Taxi driver unplugged by PodPoint connection.

[philip456]

I left my MG ZS long range plugged into a PodPoint charger.

When I returned, I found my cable unplugged from the charger and lying on the ground. A taxi driver had plugged his cable in.

How did he do this?

I thought the cables were locked to the car and the charger, when the car was locked?

I’m really not interested in the rights and wrongs of this and I decided not to wait and confront the taxi driver. Please don’t post about the rights and wrongs of this. I’m just interested on how they managed to unplug my cable from the Pod Point charger?

 

[maskull]

I left my MG ZS long range plugged into a PodPoint charger.

When I returned, I found my cable unplugged from the charger and lying on the ground. A taxi driver had plugged his cable in.

How did he do this?

I thought the cables were locked to the car and the charger, when the car was locked?

I’m really not interested in the rights and wrongs of this and I decided not to wait and confront the taxi driver. Please don’t post about the rights and wrongs of this. I’m just interested on how they managed to unplug my cable from the Pod Point charger?

Maybe plug your car into another charger and see if you can remove it ? The cable should stay locked if the car is locked .
I had a problem once where I could remove the cable when the car cable could be removed due to a faulty charger . Disconnecting the 12 volt battery cured it .
As for the taxi driver I have no idea unless the car was unlocked . Either way he or she was an ignorant so and so

 

[fred12345]

I left my MG ZS long range plugged into a PodPoint charger.

When I returned, I found my cable unplugged from the charger and lying on the ground. A taxi driver had plugged his cable in.

How did he do this?

I thought the cables were locked to the car and the charger, when the car was locked?

I’m really not interested in the rights and wrongs of this and I decided not to wait and confront the taxi driver. Please don’t post about the rights and wrongs of this. I’m just interested on how they managed to unplug my cable from the Pod Point charger?

When you left, your car was definitely charging? Also, when you returned, what was the battery charge at? Since you have a long range ZS, what was your battery charge level set to? 80%?
Maybe the podpoint charger doesn't lock the cable when the charge starts like the car does or more likely, the charge stopped for whatever reason and the taxi guy just pulled your cable out to start his charge?

Wouldn't be out of question to do what they did if they needed a charge badly and arrived to the charge point finding there was a car plugged in but not charging.

 

[siteguru]

Just to note - @philip456 was talking about their own charging cable, so it was unplugged from the Podpoint EVSE end not their car.

I would expect a cable's plug to be locked into the EVSE whilst the car is charging, but I can't say for certain what Podpoint do. Maybe the taxi driver was able to stop your car's charging session at the Podpoint EVSE, and so then able to remove your cable?

 

[5teep]

I left my MG ZS long range plugged into a PodPoint charger.

When I returned, I found my cable unplugged from the charger and lying on the ground. A taxi driver had plugged his cable in.

How did he do this?

I thought the cables were locked to the car and the charger, when the car was locked?

I’m really not interested in the rights and wrongs of this and I decided not to wait and confront the taxi driver. Please don’t post about the rights and wrongs of this. I’m just interested on how they managed to unplug my cable from the Pod Point charger?

When the charge session ends for whatever reason it will release the cable from the charger. If the charger has an emergency stop button the other guy might have pressed that I suppose.

 

[Peterboat]

When the charge session ends for whatever reason it will release the cable from the charger. If the charger has an emergency stop button the other guy might have pressed that I suppose.

I suspect this, I was walking back to our car to see someone do the same to me! I didn't confront him but returned the favour when he left. As it happens we were collecting a free charge back in the day whilst shopping. In those days even the rapids could be free. The guy that disconnected me disconnected those as well so I started their chargers for them on the app, leaving the other disconnected. Childish I know but it helps them to remember not to do it again.

 

[JohnV6]

At home (I rarely charge lesewhere) I know if the car is locked and the charge is over the cable is locked in the car. As it is tethered I can't tell about the charge point.

I'm guess if you stop the charge on the charge point it releases the cable but to stop it don't you need your credit or RFID card?

 

[5teep]

At home (I rarely charge lesewhere) I know if the car is locked and the charge is over the cable is locked in the car. As it is tethered I can't tell about the charge point.

I'm guess if you stop the charge on the charge point it releases the cable but to stop it don't you need your credit or RFID card?

Not always. As I said above some have emergency stop buttons, a curse anywhere near a school.. But in other circumstances, if a charger has a power cut or blows a fuse? there's no way to electronically release the cable so the lock at the charger end automatically opens.

 

[JohnV6]

Makes sense I guess

 

[mg4mc]

Must admit I have unplugged a car from a rapid charger when there was no driver around and the charge had ended (for whatever reason).

 

[peterseddon]

There is an app out there called "Need to Charge" but it needs the car owner charging that you want to disconnect to also have the app too.

 

[Bam Bam]

Don't know if this is relevant to the OP but some context that might be of interest to others:

At the free podpoint chargers in Didcot town centre (there are only two, always in use), you have to claim the charging session on the podpoint app within 15 minutes. If you don't then it will time out after 15 minutes.

I have no idea if (as others have suggested):
1. It is possible to unhook the other end of an untethered cable (i.e. that it isn't locked at the base unit).
2. If the car unlocks the pins if the charge is stopped somehow

But those were two thoughts I had that could lead to the situation set out above.

 

[5teep]

The car end should not release until you tell it to, this is meant to stop folk nicking your cable, for the other end see above

 

[maskull]

The car end should not release until you tell it to, this is meant to stop folk nicking your cable, for the other end see above

The only time I've found that the cable would come out was after 2 failed attempts at Connected Kerb resulted in the dread HV Battery fault . Disconnecting the 12 volt fixed it .
From my experience of Pod Point ( every week when shopping ) the cable can't be disconnected from the unit until disconnected from the car .
So I'm puzzled as to how this happened to the OP , unless there's a fault on the car . Quickest way to confirm this is to disconnect the 12 volt as I suggested in my first reply .
As far as I'm aware the Pod Points only have the emergency stop on rapid chargers so I can't really see that being the case