Warning - Lectron NACS Adapter Recalled For Safety Defect

[Hammered]

The design of the system should still interrupt the signal wire instantly opening the contactors before an arc could occur. This is basic plug design principles. You can observe this with just about any plug design. Take any grounded plug, you'll see the ground prong is the longest making it first to engage, last to separate. As such the pilot wire on the charger should be the last to engage / first to break. The pilot wire breaking should open the vehicle's DCFC contactors as well as trip the chargers. So while it is certainly a design fail, assuming the same exists on the charger connector itself is questionable. A broken latch was certainly figured into the design, if by no one else but the lawyers. Pull the NACS charger connector specs and you'll likely see this is part of the design.

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[ChasingCoral]

We’ll all miss Branden. #gonebutnotforgotten

Poor guy. Gone in a flasch.

 

[ChasingCoral]

Good point. Tom Moloughney from State of Charge actually recommends the Lectron adapter. And he is super focused on safety.

That’s the thing about QC. I’m sure Tom received one that was fine. Unfortunately others were not, like the one Brandon got.

 

[redgrandam]

Good point. Tom Moloughney from State of Charge actually recommends the Lectron adapter. And he is super focused on safety.

He did, but before this defect was found. Perhaps his wasn’t affected. But it is a serious issue. Until it’s address I doubt he would recommend it at this point with the info now available.

 

[Opa]

Warning - A safety defect has been found with the Lectron NACS adapter that allows the Supercharger cable to unplug WITHOUT pressing the latch release. This can cause a dangerous blinding arc flash if the Supercharger cable was pulled out without pressing the latch first. Charging will not be stopped before cable removal, hence the arc flash risk. Charging expert Branden Flasch discovered the defect.

It appears the NACS latch pin was installed backwards or has a bad profile, so the ramp is facing outwards instead of inwards. This means you have to press the latch down to insert the cable, but it will pull out WITHOUT squeezing the latch release. It should function the opposite way, push in, lock, and NOT release when pulled.

This issue may only affect some Lectron adapters. Please see this video for more information. If your Lectron adapter has this defect, please DO NOT USE IT and contact Lectron. This is a serious safety risk.



NOTE: This issue does not affect the Ford NACS adapter. Only the Lectron branded adapter.

Which is why I’m waiting for my Ford adapter to come in the mail and not wasting my money on items that may not work on Amazon.

my supercharging needs are modest and I’m certain that there are people out there who absolutely need that Tesla adapter now. I’m just not one of them.?

 

[AngryMan]

 

[rmillis]

Thanks for the heads up, I cancelled my Lectron order.

 

[VaporTrails]

I also opined on this forum that Lectron would be the higher quality adapter. Mmmm, humble pie with a side of crow. #idioms

 

[Jtbuster]

Warning - A safety defect has been found with the Lectron NACS adapter that allows the Supercharger cable to unplug WITHOUT pressing the latch release. This can cause a dangerous blinding arc flash if the Supercharger cable was pulled out without pressing the latch first. Charging will not be stopped before cable removal, hence the arc flash risk. Charging expert Branden Flasch discovered the defect.

It appears the NACS latch pin was installed backwards or has a bad profile, so the ramp is facing outwards instead of inwards. This means you have to press the latch down to insert the cable, but it will pull out WITHOUT squeezing the latch release. It should function the opposite way, push in, lock, and NOT release when pulled.

This issue may only affect some Lectron adapters. Please see this video for more information. If your Lectron adapter has this defect, please DO NOT USE IT and contact Lectron. This is a serious safety risk.



NOTE: This issue does not affect the Ford NACS adapter. Only the Lectron branded adapter.

I love how in past threads people were saying very reputable company until it was not.

 

[Jtbuster]

I’m assuming this isn’t the one Ford is sending us for free?

The one from Ford is via Tesla not Lectron.

 

[Jtbuster]

Lectron is brand that was making non UL listed/spec'd chargers that were advertising 48amps for a nema 14-50R setup and indicated you didn't need to hardwire it for 48a usage. They've since changed their page to clarify it must be hardwired for 48a usage, but that tells me all I need to know about that brand.

Well said.

 

[Robob]

My lectron is on the way should be here tomorrow. I won't be using the adapter that much, so I plan to just not pull on the adapter whilst charging.
Usually the sense/ground pins are longer on modern plugs so the chances of arc flash are minimal anyway.

 

[troublebot]

Everyone should cancel their Lectron order ASAP.

So that I can get mine sooner.

I'll just remember not to try to unplug it from the NACS connector, and if someone tries to tamper with it they will essentially get flashbanged.

Sounds like a feature, not a bug to me!

 

[Guss-E 2021]

I'll just wait for my Tesla/Ford OEM adapter. Purportedly arriving in June which is fine. I rarely use DCFC and I think the two Superchargers near me are V2 anyway. They don't show up in Ford Pass at any rate.

 

[Mach-Lee]

The design of the system should still interrupt the signal wire instantly opening the contactors before an arc could occur. This is basic plug design principles. You can observe this with just about any plug design. Take any grounded plug, you'll see the ground prong is the longest making it first to engage, last to separate. As such the pilot wire on the charger should be the last to engage / first to break. The pilot wire breaking should open the vehicle's DCFC contactors as well as trip the chargers. So while it is certainly a design fail, assuming the same exists on the charger connector itself is questionable. A broken latch was certainly figured into the design, if by no one else but the lawyers. Pull the NACS charger connector specs and you'll likely see this is part of the design.

True, but I don’t know if the response after pilot break is fast enough for the situation at hand. J1772 spec is 100 ms, which is not especially fast for a yank-out (I don’t know the spec for ISO 15118). There still may be some arcing during the removal before the charger can stop, which could potentially hit the signal/ground pins and possibly do serious damage to your modules.

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