Chargehanger (a severely over-priced bracket for your EV cable) - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 27, 2020, 08:27:01 am
content: I noticed this in the profile of one of the members of this forum. The idea is decent but the price! Holy crap!68 Euros (AUD$110) for a piece of bent wire and a few brackets! Are you bloody kidding me?! Now I'm not an expert on metal fabrication, but that would cost, maybe $5-10 to make on any decent scale?To add salt to the wound, shipping is extra. You could charge half that with free shipping and still make a decent profit.https://www.chargehanger.com/buy/

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2020, 08:39:00 am
content: The cheapskates use two cuphooks in a rafter or ceiling joist, to hold the cord up out of the way and a third on the wall as high as they can comfortably reach to park the end of the cord in when not in use. Total $5 even at retail prices!

author: sleemanj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2020, 08:47:43 am
content: $5 for the materials, $105 for the idea, prototyping, testing, sourcing, manufacture, business expenses... and if you're lucky, profit.

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 27, 2020, 09:15:38 am
content: Quote from: sleemanj on December 27, 2020, 08:47:43 amThis isn't a new idea though? They've existed for a long, long time for not just cables but hoses as well. It hardly complex or unique. It just happens to be marketed for EVs which I think is where the price tag comes in. Charge customers a lot just for the sake of it.

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2020, 09:42:11 am
content: Its not like the average EV owner is even going to notice as they'll be paying a handyman at least double that to screw it to the wall!Someone who's handy enough at DIY and is cost conscious, but wants greener transport is probably driving a LPG/CNG conversion, not an EV!

author: CJay
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2020, 10:04:17 am
content: Quote from: Halcyon on December 27, 2020, 08:27:01 amYeah, they were advertising their gokickmestartergogo or what ever here too, if I had an EV I'd probably have come up with something similar myself, it's only a derivation of the old swinging arm petrol pump or pressure washer after all.It's a nice idea and I'm sure it's better engineered than any lashup I'd come up with be hell, it's expensive.

author: f4eru
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2020, 11:13:28 am
content: Hello,I can clear up this, as I have the real numbers.QuoteIt is not exactly that badReal numbers here:- 1/3 materials, fabrication, shipping of those parts to me (Wire forming CNC thick and hard wire is not cheap in small quantity, try to get a quote on that, and shipping around 50 kg of metal requires quite more expense than a small DHL packet - needs palletization)- 1/3 amortization of invest and VAT- 1/3 packaging and small accessories + credit card, webshop expeneses, small but necessary side effects + small profit (not yet realized profit at all because not yet sold enough parts to amortize)Shipment of the product is separate, depends on the country, covers approx the cost without margin (try to ship metal parts one meter long world wide, you'll see that most non-local shipments cost around 25 Euro , package is 110*40*15 cm, 3 kg, shipped from germany)Now, it should really be more expensive, because several cost factors have not been taken in account:a) my time. I did this as a side hobby for now, I package each of those without costb) the time of a friend of mine who did the mechanical CAD and drawings, for freec) general overhead to run a small company is not included (not yet a company, just a hobby, but past the kickstarter stage)d) cost to maintain a decent stock of all parts and packagingOf course, it will get better once it scales (hint: not yet achieved that)Now, guys, try to do better !

author: CJay
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2020, 11:40:41 am
content: Does it come with curtain hooks?https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Adjustable-Swinging-BRASS-Extendable-Door-Drapery-Arm-60cm-110cm/184592939536?hash=item2afa98ba10:g:hNYAAOSw96hf42kz

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2020, 12:05:36 pm
content: Quote from: Halcyon on December 27, 2020, 08:27:01 amIt sounds like you are confusing cost with benefit. Some people will get Eur68 value from it.

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2020, 01:03:35 pm
content: We haven't progressed very far from the same swing arm arrangement used for filling the water tanks on Steam locomotives have we?P.S. For the price, I think I'd expect a couple of bearing bushes rather than the arm rod graunching on sheet metal edges (maybe we've gone backwards).

author: f4eru
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2020, 05:14:53 pm
content: Yes, I tried with bushings.But there's no advantage, and it adds complexity and the risk of dissimilar metals corroding.Current setup has been tested 50 000 cycles without lubricant

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2020, 10:19:50 pm
content: And how about wood? Plywood is easy & cheap to laser cut. Pre-drilled holes (again laser cut) for a standard hinge, some screws and it is all done. Wood is lighter and less prone to bending as well.

author: Circlotron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2020, 10:45:12 pm
content: You could also supply some kind of sign with it to attach to the steering wheel or similar, warning you not to drive off because the charger cable is still connected. Forgetting to disconnect it would make for one very unhappy day.

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 27, 2020, 11:58:44 pm
content: Quote from: f4eru on December 27, 2020, 11:13:28 amThe charging cord cable-tied to a length of 2mm zinc chain ($2/metre) that is attached to the roof where you need it and a wall hook to stow it out of the way when you don't need it?If you want to be really fancy, hide the "fixed" part of the cable inside conduit.

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 28, 2020, 12:35:19 am
content: The nice thing about f4eru's swinging arm hanger is the charge cable is very easy to unhook from it if you need to take it with you. Many of the DIY suggestions so far lack that conveniance, and you'd have to have a second cable.Quote from: Circlotron on December 27, 2020, 10:45:12 pmAre the manufacturers of EV's really so dumb as to let you start them with the charger cable plugged in?

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 28, 2020, 08:59:23 am
content: this is the same mechanism as a electrical cord reel (oddly enough that whole thing with a cord is 70 dollars). I think you can combine a electrical cord reel and an aluminum rod to beat the price here and get ~50 feet of extension cord (14/3). the nice ones have the swing mechanism, I believe a better quality one.for the price I would expect there to be some HDPE or something to slide the cable nicely on. its very crude for the money. if it had some plastic on it you could justify the price as being cord friendly or somethingbushings have no benefit = 6 months later SQUEEEEKtry a bronze oil sponge bushing that you can actually oili rate it at $50 and only if you have a nice climate

author: f4eru
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 30, 2020, 12:46:56 am
content: Yes, first protos squeaked after 500 cycles. But it is gone after optimizing contact geometry.Gets 50 000 cycles, dry or with water ingress, or sand dust. No squeak, no big wear. Proper overdesign and engineering to keep it KISS.