NACS port and port cover locking rules?

[Smorgasbord]

Trying to reverse engineer the logic. Here's what I've got so far:

Car unlocked:
Can open or close the port door.
Can insert or remove a NACS plug.

Car locked:
Cannot open the port door if it was closed at time of locking.
If an NACS plug is inserted, it cannot be removed, even if you press the button on the NACS plug handle.
If port door is open at time of locking, you can close the port door, and then even re-open the port door.
If the port door is open, can insert an NACS plug, but then it locks.

Question1: If car is actively charging (not just scheduled to charge), does the car lock the NACS plug?
I hope and expect so, but Lucid's dash warning about stopping charge before removing the plug makes me think that it's possible, otherwise Lucid wouldn't have to say anything, or could just say "Stop charging to remove plug."

Question 2: On Tesla vehicles, pressing the NACS handle button stops the charging and then unlocks the plug from the car. I don't think this works on Gravity, has anyone tried it? And if so, is it the same on AC and DCFC at Tesla SCs?

And, probably should draw up the algorithm for when the J1172 or CCS1 Combo adapters are used.

 

[Nunya]

FWIW I believe Tesla uses the same logic.

 

[Smorgasbord]

FWIW I believe Tesla uses the same logic.

With its powered port door, it doesn't, at least not exactly. For instance, if you lock a Tesla with the port door open, it closes and locks (unless a plug is in, of course).

 

[Saksak]

If the car is locked, the NACS plug is locked whether or not the car is being charged. It is also locked unless you stop the charge (press the button on the handle or another method). This is true for both the Gravity and Tesla and is a good thing:

• Prevents a random person from stopping your charging session and unplugging because they want to use the charging station (and potentially stealing your adaptor if you are using one).
• Prevents arcing which is both dangerous and can damage components.

I’ve had to use my phone to manually unlock the car before I could remove the charging cable for both the Gravity and Model X when I don’t have the key fob.

 

[Smorgasbord]

If the car is locked, the NACS plug is locked whether or not the car is being charged.

Yes, I said that with:

Car locked:
If an NACS plug is inserted, it cannot be removed, even if you press the button on the NACS plug handle.

My two questions remain unanswered, though:

Question1: If car is actively charging (not just scheduled to charge), does the car lock the NACS plug?

Question 2: On Tesla vehicles, pressing the NACS handle button stops the charging and then unlocks the plug from the car. I don't think this works on Gravity, has anyone tried it? And if so, is it the same on AC and DCFC at Tesla SCs?

 

[johnse]

I believe the answer to both is "yes"

 

[Smorgasbord]

I believe the answer to both is "yes"

My recollection is that pressing the button on the NACS plug handle does not do anything on Lucid. It doesn't lock nor unlock the plug when at home on AC charging, and I think I tried on at a Tesla SC, but I was in a rush so I didn't pay too close attention.

 

[Saksak]

@Smorgasbord Sorry if I wasn’t clear. Let me clarify.

Question1: If car is actively charging (not just scheduled to charge), does the car lock the NACS plug?

Yes, actively charging locks the plug.

Question 2: On Tesla vehicles, pressing the NACS handle button stops the charging and then unlocks the plug from the car. I don't think this works on Gravity, has anyone tried it? And if so, is it the same on AC and DCFC at Tesla SCs?

Yes, pressing the button stops charging. However, it does not necessarily unlock the plug. This applies to the Gravity and Tesla (and probably every other vehicle).

The plug is locked if either the car is locked or the car is charging. In order to remove the plug: 1) the car must be unlocked, and 2) charging must not be active.

Pressing the button on the handle is one way to stop charging. It does nothing if not charging. If the plug is not removed shortly after pressing the button, the car will resume whatever it was doing (resume charging or remain idle until the scheduled charge time).

 

[Smorgasbord]

OK, so I just tried the experiment at home:

First, there appear to be 2 unlock states. If you unlock the car with the fob, the mirrors unfold, the handles present themselves and the NACS plug can be removed.
However, if you unlock the car with the charge port door closed and let the car sit for a while, the handles will recess, but the mirrors will stay unfolded. In this state the charge port door cannot be opened. Pressing on a rear door handle will not present handles, but pressing on the driver's door handle will present all handles. In that state, pressing on the outside trunk open button will wake the car up, but won't open the trunk - you'll need a second press.

And yes, while charging the plug is locked. And yes, pressing the button will stop charging, but if you don't remove the handle within a few seconds, the plug will relock and charging will begin again. If, after stopping the charge with the handle button, you remove the plug and replug, it goes back into scheduled charging.

This charging restart behavior makes me think that the error message shown in this post

H

Post in thread 'NACS Charging at Tesla SCs'

Jan 16, 2026

I was sitting in our newest Gravity at a Tesla Supercharger this morning. Suddenly this popped up on the mobile app:

However, this was what was on the dashboard at the same moment:

The car continued to charge without interruption. What's going on here?

• hmp10

• 

but in which the charge session did complete, is indicative of there being a short-lived problem charging and that the Gravity restarted the charge after failure.

This restart behavior is overall a good thing, I believe, but for a manually-stopped charge it shouldn't restart automatically. If I'm away from the vehicle and stopping charge via the app, I don't want it restarting, which is what happens today. Guess I'll file a bug.

Oh, and in case anyone cares, on my previous Teslas (plural), the plug was locked when plugged in whether the car itself was locked or unlocked. So, pressing the button unlocks the plug and you had to do that to remove the plug under any and all circumstances.

 

[bicycleguy]

Trying to reverse engineer the logic. Here's what I've got so far:

Car unlocked:
Can open or close the port door.
Can insert or remove a NACS plug.

Car locked:
Cannot open the port door if it was closed at time of locking.
If an NACS plug is inserted, it cannot be removed, even if you press the button on the NACS plug handle.
If port door is open at time of locking, you can close the port door, and then even re-open the port door.
If the port door is open, can insert an NACS plug, but then it locks.

Question1: If car is actively charging (not just scheduled to charge), does the car lock the NACS plug?
I hope and expect so, but Lucid's dash warning about stopping charge before removing the plug makes me think that it's possible, otherwise Lucid wouldn't have to say anything, or could just say "Stop charging to remove plug."

Question 2: On Tesla vehicles, pressing the NACS handle button stops the charging and then unlocks the plug from the car. I don't think this works on Gravity, has anyone tried it? And if so, is it the same on AC and DCFC at Tesla SCs?

And, probably should draw up the algorithm for when the J1172 or CCS1 Combo adapters are used.

Wonder if you missed the little release button below the charge port indicator lights in your logic matrix. When using an adapter to the port that has no button it is the easiest way to stop the charge and release the plug.