, but decided maybe not the best time for my first outdoor charge! Here's hoping the storm passes by before bedtime so I can have a full charge to start the drive home tomorrow.

    will
     
    #1 Will B, Sep 12, 2023
  2. Marine Ray

    Marine Ray Senior Member

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    From owner's manual.

    Screenshot 2023-09-13 083418.png
     
    #2 Marine Ray, Sep 13, 2023
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  3. Will B

    Will B Active Member

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    Marine Ray: Ah! Good to know! I did read all those warnings a few weeks ago, but clearly didn't remember them all. I was more worried about the water in/around the plug, but yea, makes sense on not trusting the powelines themselves during a thunderstorm. The storm did pass by bedtime, so had a fully charged car for the drive back to "civilization".
     
    #3 Will B, Sep 13, 2023
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  4. Marine Ray

    Marine Ray Senior Member

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    Can't speak for the 2023 Prius Prime, but owners of 2017-22 PPs have not had a problem with charging in rain. I believe the car is outdoor/indoor. There is an aftermarket cover device but most folks find it neat, but not needed. :)
     
    #4 Marine Ray, Sep 14, 2023
  5. Will B

    Will B Active Member

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    It did feel weird leaving the charge bay cover open during the rain, but it seems to make a pretty decent seal around the connector. Water was all over the bay the next morning, but in/around the connector proper, things were perfectly fine and dry. I just had to wipe down the cable before putting it away.

    The switch that gets pushed when you close the cover looks to only seal if the door is open. When closed there is a neat looking rubber grommet on the bay door that loos to be the seal when the door is closed, so it looks like Toyota thought it through.

    will
     
    #5 Will B, Sep 14, 2023
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  6. Numtini

    Numtini Member

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    I charge in the rain all the time--last year was a drought, this year is a deluge. I've gotten over worrying about it.

    Lightning is another matter. If I know we're going to have thunderstorms, I avoid charging. I'll just go out after or unplug it early or something like that.
     
    #6 Numtini, Sep 26, 2023
  7. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    It is if you live in a state that gets lots of lightning.

    Remember.
    The owner's manual states that you should not charge the car during a thunderstorm.
    It does not say anything about the car being OUTSIDE during a thunderstorm.
    Some will say with varying accuracy that this is just one of the 9,999 generic warnings that you see in an owner's manual but in the last 5 years I've lost nearly all of the major electrical appliances in two houses due to lightning, including a $9,000 HVAC system and my daughter lost the use of her house for a half year after a lightning strike nearly burned her house to the ground.

    Of course, the huge advantage for Prime owners is that their car is a dual-fueled vehicle!
    You don't HAVE TO plug it in!
     
    #7 ETC(SS), Sep 26, 2023
  8. bongoman

    bongoman Junior Member

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    I suspect the owners manual wrote this to mitigate the risk of a power surge. Which would be a common concern for any device plugged into an electrical outlet during a thunderstorm. On plugging any EV or PHEV outside during the rain. There’s a few notable aspects of the J1772 standard. The ports are intentionally designed to create a seal around the connectors and pins. The EVSE inside the car also doesn’t send the handshake to send power to the car until the pins are firmly attached.
     
    #8 bongoman, Dec 2, 2023
  9. Will B

    Will B Active Member

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    @bongoman: Yep, pretty sure that is the case too, rain is OK, thunderstorms not OK. Even the thunderstorm warning isn't just about it being bad outdoors, it is (at least implicitly) bad even if indoors. I was thinking so much about the rain, I should have been thinking about the lightning! Well, dodged that bullet, won't do that again.

    will
     
    #9 Will B, Dec 2, 2023
  10. bongoman

    bongoman Junior Member

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    I guess it also depends as much on what your own electrical wiring is like. Like some people might have a whole home surge protector installed by an electrician. Or have a level 2 charger with one.
     
    #10 bongoman, Dec 2, 2023
  11. GREEN BAE

    GREEN BAE Member

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    I wouldn't want to risk that beautiful vehicle getting fried.
     
    #11 GREEN BAE, Dec 26, 2023
  12. Will B

    Will B Active Member

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    @GREEN BAE: Yep, agree. I was thinking more about lightning itself, not line surges. Bad idea. Also the nice thing about a PHEV, if it isn't safe to charge, you still have gas! :) In fact that happened on a later trip, there was too much snow and I had to leave the car in a safer place without power. That meant I couldn't charge my car for the return trip, but didn't care!

    will
     
    #12 Will B, Dec 28, 2023
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