ElectricEagle14 said:
So I just moved into a new apartment and we're no longer in a parking lot facing unit, so charging my car is non-existent right now. I am about 85 feet away from the nearest outlet on our porch. Does anyone have any suggestions on an extension cord that would be safe to use, as well as possibly a way to lock it up since I won't be able to see the cord that Kia gave me? I don't know where to begin looking!
Thanks!
The Kia charger will lock to the car when you plug it in and lock the car doors, so no security issue.
The larger issue is voltage drop and heat (resistance of the wire in a long extension cord).
My suggestion is to NOT charge your car at 120 volts as this is slow and very inefficient. Even worse if you lose some power in the cord. But if you must use 120 volts and an extension due to a lack of options, you can minimize loss and maximize safety by:
Using the shortest cord you can get away with.
Using ONE cord to minimize higher resistance (contact) areas such as the plug ends. These tend not to like rain either, so it makes sense to use one continuous cable.
Use the thickest gauge cord you can find, with a high quality rubber jacket / insulation (typically a commercial or contractor grade cord). Go for 10 gauge if you can get it, or 12 gauge if you must. This cord is going to be fairly heavy and bulky.
Make sure the circuit supplying your outlet is not loaded up with anything else while charging. It should be on at least a 15 breaker and the outlet should be in good condition.
Check for unexpected heat once you do charge periodically at the outlet along the wire and at plug ends. You should be good to go with this setup for a while even if it isn't ideal. Wish we used 220 as in Europe.. more power over smaller gauge cable!
