Tesla owner demonstrates how he ensures his plug isn’t stolen while charging at a public station
- A YouTuber came up with a solution to make sure his plug doesn’t get stolen at public chargers
- Brandon Kokes calls the device the ‘Karen’ ring
- With that ring, only the owner can remove the plug when they unlock their car
Published on Dec 08, 2024 at 2:00 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Dec 04, 2024 at 6:57 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
There are a few collateral issues when it comes to charging a Tesla, or any other EV for that matter, at a public station.
It still takes a bit too long, and there are areas where public infrastructure isn’t good enough.
Then there’s the fact that sometimes pranksters unplug other people’s vehicles for fun.
To address this, one Tesla owner has come up with a solution.
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How this Tesla owner got around the problem
Brandon Kokes, the man behind the Tesla.Flex TikTok channel, has come up with an ‘analogue’ solution.
In his clip, he explains how he makes sure his plug isn’t stolen while charging at a public station.
There’s a little ring he uses, he calls it the ‘Karen’ lock, a reference to the Karen meme.
Once the charger is plugged in, that ring makes sure you can’t remove the plug until the owner returns to the car and unlocks it.
The main issue with a public station
Kokes’ video accidentally highlighted a huge issue with charging at a public station, because it clearly still takes too long.
In the clip, Kokes revealed it took him around six hours to charge his Tesla using a public charger.
We’re fairly confident this wasn’t his intention, but when we read the comments, it became clear that people took notice, and weren’t particularly impressed.
Charging times are still a deal breaker for a lot of potential EV buyers.
Even the Lotus Emeya, the best in its class when it comes to charging times, still takes 14 minutes to get from 10 percent to 80 percent.
The Cybertruck takes 90 minutes when you use one of Tesla’s Superchargers, but again that’s about 85 minutes longer than it takes to fill up a gas car or a hydrogen car.
The good news is it’s just a matter of time, no pun intended, before things get better.
Several companies are working on alternative solutions.
A UK start-up called Nyobolt, for example, developed a new car battery that charges to 80 percent in under five minutes.
