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Old 03-14-2013, 08:21 PM   #2 (permalink)
brucepick
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Eastern CT, USA
Posts: 1,936

Outasight - '00 Honda Insight
Team Honda
Gen-1 Insights
90 day: 54.18 mpg (US)
Thanks: 431
Thanked 396 Times in 264 Posts
Well - -
I had to come up with something after I did an "alternator delete" and now run the car off two substantial deep cycle batteries located in the trunk.

I found my most important concern was to NOT drive off with the car still connected to a power cable. Earlier, I had a male plug for an engine heater coming out the front grill which I plugged into my "driveway" cable, which runs to an outlet in the garage. More than once, I drove away with that thing plugged in. Not good to do. The last time I did it, I destroyed the nice grill block I had made. I needed a better way to plug my projects into power.

I wouldn't want to keep a charger in the engine bay long term due to likely damage from engine heat. And I wouldn't want to run one cooped up in the trunk due to not enough air volume and ventilation to keep the charger cooled. So my chargers are located on the back seat.

I wasn't as ambitious as you as far as a slick looking connector.

I found heavy gauge, three wire (grounded) flat extension cords in a hardware store. They are rated for 1500W, or maybe more. Enough for toasters and even smallish air conditioners. My chargers are plugged into one of these, with a splitter so the single cable can handle both chargers. I run the cable out through the driver's door (it's a coupe) and plug that into a heavy gauge cord that I leave in the driveway. That one runs to an outlet in the garage.

So by running the flat cable out the driver's door, I am guaranteed to see it before getting in the car. Having driven off at least twice with something still plugged in, that is a priority for me. I'm sure the factory setups on Teslas and Priuses etc. will not let you drive off if the charger connector has a cable conneted to it.
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Driving '00 Honda Insight, acquired Feb 2016.


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