Protecting Your Electric Vehicle

With the increasing popularity of EVs, one of the most common questions we hear is, "Can I install a dash cam in my electric car?". Well, the good news is you totally can install a dash cam in an EV! In this article, we'll go through the benefits of having a dash cam, as well as concerns and insights to keep in mind before installing one in your vehicle.

The vast majority of the world's drivers drive gas-powered vehicles, and many are unaware that having a dash cam also works in the case of EVs. So to finally put an end to this question, we say yes – you can install a dash cam for your electric vehicle.

In reality, no matter how smart dash cams are, these devices have no idea what type of car they are mounted in! Whether you’re driving a sedan, a truck, an RV, a sports car, or an EV, your dash cams will perform their task accordingly – which is to record footage while you’re driving or parking. It doesn’t really matter whether you’re driving a Toyota or a Tesla – dash cams know no brand, but it knows one thing, which is to provide you with evidence on the road.

Still, there are some distinctions in how dash cams should be used. But this is due to the design and operation of the electric vehicle, rather than the dash cam itself.

Despite its tech advancements and new driving safety features, electric vehicles still need to be protected by dash cams. Some other EVs already have cameras installed within the vehicles, but they don’t perform as functionally as real dash cams.

So, in terms of video resolution, security protection, video coverage, storage, and the overall features? There’s no other way to go but to choose a dedicated dash cam. Check out the reasons why we think dash cams are more efficient, effective and exciting than other EV cameras.

Now let’s differentiate how dash cams work for conventional vehicles versus electric vehicles. In terms of mounting and installation, the method used in a gas-powered vehicle versus an electric vehicle is largely the same, but there are a few crucial considerations.

First, hardwiring and parking mode. Dash cams in a gas-powered car are normally powered by the vehicle's electrical system or cigarette lighter connection. So, as long as the vehicle's battery is charged, this power is immediately available. If you wish to enable parking mode, then you can easily activate this feature by hardwiring the dash cam and connecting it to the car’s fuse box.

Now, here’s the thing, while electric vehicles have 12V cigarette lighters which you can use for plug-and-play dash cam driving mode, some models don’t have a fuse box or a power source. Some electric vehicles, such as the Tesla Model 3, lack a fusebox, making hardwiring a dash cam for parking mode impossible. Meaning, not all EVs will enable you to hardwire your dash cam and enable parking mode by normal means.

On the other hand, if your EV does have a fuse box, it typically contains a small 12V auxiliary battery that powers the vehicle's electronic components. However, when hardwiring a dash cam to this extra battery via the fuse box, the quantity of recording time is extremely limited. Therefore, it is recommended to have another source of power such as external dash cam battery packs.

Moreover, it’s also important to note that when installing a dash cam in an EV, you may need to be cautious about the wiring route in order to prevent interfering with the vehicle's high-voltage systems.