Teslas Feature Their Charge Ports in Their Current Location Because of Musk’s Rental Garage | Carscoops

      Now, various automakers are relocating their charge ports to the same position, all to be compatible with the Supercharger network.

      23 hours ago

      by Stephen Rivers

      The CEO of Lucid asserts that Tesla’s charge-port design was shaped by Musk’s rented garage arrangement.

      If this is accurate, it implies that several brands are relocating their charge ports for similar reasons.

      The Gravity aligns with Tesla’s positioning, demonstrating that Musk's decision continues to have a lasting impact.

      One might assume that the placement of an electric vehicle's charge port wouldn’t be a topic of intense debate. However, it turns out that the position of a charge port is not merely a matter of convenience; it's a crucial design choice that can significantly influence the user experience. This is certainly not just a trivial detail in the realm of electric vehicles.

      Now, let’s take a step back. Traditional combustion vehicles greatly benefit from the widespread availability of refueling stations. The location of a gas cap isn’t critical since gasoline pumps are common, refueling is quick, and hoses can reach from nearly any angle. In contrast, electric cars do not enjoy the same advantages.

      The Chaotic Landscape of Charge Port Locations

      Despite the apparent importance of this seemingly minor detail, automakers seem to have positioned charge ports in various locations. Some are located at the front, some at the rear, and others even on the side. Tesla has emerged as the prevailing standard, with most competitors eventually adopting a similar approach. If Peter Rawlinson's statements are accurate, the explanation is almost amusing.

      Rawlinson, the CEO of Lucid, is one of many companies trying to rival Tesla in recent years. Before his current role, he worked at Tesla under Elon Musk, and they had differing views on charge port placement. Rawlinson believed it should be located on the driver's side, in front of the door and behind the wheel, while Musk had a different idea, inspired by the layout of his rented garage in Bel Air.

      In an interview with PC Mag, Rawlinson recounted, “He (Musk) said it wouldn’t fit the layout of his garage in Bel Air. So I asked, ‘Where do you want it, then? What suits the layout of your garage in Bel Air?’ He said it’s going to be on the rear because he could trip over the cable. He was renting the property and didn’t even own it, but we put the charge port on the Model S on the left-hand rear because of the layout of his rented garage in Bel Air!”

      If Rawlinson’s account is accurate, this means that Teslas have their charge ports positioned where they do due to one individual’s concern about tripping over a cable in a garage he didn’t own. Amusing, isn’t it?

      This situation also indicates that as multiple car manufacturers adjust their charge ports to be compatible with the Tesla Supercharger network, they are ultimately making these changes based on a decision that traces back to Musk’s early days at Tesla.

      Interestingly, while Lucid's initial model, the Air sedan, has the charge port located behind the front wheel on the fender, as Rawlinson originally planned, the company’s latest vehicle, the Gravity SUV, has shifted the charge port to the driver’s rear quarter panel, just like every Tesla.