Anyone else not a fan of the front charge port?
Seems like even a small bump could make the car impossible to charge.
Also, I have to touch the door to open and close it, which means getting all that road grime on my hands…
If you hit something hard enough to break the port, your car probably isn’t drivable anyway.
Front port is the best spot. Just pull up and plug in—no worrying about which side the charger is on or how to park.
I don’t have an issue with dirt, just wash the car regularly.
@DaniellaSilva
I wouldn’t say front is the best location. It’s safer to reverse into parking spots so you can see better when leaving, but this setup forces you not to.
It would’ve been smarter if all manufacturers had to put the port in the same place to make charging easier, but that would make too much sense.
@DaniellaSilva
Depends on where you live. In places like Korea where parking is tight, most people reverse in. In the US, it’s more common to go in front-first. No ‘best’ location—just depends on where the car was designed to be sold.
@DaniellaSilva
Living in the Northeast, I can tell you the front port is NOT the best spot. Rear left or right would be way better.
I actually love it. I just drive straight into my driveway and don’t have to unwind my charger all the way to reach.
The dirt doesn’t bother me. I usually open it with my knuckle, then use my fingers to open it the rest of the way.
But yeah, people have pointed out that a small accident could lead to expensive repairs. That’s probably why only a few EVs have the port there.
It’s really convenient when using Superchargers.
In my garage with two EVs, having nose-in charge ports makes everything easier.
Leeland said:
It’s really convenient when using Superchargers.
In my garage with two EVs, having nose-in charge ports makes everything easier.
Agreed. When Magic Docks first rolled out, I had zero issues charging.
That said, there’s an EA station near me with chargers on the side, and it’s a nightmare to use with a front port.
Just got ours and we love it. Compared to our Model 3, no more reversing into parking spots just to charge.
Now if only the safety release for the charging port worked consistently…
For me, the position is really convenient.
Mine iced shut after driving home on a snowy night. Had to use a hair dryer to open it and plug in.
Glad I wasn’t stuck trying to charge somewhere on the road.
jonces said:
Mine iced shut after driving home on a snowy night. Had to use a hair dryer to open it and plug in.
Glad I wasn’t stuck trying to charge somewhere on the road.
I keep a thin plastic tool in my driver’s door pouch to clear ice and slush. Also have a small spray bottle of lock de-icer just in case.
@StingerKing
That’s a great tip, thanks!
jonces said:
Mine iced shut after driving home on a snowy night. Had to use a hair dryer to open it and plug in.
Glad I wasn’t stuck trying to charge somewhere on the road.
I had the same issue with my gas cap cover back in the day, and that was on the side of the car.
The Niro fits in my garage just fine, but with the front charge port open, it doesn’t.
Charlotte said:
The Niro fits in my garage just fine, but with the front charge port open, it doesn’t.
That’s a really tight fit .
I like it. I just pull straight into my garage and don’t have to run the cable all the way to the back.
At DC fast chargers, it’s also easier since I don’t have to think about which side the charger is on.