Right-hand side charging?

Rangerfan

New member
Oct 15, 2021
2
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Maryland
Like many folks in the United States my house has no driveway. To charge the Lightning, the cable will be in the street side and subject to collision, just line the driver's side mirror which as be hit twice on my Ranger!
Will there be a option or modification to move the charging port to the right (passenger)side?
 
Every video I’ve seen on YouTube has no ability to open the door on the passenger side. It’s simply there for aesthetics.
 
I would think you could parallel off of those wires and add a new charging station say maybe in the truck bed. or have it done.
 
I asked the Ford people if the charging could be relocated and every time I got NO it can not be moved
 
Interesting enough, the only EV that I am aware of that does not have a driver’s side charge port is the Nissan Leaf, which is in the front facia.
 
Our PHEV (Prius Prime) has the gas tank cap on the driver's side and charge port on the passenger side. I can see why for someone who has to park on the street having the charge port on the passenger side would be a big benefit.
 
Normally you want the cable by the driver's door so you remember to unplug it before leaving, and then plug it back in when you get home. If it's out of sight, you will forget and although the truck won't move while plugged in, you will curse a little under your breath every time you have to get back out and unplug it. Same coming home, you will get distracted by groceries, kids, phones, whatever and forget to plug it in and then be in range anxiety mode the next morning.

If you don't have a garage or carport you really have no way to plug it in anyway. What are you going to add an exterior 50 amp 240 hookup at you apartment or home and then run a very expensive cable that could handle that much amperage over a long distance out to the truck at the curb? That won't disappear to a copper meth head overnight in the first week. If you are thinking simple 120v extension cord again it will get stolen, along with the portable charger connected to it, and take literally 4 days to charge an empty battery to full.

The driver's side port is the least of your worries.
 
Normally you want the cable by the driver's door so you remember to unplug it before leaving, and then plug it back in when you get home. If it's out of sight, you will forget and although the truck won't move while plugged in, you will curse a little under your breath every time you have to get back out and unplug it. Same coming home, you will get distracted by groceries, kids, phones, whatever and forget to plug it in and then be in range anxiety mode the next morning.

If you don't have a garage or carport you really have no way to plug it in anyway. What are you going to add an exterior 50 amp 240 hookup at you apartment or home and then run a very expensive cable that could handle that much amperage over a long distance out to the truck at the curb? That won't disappear to a copper meth head overnight in the first week. If you are thinking simple 120v extension cord again it will get stolen, along with the portable charger connected to it, and take literally 4 days to charge an empty battery to full.

The driver's side port is the least of your worries.
We don't charge in the street, I was referring to the OP. We have a Clipper Creek charge station in our garage.

As far as which side is better it really depends on your garage layout and how you park in the garage. For us having it on the passenger side is ideal. The charger is right next to the charge port on the car. If it was on the drivers side we would have to step over the cable every time we entered or exited the garage. So far in the three years we've owned the car we have never forgotten to plug-in or unplug.
 
We don't charge in the street, I was referring to the OP. We have a Clipper Creek charge station in our garage.

As far as which side is better it really depends on your garage layout and how you park in the garage. For us having it on the passenger side is ideal. The charger is right next to the charge port on the car. If it was on the drivers side we would have to step over the cable every time we entered or exited the garage. So far in the three years we've owned the car we have never forgotten to plug-in or unplug.
I would prefer it on the passenger side for my garage layout as well.
 
We don't charge in the street, I was referring to the OP. We have a Clipper Creek charge station in our garage.

As far as which side is better it really depends on your garage layout and how you park in the garage. For us having it on the passenger side is ideal. The charger is right next to the charge port on the car. If it was on the drivers side we would have to step over the cable every time we entered or exited the garage. So far in the three years we've owned the car we have never forgotten to plug-in or unplug.
Well I was talking to the OP but still. If you would have to step over the cord if it were on the other side that means you must be entering the garage from that side so you see the cord plugged in to the passenger side and remember to unplug it. If that side was away from the entry door and up against the wall you would think it a huge PITA go walk around, shimmy up the side, and unplug or plug in every time. The drivers side makes sense for 100% of the time because a driver always has to get in and out in the use of the car. I'd say any EV with a left side plug was made for a European market and they just didn't bother to fix it for the US.
 
Well I was talking to the OP but still. If you would have to step over the cord if it were on the other side that means you must be entering the garage from that side so you see the cord plugged in to the passenger side and remember to unplug it. If that side was away from the entry door and up against the wall you would think it a huge PITA go walk around, shimmy up the side, and unplug or plug in every time. The drivers side makes sense for 100% of the time because a driver always has to get in and out in the use of the car. I'd say any EV with a left side plug was made for a European market and they just didn't bother to fix it for the US.
100% of the time? I must be wrong about my own set-up that has worked very well for me with our PHEV. I personally have zero issues remembering to plug-in or unplug. Also no need for me to shimmy. I don't weight 600 lbs. When I get a Lightning I'll be parking it in my pole barn. My load center is on the right side as you drive in and that's where I'll install my charge station. If the charge port were on the passenger side I could just drive right in and walk to the passenger side and plug-in. With the port on the drivers side I'll have 2 options. Back in which is a pain in this situation (it'll be a tight fit) or drive in straight, unroll at least 15 ft of cable to reach the plug on the other side and roll it back up when done charging. .

As far as charging with 120V my brother has a Tesla Model S (long range)and charges that way. He would have needed a load center upgrade to go to a Level 2. Thought he'd try just using 120V first and after 3 years he decided there was no reason to upgrade. He lives in the city with no garage and parks 15 ft from the sidewalk. So far no meth heads have messed with it.
 
If the truck has dual chargers, why couldn't the make it left and right. The ccs dc plug could stay on one side or the other, but j1772 could be on both sides. That would enable people to plug in where ever is convenient for the parking situation. I have an EV and a phev and a pair of 30 amp EVSEs that I only use overnight. The lightning will replace a Tacoma be so one car will be parked outside for charging. I have 100 amp service into my house. The Ford 80 amp EVSE would require a significant upgrade, but if there were two plugs I could use both 30amp EVSEs at once. Come on Ford, this was your chance to do something no one else is doing and make it super convenient for your customer.
 
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