Hello all! So I pick up my 2018 Prius Prime tomorrow. I never thought I would buy a new car (I'm a bike commuter with a pickup for running errands) but my wife's Optima was dying and she is not so adventurous as to roll the dice commuting in my 1994 Mighty Max. I also got a great deal on it at 24,800 out the door for a Premium (4k from Toyota plus DC exempts hybrids with 40+ MPG from sales tax, halves the registration, and provides a 50% refundable tax credit up to a $1000 yield for "charging infrastructure"). I live in a row house with an open backyard leading into a parking pad and then the public alley. I would like to install a Level 2 charger at the start of the driveway but since the area is technically accessible by anyone walking past the driveway, I'd like to find a tamper proof solution. I first thought I could get a plugin charger and a lockable NEMA box (that can be locked with the charger plugged in) which would prevent someone from walking away with the charger but would allow someone to else to use the charger (I know -- VERY remote chance of this happening). What I would really love to find is a passcode-protected relay (think the kind you see at Home Depot / Lowes to secure their saws, chain cutters, etc) that would allow me to have a charger ostensibly hard-wired into this box, require a code to start charging, and of course be outdoor rated, whether as-is or in a suitable enclosure). Does anyone know of such a thing? Or an outdoor charger that already has this functionality? ** Apologies for any misused terminology!
congrats and welcome! sorry, i have no advice, don't recall ever reading about such a device. all the best!
Something like a WiFi controlled circuit? My front porch light (plus other lights) are controlled by my iPad, iPhone or Amazon’s Alexa.
This is a bit of a low-tech solution, but if the charger is going to be on a separate, dedicated circuit, you could just turn off the breaker when your not using it. Or alternatively, wire it to a switch within your townhouse that you turn off when not in use.
