Improving the EV charging experience
EAA member develops a new EV cable delivery system
BY Jim Owens: Member, Electric Auto Association
Disadvantages of usual charging process
My wife and I have owned 2 Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) since 2015. We liked the cars but disliked the retrieval, uncoiling, dragging, and untangling of the charging apparatus. The cable took up floor space, was always dirty, and was a constant tripping hazard.
We began to experiment with different techniques to improve our charging experience, ultimately developing a product that provides better electric vehicle (EV) cable management. We were lucky to find an exceptionally talented design engineer, and the EV Cable Glide development adventure was launched.
EV Cable Glide
A long, meticulous process
Our design engineer’s knowledge and 3D design capabilities opened the door to extensive prototyping and testing over the following three years (3D models were printed of all components and tested rigorously). Our goals were to develop a product that would:
Attach to the ceiling of home garages
Feature an efficient pulley design
Allow the cable to glide back & forth with minimal force
Prevent cable abrasion or damage with cable clamps
Include a latching system to provide strain relief for the cable when charging
Cable guide pulley system
We ensured that our manufacturing and installation process would include:
Hiring local plastic experts to assist in selecting the best component materials
Searching the Southeast Michigan area to find high quality suppliers
Use of 100% Michigan resources to design, manufacture, market, and support the product
Facilitating ease-of-manufacturing
We ran a 240V circuit to our garage and upgraded our EVSE to a Level 2, providing a second cable diameter for testing, and our cold Michigan winters allowed us to experiment with warm and cold cables. Many design issues were reviewed, and we then prototyped and tested the designs. Considerations were given to accommodating a range of garage sizes and parking patterns.
We completed the design and sourcing of all our materials in June of 2021, and are now headed for production and taking it to market!