EV advocates will claim that an electric vehicle is just like a typical vehicle. Generally speaking, they are correct. The only true difference between pressing the pedal to the right and the automobile moving forward or backward is the type of fuel used. In fact, we frequently say things like that. However, we were being fully honest, that is only largely accurate. One percent of the time, the only variation is in the type of fuel used, although it does happen occasionally.
Due to its immediate torque and the ease of home charging, electric automobiles are in fact considerably more enjoyable to drive than conventional vehicles. But there are also certain things that newbies can find puzzling. We’ve started a section called Electric Car FAQs to address those peculiar queries that pop up 1% of the time and to provide explanations on such topics. Can you safely charge an electric vehicle in the rain today?
SHORT ANSWER: CHARGING AN EV IN THE RAIN IS ENTIRELY SAFE. The reality is that almost every electric vehicle produced in the US today has been engineered to function effectively in a variety of operating circumstances, as shown in
While its true that water can conduct electricity and cause short circuits . That doesn’t merely refer to dry or wet conditions. Additionally, it can signify hot and cold, dusty or clean, and possibly even dry or oily. In other words, EVs are designed to be used the same way that people use their automobiles, which is frequently outside.
But don’t take my word for it. At Nissan’s technical center in Farmington Hills, Michigan, Autotrader.com interviewed Jonathon Ratliff , Nissan North America’s senior manager for zero emission technology development, asked him the same question. Yes, it is safe to charge outside in almost any conditions, he said. This is so that they can weather rain and water infiltration as well as bothersome dust particles that may wreck havoc on an electric system. Electric vehicles are specifically designed to do this.
Ratliff further stated that the electrical system of the Nissan LEAF was actually rated to be safe while submerging any part of the car in water for 30 minutes at a depth of one meter; in other words, the rating far outweighs any danger you might face when plugging your EV into a charging station in the rain.
Nevertheless, when it comes to safety, there are no stupid questions. You could definitely counter that Ratliff has too much at stake to be completely unbiased, so let’s attempt to be as neutral as we can here and examine what the regulations regarding the safety of electric car charging actually say.
According to the Consumer Protection Safety Commission ( CPSC ) website, manufacturers are required by federal law to test a variety of consumer items to ensure that they adhere to consumer product safety standards. In this list is electric shock. If you’re interested in learning more, you can read the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) 2017 rule titled Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Electric-Powered Vehicles: Electrolyte Spillage and Electrical Shock Protection but be advised, it’s not quite as captivating as The DaVinci Code.
So throughout the previous ten or so years of this current electric car period, millions of individuals (and not just guys like Fritz Hasler) have charged millions of electric cars millions of times, correct? Why is this still an issue that is being posed when some of those have to be conducted outside of a clean lab?
People trust memes.
If the American political circus of the past few years has taught us anything, it’s that humorous visuals with a few words attached are incredibly successful at persuading uninformed people that they comprehend difficult sociopolitical and/or biomedical concepts. Even though I occasionally succumb to a good meme, I have to admit that when the picture of a flooded Tesla Supercharging station was shared to Facebook in the EV Banter group , my initial reaction was not the best one.
In all honesty, I believe I said, “Yeah, f**k that.” I was also having flashbacks of Bill Murray’s character in Groundhog Day dropping a toaster into his bathtub in an attempt to end it all.
This is incorrect since engineers are intelligent.
There is no chance that the engineers who installed those chargers didn’t consider this precise scenario at least half a dozen times and incorporate various fail-safe and ground fault prevention features. The charger will likely cut off till the flood is over if there is a short brought on by the water. Thank heavens for Chargeway, however if there isn’t a short, I’d probably hunt for a dryer charger myself. Otherwise, there’s probably no risk.
Your electric vehicle is prepared to be topped off and driven in good weather or bad.
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