[Janizzle]

We have had the ID4 Pro S since last week, and now we're trying to finalize getting L2 charging installed at home. However, our project is somewhat complicated because we only have on-street parking in front of the house, no driveway or garage. And of course, the electrical panel is towards the back of the house so the electrician would need to run the power across the basement and outside to the front of the house. We're not permitted in my city to install charging on the curb, but we will be able to install it set-back against our house.

Does anyone else have a similar setup? Any tips?

 

[Nai3t]

I do. I live in an early 1900s neighborhood with lots of tiny garages, many added on later, and some homes with no garage at all. Lots of us park on street, and we have lots of EVs.

I have a garage at the sidewalk, and park on the street in front of it. I lay the cord across the sidewalk and place a heavy oversized door mat over it to prevent trips.

A number of neighbors have similar arrangements.

One installed the EVSE at the sidewalk strip, in some greenery. They pushed conduit under the sidewalk, so no concrete work was required.

This setup is similar to mine. Their EVSE is inside the garage. They run the cord under the door. Then built out their driveway as a flat, sloped parking pad, and run the cord across the sidewalk.

This last one is creative. They run their charging cable over the fence, to the tree, then drop it down to their Bolt. Not the most convenient, but when walking by, I hardly notice it's there!

 

[Janizzle]

This is very cool to see, thanks! It's awesome to have so many EV drivers in your neighborhood! My electrician has to dig a trench through my sidewalk for the conduit. I thought I'd be able to avoid it and do something like your neighbors, but due to all the permitting involved with the city I don't think I can get around it.

 

[Nai3t]

I noticed recently that the neighbor who had been running their charging cord overhead into the plum tree has changed up. They've cut open a sidewalk joint just enough to smush the cord in so that it's tight and flush. I'm not a fan of the narrowness of this solution — my concern is cord abrasion with repeated use — but it eliminates the need for a door matt to prevent trips. Ultimately I want to do this but with a sidewalk-width hinged drain grate as a cover.

 

[ChristophW]

I could see such a solution working well if the cable got a sleeve or conduit in the gap area for protection.

 

[Nai3t]

I suppose just a taped-on layer that could be re-wrapped would do. I like how cleanly it turned out and that it's more or less flush below the sidewalk.

 

[Spin]

Is that public parking? What if someone parks in your spot?

 

[Nai3t]

That's the risk with on-street parking. This and the spot in the 2nd photo could be grabbed by anybody. My spot in the 1st photo and the Tesla in the 3rd photo are "safe" in front of our respective garages (though even that's no guarantee). My i3 has a 50 foot cord and I'm planning to put in an additional 240 volt receptacle on the other edge of the lot, so if I really needed it, I could be 100 feet away from the garage and still easily charge (assuming I wouldn't just swap places with the ID.4).

It's a quiet residential neighborhood, and most neighbors have staked out their preferred places, and are generally respectful of each other. I'm fortunate in that regard. I can understand this being a major source of angst and neighborly warfare elsewhere, and an impediment to owning an EV.

 

[Janizzle]

Thanks for sharing! I've had a ton of delays but the electrician has finally gotten started with my job. I'll be sure to share pictures when it's done. Even the ESVE has taken over a month to be delivered!

 

[Nai3t]

Adding one more street side solution I stumbled upon this morning. Actual, a pair attached to neighboring houses, both hillside homes perched well above and set back from the street. I'm not a super fan of the way the supply cord is run, but it's easily replaceable and it won't burn the house down.

... and then there's this... 🤣

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[Nai3t]

I happened upon this nifty looking setup in Berkeley this morning while out running errands (just so happened to be picking up a small load of repurposed Craigslist bricks!). It's creative enough HAD I to park, double back, and got these shots to share.

 

[Manybees]

I happened upon this nifty looking setup in Berkeley this morning while out running errands (just so happened to be picking up a small load of repurposed Craigslist bricks!). It's creative enough HAD I to park, double back, and got these shots to share.

Pretty inventive. But where does the cord go when it's not plugged in? Does that cover open up and reveal a watertight storage box?

 

[Nai3t]

Pretty inventive. But where does the cord go when it's not plugged in? Does that cover open up and reveal a watertight storage box?

The lid doesn't look watertight – I think it's an irrigation box. I'd be more curious if the box drains if water gets inside. There's no drain hole out on the face of the curb, but the sidewalk is at a pretty good slope, so the water can probably just drain to soil and disappear.

 

[Huey52]

Yep, looks like just a non-water tight lawn irrigation valve box. But likely adequate in their locale/siting.

One of the similar multi-valve boxes in my 'hood was poorly sited in a low area and fills with water, so ....

The lid doesn't look watertight – I think it's an irrigation box. I'd be more curious if the box drains if water gets inside. There's no drain hole out on the face of the curb, but the sidewalk is at a pretty good slope, so the water can probably just drain to soil and disappear.

 

[Atlant]

The lid doesn't look watertight – I think it's an irrigation box. I'd be more curious if the box drains if water gets inside.

Irrigation boxes typically have no bottom so any water that gets in drains into the ground below them.

 

[Huey52]

Ideally.

Irrigation boxes typically have no bottom so any water that gets in drains into the ground below them.

 

[Atlant]

Ideally.

If they don't, ten seconds with a spade bit chucked into a cordless drill will fix that!

 

[Huey52]

One of my collateral jobs in my HOA 'hood is overseeing the well-water lawn irrigation system. The initial installation was far from ideal so often a challenge. We have one 3-valve box that is sited in a low area and between natural runoff, and a bit leaky valves, it's invariably quite full of water most any time I've had to work on it, despite being open to the fairly good drainage soil below. 🤷‍♂️

If they don't, ten seconds with a spade bit chucked into a cordless drill will fix that!

 

[Atlant]

One of my collateral jobs in my HOA 'hood is overseeing the well-water lawn irrigation system. The initial installation was far from ideal so often a challenge. We have one 3-valve box that is sited in a low area and between natural runoff, and a bit leaky valves, it's invariably quite full of water most any time I've had to work on it, despite being open to the fairly good drainage soil below. 🤷‍♂️

Ours tend to become homes for newts and winter homes for the occasional mouse family.