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Review: Tesla Model S J1772 Charger Lock

Driving a Model S is a terrific experience but it does come with new territory from time to time. Things that you never had to deal with as a gas car owner. Charging for example. An overwhelming majority of the time I charge my Model S inside my own garage with a 240v 40amp outlet. But there are times when I need to charge away from home and don’t have access to a Supercharger oasis from Tesla. It also means that there are extended periods of time where I’m away from my car while a charging cable is attached to it. You never leave your gas car with a running fuel pump inserted in the tank intake.

Tesla Model S J1772 Charger

Image source: wikimedia.org

Here in the Chicagoland area we have a pretty healthy number of ChargePoint stations. A couple of years ago you would see most of these spaces empty, but now it’s unusual to see one not in use. On occasion I work in our downtown office and although I could take the train, I prefer to drive. Yeah, you know why. Parking garages in Chicago are very expensive but are also abundant, and so savvy owners have installed free ChargePoint stations and reserved spaces for EV’s. Sweet.

Also see: Using public EV charging stations with your Tesla Model S

Are you comfortable leaving your car parked in a public lot all day with a charge cable attached to it? Well, Power 12 has developed a simple product, the CapturePro CP1, designed to provide a greater peace of mind while you’re away from your charging Model S. It’s a hard plastic ring designed to sit between your Model S J1772 adapter and the charge handle. It’s singular purpose is to help protect from unwanted charging disconnections.

CapturePro CP1

I tested one yesterday. I drove into the city and wheeled into a rock star EV reserved spot in a Chicago River North parking garage. The CapturePro was easy to use. I simply slipped it onto my Tesla Model S J1772 adapter and connected the ChargePoint handle to the adapter.

Tesla Model S J1772 Charger Lock (CapturePro CP1)

The handle snaps onto the adapter to make a solid connection. But anyone can remove it. Here is where the CapturePro CP1 comes in. It slides over the connection, preventing purposeful or accidental disconnection.

Functionality

The ring has six different size notches so you can find just the right one to secure the handle to the adapter. Once you return to your Model S you simply disconnect the adapter from your charge port and slide off the ring. Once in place I applied some pretty serious pressure to try and dislodge it. I could not do so.

Tesla Model S J1772 Charger Lock (CapturePro CP1)It would likely require significant force or a cutting tool to completely compromise the structure.

In other words someone would have to have strong purpose to break the connection. The CP1 requires no assembly and has a label for recording contact information, like a cell phone number, you can attach to the ring.

ChargePoint TextI plugged into ChargePoint at 8:00 and at 10:00 am my Model S was fully charged. I knew because ChargePoint has an excellent alert system that texted me when it was charged.

They also text you when the plug has been removed. Had removal occurred during the day I would have simply walked the two blocks to my car and assessed the situation. My Tesla iPhone app would tell me that my car is still parked, locked and in the same place I parked it.

Conclusion

Should you have one in your Model S at all times? That depends entirely on your level of risk acceptance. Do you buy insurance or extended warranties for your electronics? Do these types of things reduce stress? If so, then the CapturePro might be for you.

At $39.99 it’s not an impulse buy. It worked exactly as advertised, but in my opinion if you’re going to do this I think it should be made out of something significantly stronger. I know it adds to the cost, but it also increases security. Do you opt for the cheap bicycle helmet that will shatter or is your brain worth top shelf protection?

 

RELATED: Tesla Charging Etiquette: SuperchargerQR App, Paper Note and Google Voice

 

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