It was an ordinary evening when Amanda Richards found herself facing an extraordinary dilemma. She was charging her Tesla at midnight when two young men approached her car, pounded on her window, and asked to see inside. Her heart raced as she considered her options. “When EVs are plugged in, you can’t drive. You can call 911, you can lock your doors, but you can’t just drive away,” she recalled.
EVject Addresses a Problem with All EVs
This scenario isn’t unique. Every EV driver faces the same limitation: no electric vehicle can shift into drive while connected to a charger, regardless of whether electricity is actively flowing. In moments of urgency — whether it’s a threatening encounter, a natural disaster, or an immediate need to relocate the vehicle — this flaw becomes a serious safety concern.
But why is shifting into drive disabled while an EV is connected to a charger? One reason is to prevent damage to the charging station itself if a driver were to drive off while connected. Another reason is to ensure a safe disconnect from the power source, considering the high voltages and currents involved.
Breakaway Charging Connector
Enter EVject, a groundbreaking device designed to solve this exact problem. Developed by entrepreneur Kreg Peeler and mechanical engineer Erick Vega, EVject is the world’s first breakaway charging connector for electric vehicles. Using patented technology, EVject allows an EV to disconnect from the charger in an emergency, whether the driver is inside the car or operating it remotely via their vehicle’s app. Richards was using an EVject the night of her encounter. Although the men left without further incident, she was grateful to have the option had she needed it. “Even though I was shaking, I knew I could leave if they didn’t.”
How It Works
The safety device utilizes mechanical switches and levers within the device to make the EV think that you’ve actually gotten out of your car and unplugged the charger. This means the driver retains control from inside the vehicle and can drive away without exiting or manually unplugging the charger. Because it’s a mechanical solution, it works with most EVs with compatible charging ports and doesn’t require any additional apps.
Autopilot Friendly
Take the California Palisades fire as an example. Imagine a homeowner needing to remotely summon their EV out of a garage filled with smoke or flames. Without EVject, the driver would have to enter the hazardous area, manually unplug the charger, and then start the car. With EVject, a simple command from the car’s app can disconnect the charging cable remotely, allowing the vehicle to drive to safety without risking the driver’s safety.
Replacement Program
Intended for one-time use, the EVject will break into two parts, so in addition to enhancing safety, EVject offers a Replacement Program that ensures users are always protected. If the connector is ever used in an emergency, customers can get a replacement unit at a reduced cost, keeping their safety intact without breaking the bank.
The growing adoption of EVs worldwide makes solutions like EVject not just innovative but essential. As more households rely on electric vehicles for daily transportation, the ability to react swiftly in emergencies becomes non-negotiable. EVject isn’t just a product, it’s peace of mind.
At its core, EVject represents a mix of technology and practicality, solving a problem that most EV drivers don’t realize exists until it’s too late. And as the company looks ahead to partnerships with major automakers and charging networks, it’s clear that EVject isn’t just a smart idea, it’s the future of EV safety.
For more information about EVject and how it’s revolutionizing EV charging safety, visit their website.
Peter Salib is a Tech Columnist at Grit Daily. Based in New Jersey, he is an avid participant of events nationwide who’s attended CES in Las Vegas consecutively since 2013. Peter is the host and producer of Show & Tell, a product showcase YouTube channel and also works at Gadget Flow, a leading product discovery platform reaching 31M consumers every month. Peter frequently works with startups on media, content writing, events, and sales. His dog, Scruffy, was a guest product model on the Today Show with Kathy Lee & Hoda in 2018 and was dubbed “Scruffy the Wonder Dog.”