[Gary J]

I've had my e-niro for about 3 weeks now (fab to drive, by the way) and have been experimenting using public charge points, with varying degrees of success.

Has anyone found a fool-proof way of uncoiling the charging cable without dropping one of the plugs on the floor? But more importantly, after a charge, successfully winding it back into that very small circular bag? I usually have to spend 3 or 4 minutes doing this. It looks like I'm wrestling with a Boa constrictor in the boot! 🐍

The first few times it was hilarious but it's starting to wear a bit thin now, particularly in the pouring rain.

Please, put this newbie out of his misery. 😊

 

[JeffG]

Have you not been somewhere with a rapid charger yet, with tethered cables? I rarely use destination chargers, needing to use my own cable, myself.

 

[Gary J]

@JeffG, as I say, I'm just experimenting at the moment. I've not really had a chance to drive any long distances to use a rapid charger. Plus I have a tethered charger at home. The cable in the boot just seems hell bent on tying itself in knots.

 

[RicM]

I put the cable on the ground and unwind it so it becomes straight then plug in the charger and then the car. Reverse that after charge and wind the cable up again while it is on the ground - just like coiling a thick rope.

 

[Hitstirrer]

I've had my e-niro for about 3 weeks now (fab to drive, by the way) and have been experimenting using public charge points, with varying degrees of success.

Has anyone found a fool-proof way of uncoiling the charging cable without dropping one of the plugs on the floor? But more importantly, after a charge, successfully winding it back into that very small circular bag? I usually have to spend 3 or 4 minutes doing this. It looks like I'm wrestling with a Boa constrictor in the boot! 🐍

The first few times it was hilarious but it's starting to wear a bit thin now, particularly in the pouring rain.

Please, put this newbie out of his misery. 😊

This is why I always advise new owners to fit a tethered charger if they are able to park on a drive. If charging away from home is the only way and has to use a loose cable then this drama will always be present. Which is why most people, after a period of such struggles, simply dump the entire cable in the boot onto a boot liner of some kind and forget about trying to pack it away.

There is no easy way if the cable is loose and swinging free, as you have discovered, but I always found it best to leave the cable plugged in to the car, remove the charger plug end, hold that plug and coil the cable towards the captured car end. That became a knack involving rolling or twisting the coils as if rolling a carpet. Then unplug the car plug and grab so that both plugs are held together. Done carefully and coiled into bag sized loops it is then in a good place to insert both plugs deep into the circular bag and stand the bag up so that the coils drop under the zipper. Needs practice and most can't be bothered. So just dump it.

Or use a much larger sports type bag that is 500mm x 300mm x 300mm where again the trick is to dump both plugs in together then 'persuade' the coils to comply. In some ways, that's a better solution anyway and doesn't take up any more room in the boot as it easily crushes down to a small size as it is only holding the cable.

 

[mikegs]

@JeffG, as I say, I'm just experimenting at the moment. I've not really had a chance to drive any long distances to use a rapid charger. Plus I have a tethered charger at home. The cable in the boot just seems hell bent on tying itself in knots.

You've experimented.
You have results.
1 - You know it's a pain.
2 - You have a huge fricking battery so 7kW charging away from home is only going to be needed in desperation.
Stop experimenting and bury the cable under the boot floor.

 

[cDy]

You've got a 64 kWh battery and should rarely, if ever, need to use anything other than a rapid charger, with a tethered cable. That's assuming you have a charger at home of course. The exception might typically be if you are staying overnight at a location with a 7kW charger, when you want to charge while you sleep. Then it's worth the effort of getting your charging cable out.

 

[Ian]

Easy, the same way as tidying up stage cables. Just 'coil' it up as a figure of eight into your hand walking forward, whilst one end is plugged in. There will be no twists to mess with. Unplug, fold in half into the bag like a twin coil.

When needed, plug in, hold figure of eight in one hand, plug in other and walk away backwards.

Or if you are dexterous:-

Over and under

 

[SueH]

Would the technique used in sailing help whereby you give a tweak to the rope as you coil it to take out any twist. Admittedly sailing sheets have a fleck to align, but the principle might be the same and soon becomes automatic.

PS: I'm even older than your avatar: as a youngster I was a passenger in a BEA DC-3, Viscounts and all the others!

 

[UKTechie]

Can someone video you in action so we can all have a laugh 😂

 

[WonkoTheSaneUK]

This is the method I was taught for stage cables:-

It scales to charging cables too.

 

[donald]

I've had my e-niro for about 3 weeks now (fab to drive, by the way) and have been experimenting using public charge points, with varying degrees of success.

Has anyone found a fool-proof way of uncoiling the charging cable without dropping one of the plugs on the floor? But more importantly, after a charge, successfully winding it back into that very small circular bag? I usually have to spend 3 or 4 minutes doing this. It looks like I'm wrestling with a Boa constrictor in the boot! 🐍

The first few times it was hilarious but it's starting to wear a bit thin now, particularly in the pouring rain.

Please, put this newbie out of his misery. 😊

Leave one plug connected.

Starting from the free plug you just unplugged, roll the lead in the way 'it' wants to go, look at the twist in the next loop-worth, and make the loop that way around.

This might involve rotating the coil you have already got in your hand, rather than trying to force the cable into your coil.

You may end up with a couple of twists once you are in the last two or three coils, but at that point you can release the plugged plug and hold the lead up, it will clear the floor.

Also, you can do an occasional 'microphone cable' reverse loop, this cancels out any intrinsic twists, but the coil itself will tell you if it wants that, just watch for the way the coil is going.

Try that, but if my explanation is not making sense at all then maybe I can do a video one day.

The other fool proof way is to get a 3m long coiled cable for this sort of situation. It is 'pre-twisted-up' so you can't make it any worse! It takes more space in the boot (than a regular 3m), but if you do this routinely then maybe it works for you.