Neighbors in parking garage keep unplugging my Prius

depends on the price of a kilowatt. can be anywhere from 20 cents to a dollar or so. of course, you are right, and hopefully no one here is condoning theft.

hopefully his point is that, when expelling to management, the cost to the building owner is negligible, and they will allow it, or at least come up with some sort of payment compensation.

 

That's actually about the most adult way to handle it.
I kinda like the idea of wrapping the extension cord around the car, but it might lead to scratches......which would damage the car.


The OP is lucky that somebody didn't throw the charging cable into a nearby dumpster or cut it in half.

Many people plug into "available" outlets and charge the car on-peak.
Commercial customers also pay much higher rates than residential customers do in some markets, and sometimes it works out the other way.
That's why it's important to do it right.

Compensation can also take the form of increasing the draw for eco-drivers, which is why some businesses double down by installing L2 charging and dedicating parking spaces for EV drivers.
Like I said.....I think that a complex SHOULD offer this benefit, but you have to do it right.
Dedicated breakers and parking spaces seem fair enough.....if the owner makes the choice to do so.

 

Exactly, Maybe also have the Plug in owner help defer the cost of installing a dedicated charge spot?

 

Yeah, I have to say the key to the conversation is that the OP say's this apartment complex has no designated electric vehicle spaces.

Owning a plug in vehicle doesn't give you the right to plug in to ANY outlet, ANY where. And in a shared parking/garage environment a 50 ft cord being strung from Point A to Point B could be a safety risk to all those walking around it. Can you say "Grandma tripped and broke her hip"?

The OP needs to talk to Apartment Management, and see if a spot CAN be made a designated electric vehicle space, hopefully one closer to an outlet that can be specifically dedicated for this use. But if you haven't had this conversation with management, and have simply been parking and stringing a long cord from public outlet to vehicle, I don't think I'd be too shocked by the reaction.

Get it all above board and approved, hey....maybe even a sign posted denoting it's OK for a "plug in vehicle" to park and use the outlet, THEN if people are messing with your cord, or taking the space...you have a case. Otherwise? All people see is a guy with a plug in vehicle, a long cord, who seems to be taking the liberty of charging up on a "shared" outlet.

 

I was thinking cost but 12 amps is definitely a heavy load for a home circuit. I wish it were slower actually if I got a PiP.

 

I've never placed the cord on the vehicle. Always on the ground near it.

 

The op needs to identify the culprit, a motion sensing camera in the vehicle??
Then discuss the options, of course an offer of compensation is in order, and then.. Possibly a metered space in a convent place might be appropriate.

 

Another thing to consider is that it's an apartment complex. Depending on the area you live hybrids/electric vehicles may not be so popular to which the need for charging stations are needed. I work in the largest apartment complex in the state of Florida. We are also the second largest in the United States. We have 1912 units iirc. Close to 10 miles of road and between 4 to 6 thousand residents. Over 500 acres. We have 5 laundry rooms(we also offer washer and dryer units) 4 club houses, 4 pools, two basketball courts, two tennis courts, a wildlife preservation, a nature trail, etc.... Out of the 8 years I've been here we've only had one plug in vehicle. It was a chevy Volt. The guy moved out after his lease was up.

 

slower than 3 hours?

 

12 amps is the maximum allowed continuous load on common 15 amp household circuits, under the National Electric Code. No other continuous loads should be on such circuits while the car is charging. Up to 3 amps of simultaneous intermittent loads would be allowed.

Also common in households are 20 amp circuits, which allow 16 continuous amps. Such circuits can be shared with up to 4 amps of other continuous loads, such as several hundred watts of garage lighting. But a renter is unlikely to know the electrical layout of the facility, thus must inquire with building management for permission.

As far as grid friendliness is concerned, the slower, the better. Absent intelligence from the grid, the ideal rate would be to stretch it out over the full time the car will be parked, i.e. all night for a commuter charging at home.

 

I'm pretty sure Volt or Leaf had a 8 amp cord option

 

Maybe for the maintenance people to use.......for things like pressure washing the concrete or making other repairs.......just maybe.

Or for something that everybody can do, like vacuuming out the car.

I think we have identified the "culprit" and it is........HIM.

P.S. After going back and reading the initial post, I'm now thinking this might be a trolling expedition.

 

It would be more appropriate and logical for him to speak with management instead of wasting time and money buying equipment to hide in a vehicle to identify who is unplugging the cord. I'm almost certain it's management.