u/Key-Struggle3947

I’m considering permanently removing the dust cap from the AC charging port on my EV, mainly because it’s a bit annoying to remove every single time I charge at home.

I noticed that some newer EVs, like the Kia EV3, don’t seem to have a separate dust cap on the AC pins at all, which made me wonder how necessary it actually is.

Does the dust cap mainly protect against dust/debris, or does it also serve an important moisture/water protection function?

I mostly AC charge at home and I don’t get the impression that much dust gets into the port anyway. Has anyone here removed it permanently? Any long-term downsides or risks?