Is anyone else finding the front charge port annoying? Even a small fender bender can make the car un-chargeable. Plus, I have to touch the door to open and close it, which makes my fingers dirty from all the grime.
If you hit something hard enough to damage the port, your car probably won’t be drivable anyway. The front port is actually quite handy. You just pull up to any charger and plug it in without worrying about which side the port is on or how to park. I don’t think it gets dirty much, just wash your car regularly.
@Lake
It really depends on where you are. In some countries like Korea, with tight parking spaces, people tend to park in reverse. But in the US, it’s the opposite. So there isn’t one best location. It’s more about where the car is designed to work best.
@Lake
For those of us living in the NE, the front port is far from ideal. The back left or right ports are better. Edit: To those disagreeing, I hope your front ports freeze shut!
Personally, I love it. I just drive in nose-first into my driveway and don’t have to unwind the charger all the way. The grime doesn’t bother me much, I usually open it with my fist so only my knuckle touches it. But yeah, it has been mentioned that the location can lead to expensive repairs after minor accidents. That’s probably why only the Niro and Leaf use it.
It will be really handy when using superchargers. In my garage, with two EVs, the nose charging ports are very convenient.
Oakley said:
It will be really handy when using superchargers. In my garage, with two EVs, the nose charging ports are very convenient.
I can confirm. When the first Magic docks were released, I didn’t have any issues charging. But there’s one EA station with side chargers, and that’s really a pain.
Just got mine and love the front port compared to our Model 3, where we had to park in reverse just to charge. Now, if only it would consistently unlock the charging port safety release!
Position-wise, the front port is super convenient.
Mine iced shut after driving home on a snowy night recently. I used a hair dryer to thaw it and then plugged it in. Glad I wasn’t trying to charge on the road.
Zero said:
Mine iced shut after driving home on a snowy night recently. I used a hair dryer to thaw it and then plugged it in. Glad I wasn’t trying to charge on the road.
I keep a thin plastic tool in my driver’s door pouch to scrape off slush and ice, plus a small spray bottle of lock de-icer.
@Marlow
Good tip, thanks!
Zero said:
Mine iced shut after driving home on a snowy night recently. I used a hair dryer to thaw it and then plugged it in. Glad I wasn’t trying to charge on the road.
I had the same issue years ago with my gas cap cover, even though it was on the side of the car.
The Niro fits in my garage, but not with the front charge port open.
Ray said:
The Niro fits in my garage, but not with the front charge port open.
That’s a tight fit!
I like the front charge port because charging cables are usually located in a convenient spot.
I really like it. Going nose-first into my garage means I don’t have to worry about the cable reaching all the way to the back of the car. Also, at DC fast charging stations, I don’t have to worry about which side the port is on, and there’s no cable rubbing against the car.
Pro-tip: use the charging plug to open the door.
I don’t like how it collects snow and ice, compared to the front fender of my last car. I had to wiggle the plug out when it froze and scrape out a lot of ice to close the door.
I had a 2018 Hyundai Kona with a front charge port. Luckily, I didn’t have any issues, but I did worry about how a frontal collision might cause problems. One thing I do notice between the Kona and my new 2023 Kia Niro is that the Niro’s plug covers are really annoying. They keep bouncing back and blocking the plugs when I try to use one hand. The Kona’s plug covers were much easier.