Tesla has filed a lawsuit against Utah-based charging adapter startup EVject claiming its Escape Connector, which is designed to break in half to make it easier to escape a possible carjacking, poses a “high safety risk.”
According to Jalopnik, the American EV maker claims that EVject is falsely advertising its product as “working seamlessly,” arguing that after 30 minutes of DC fast charging an EV using the breakaway adapter, users can experience burns because the connector overheats.
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Tesla claims safety-related accessory is unsafe
EVject's Escape Connector can break in half after a charging session has been stopped to allow the driver of an EV to quickly drive away from potential danger without having to step out of the car. However, Tesla claims in a civil lawsuit that the adapter can become extremely hot after a 30-minute charging session at a fast charger.
In its complaint filed with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Tesla said the following:
In the event of an over-temperature condition in the Connector, the lack of overtemperature protection creates a safety risk. Testing of high-current simulated charging through the Connector, utilized in conjunction with a Tesla Supercharger cable and Tesla EV charge port, demonstrated that surface temperatures of the Connector may reach as high as 100C, after 30 minutes of charging at 420 ADC. During an over-temperature event, a user of the Connector may be burned during (or following) charging by touching or grabbing the Connector. Additionally, the high temperature present in the Connector poses a risk of fire and ignition of other combustible materials in the charger cable, the vehicle connected to the Connector, and the Supercharger infrastructure.
If true, it means that the adapter could heat up to 212 degrees Fahrenheit after a 30-minute top-up at a Supercharger station that’s capable of dispensing 420 amps. In other words, very hot.
EVject’s $299 Escape Connector is designed to break in half during a charging session if the driver unlocks the charge port from inside the car and then drives away without leaving the vehicle.
On its website, EVject describes its product, which is available for vehicles equipped with a NACS, CCS1 or CCS2 port, as “a revolutionary connector acting as a circuit breaker, allowing you to fully stop the charging current from the safety of your car.”
With the suit, Tesla seeks to ban EVject from importing the Escape Connector in the United States and advertising it as safe. The maker of the Cybertruck is also asking for a minimum of $75,000 in damages, but the exact amount awarded would be determined during the trial.
