for Evora • S • 400 • GT • Almost Any 12V cars
We know some of you don’t drive your Evora as often as you would like to. We also know connecting a low-amperage charger to maintain your battery can be a slight hassle. And is there anyone that hasn’t worried about driving away with the charger cord still attached to the car? We’ve assembled our BCCK kit to make battery charging maintenance as easy as possible while subduing our 12-volt nightmare.
For Battery Tender, CTEK, & NOCO Genius chargers!
The Problem: Evora battery maintenance is problematic for a number of reasons. First, accessing the battery is tedious. Even with a pigtail or lead-cable pre-installed, it usually involves opening the trunk, finding the wire, using two hands to connect the charger, and then gently lowering the tailgate and keeping the it ajar so it doesn’t pinch the wires.
A worse scenario is getting to your car and finding a dead battery. Without power, the only way to open the tailgate is by using the manual cable release which is known to be delicate and prone to failure.
Our Solution: We have assembled a kit that includes all the parts needed for a quick connect/disconnect connector & protected exterior receptacle.
The adapter cable includes a magnetic 12V connector and a matched plug specifically for either the Battery Tender, CTEK, or NOCO Genius battery chargers (if you have another brand, please email us and we can probably build an adapter cable specifically for your low-amperage charger). We intend for this adapter to remain connected to your charger’s main cable for ease of use. The cable from your charger does not need to be cut or modified in any way, and may still be used with other cars without the easily disconnected adapter. (We have assembled many custom cables—if you have a wish for a custom length or anything else, let us know and we’ll try to make it.)
The magnetic 12V receiver is the beauty of this system and provides two benefits. First, the connector is quickly aligned to the receptacle and held in place by magnets—connection is a simple one-handed operation, even with the cover installed. If you have an Apple MacBook, the action is similar to your MagSafe power cable—it connects & disconnects very easily. If someone trips over the battery charger cable or drives away with the charger still connected, the plug & jack connection will quickly separate with no damage. The second benefit of this system are the isolated external contacts on the receiver—without the connector or the presence of a magnet, power is disconnected from the visible electrical contacts—this means that there is virtually no chance of accidentally shorting the system. The kit also includes a hinged cover. The receiver does require a rather large hole for mounting (see pictures for dimensions) or your own custom made mounting panel if you don’t want to cut a hole—it just depends on where you want to install the receiver. We suggest a discrete location under the rear bumper or diffuser—ideally, you will pick a spot that is visually hidden & safe but also easily accessible.
We include about 9-feet of insulated wiring. This should be enough to install the 12v receiver at any rearward location. We also include about 9-feet of braided cable loom that will make the install look nice—no one likes loose wires floating around. The picture of the wiring & sleeve sitting on the GT4 wing will give you an idea of how much is provided and how far it might reach. This wiring includes an in-line fuse holder that should be located as close to the battery as possible.
A second in-line fuse is provided and is optional for the install. Early on, we wrote about the pitfalls of a dead battery. What if something unexpected happens and the fuse closest to the battery blows? If the battery is dead, you’re at the mercy of the frail Evora manual release cable. We include provisions for a second in-line fuse with the intent of installing this in a location that is outside of the engine bay or trunk—somewhere that can be accessed without major difficulty. Why? To provide maximum protection, the main fuse should be located as close to the battery as possible however this fuse may not be accessible with a dead battery & broken manual Evora tailgate cable release. We give you the choice of installing a second, lower-rated fuse (that will hopefully blow before the primary fuse) in an accessible area so it can be easily replaced after correcting the cause of the short.
We also include a generous hardware kit that includes spares… just in case.
Compatible Battery Chargers: Our kit is designed for low-amperage maintenance chargers. We stock adapter cables for Battery Tender, CTEK, and NOCO Genius. If your Evora was delivered with a Lotus branded charger, it is probably a Battery Tender. This kit is NOT compatible with fast chargers, jump-start battery packs, or high-amperage chargers.
Our Battery Charger Connection Kit Includes:
- (1) Adapter cable for Battery Tender, CTEK, or NOCO battery maintainer (Please contact us for other brands)
- (1) Magnetic receiver
- (1) Spring-loaded, hinged cover for the receiver
- (±9-feet) Cable with integrated in-line fuse holder & 15A fuse
- (±9-feet) Braided cable loom
- (1) In-line fuse holder (optional but recommended)
- (2) Heat Shrink Butt-Connectors (1 to install the optional second fuse holder + 1 spare)
- (4) Spade connectors (2 for the wire to connect to the plug + 2 spares)
- (2) Fuses (7.5A & 10A, please confirm these are appropriate for your charger and installation)
Tools your installer will probably need:
- Drill & drill bit (1-1/8” or 29-30 mm)
- Wire cutters
- Wire crimpers (these Channel Lock crimpers are our favorite)
- Heat gun or hair dryer (for heat shrink butt connectors & spade connectors)
- Multimeter to check connections and wiring prior to first use
- Tools to remove the wheel well liner(s), rear diffuser panel, and/or to access the battery compartment & wiring route
••• Please Be Advised •••
This kit is not a difficult to install but it does involve electricity and the car’s power system. This kit is provided without instructions and should only be installed and maintanced by a certified automotive mechanic familiar with your car.
One of HethelSport's very first customers has installed this system in his Evora, and he has a wonderful write-up that can be found here. To install the Magnetic receiver, we have 30 mm step drill bits available here. We also have a surface mounting pod as an option for some installations.
The Battery Charger Connection Kit is assembled by HethelSport and ships directly from us. Sometimes, adaptor cables are made-to-order so please allow up to a week prior to shipping.
