so, I'll be getting an outlet installed for charging in my garage. It's a shared garage, and occasionally gets a visit from someone who manages to gain entry in hopes of stealing a bike. I bought one of those metal covers that fits over an outlet and you can lock it with a padlock. My charging cable (that came with the Prime) will fit in there if the cord is bent 90 degrees. I was hoping to use this to keep my cable plugged in. Would this be a bad idea?
If you plan to leave the charging cable plugged in all the time, so the cord won’t be flexed often, and the bending radius is reasonable, so the insulation and the wires inside are unlikely to be damaged, I wouldn’t think a cover would be a problem, as long as the plug can be inserted fully into the receptacle. Toyota’s own manuals show the charging cable being connected to an outdoor receptacle with a cover; see page 10 of the Quick Guide (PDF). (Don’t try replacing the plug on the charging cable with a right-angle one; it’s a non-standard type, with a temperature detector inside.) If you’ll be connecting and disconnecting the charging cable often, it might be better to lock the charging cable to the car instead using the charging connector locking system found on the Premium and Advanced trim levels; see pages 113–121 of the Owner’s Manual (15.7 MB PDF). Be sure your new receptacle will have ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) protection, either at the receptacle or circuit breaker, and be on a separate branch circuit, as required by the National Electrical Code (210.8(A)(2) and 210.17).
Thank you! I bought a padlock today similar to the one above. I wasn't sure whether the 90 degree bend would cause a problem, or whether there might be any heat build up if sealed inside the metal 'container' while charging. You're right, that picture illustrates just what I bought. Although it doesn't show it closed while charging, so I just wanted to double-check. Thanks for your responses!
