Etiquette when using public charging stations.

I usually will move my car when I got the txt message from Carwings upon charging completion.
I feel bad on taking up the spot. I always image someone with turtle mode and barely makes it to the station and found out none is available. :lol: (and I certainly don't want that happen to me, )

Do you think that's too excessive?

surfsnow said:

I usually will move my car when I got the txt message from Carwings upon charging completion.
I feel bad on taking up the spot. I always image someone with turtle mode and barely makes it to the station and found out none is available. :lol: (and I certainly don't want that happen to me, )

Do you think that's too excessive?

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No. I do the same. Good for you! Until charging infrastructure is more common, good etiquette and consideration for others are sorely needed.

surfsnow said:

Do you think that's too excessive?

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No, and everyone should do the same as long as there aren't enough charging stations to go around!

Same standard for pumping liquid fuel. Move the car before you go in the store and shop for 30 minutes :evil:

smkettner said:

Same standard for pumping liquid fuel. Move the car before you go in the store and shop for 30 minutes :evil:

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Good analogy. Don't you hate those buffoons?

Bill

smkettner said:

Same standard for pumping liquid fuel. Move the car before you go in the store and shop for 30 minutes :evil:

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Good analogy. I almost forgot about that. Been long time since last time I stopped at the gas station. :lol:

Last time I parked my Leaf at a pump during that Megamillion Lottery madness. Cashier of that gas station gave me a dirty look and I was getting the lottery ticket.

I have a card that I put on the windshield when using a public station; it requests that they call me if they need to use it for another vehicle.

amtoro said:

I have a card that I put on the windshield when using a public station; it requests that they call me if they need to use it for another vehicle.

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That's a good idea! I might actually start doing that too!

I don't have a cell phone so I can't be contacted. So far not an issue for two reasons. One is that I have never seen any other Leafs at a charging station. The other is that I usually charge for a short period, such as a stop in the library or at a store.

surfsnow said:

amtoro said:

I have a card that I put on the windshield when using a public station; it requests that they call me if they need to use it for another vehicle.

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That's a good idea! I might actually start doing that too!

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EV Charging Protocol: http://www.evchargernews.com/chargingprotocol.htm

Live it, love it!

DarkStar said:

EV Charging Protocol: http://www.evchargernews.com/chargingprotocol.htm

Live it, love it!

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+1

Once future EVs go with faster chargers, we, early adopters with 3.3 kwh charges, will be the most hated because it takes us twice as long to charge

On the other hand this was unexpected benefit and probably the only one to have a slow charger, you can park and suck electrons for twice as long and not have to worry about someone getting pissed that you are plugged in and not charging... :lol:

Curious how you guys think the etiquette should apply to the fast charge stations, as my wife and I had this whole etiquette thing taken to a whole new level last weekend!...

To make a long story short, the only available fast charge port was tied up by a car that charged for a whopping 13 minutes. But the owners walked away for a sit-down meal and were gone for an hour or more, or roughly 4 to 5 times the amount of time it took to finish charging.

The argument from said owners was that we were suffering from entitlement, should have just been happy with using a Level 2 charger, and should have planned our trip better.

Problem is... what if both ports were still working, but we had TWO EV owners who felt they could tie up the expensive fast charger by plugging in for 13 minute charges and running away for a nice long meal or movie? Seems the same as the gas station analogy others have mentioned... except it's the only gas station around... and there are only two gas pumps... and the people filling up have left their cars with full tanks parked in front of the pumps for over half an hour. It seems as if the entitlement accusation is misplaced!

Thoughts?...

opossum said:

The argument from said owners was that we were suffering from entitlement, should have just been happy with using a Level 2 charger, and should have planned our trip better.

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They have it backwards. They're the ones suffering from entitlement - if they only charged for 13 minutes but were gone for for an hour or more, they were the ones who should have been using L2.

This is a common problem for as long as public charging is free to cheap-and there are insufficient charging stations available - many public charging stations will enforce time limits and or only parking while charging rules and customers will be charged by the minute for as long they are plugged in.

opossum, I think policy should be set by the site owner. "For use while charging only", with a hard parking limit of one hour is a good recommendation for two hose Blink style DC solutions. For single hose stations, the hard parking limit can be adjusted down... maybe to the maximum session length if it has one.

Sometimes I am in court and unable to return to the car soon after plugging in, and I usually use a charger to top off even when I can make it home without recharging, so I leave my business card with my phone number, but also a note on the flap over the LEAF charging port encouraging anyone to go ahead and unplug me if they need to recharge.

Etiquette no problem in birmingham...unfortunately we have no public chargers yet.
Sheesh.

N1ghtrider said:

...snip... but also a note on the flap over the LEAF charging port encouraging anyone to go ahead and unplug me if they need to recharge.

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Will this (and the EV1 Etiquette) work with Chargepoint chargers? Says the same card that started the charge has to stop the charge.

rv6abob said:

Will this (and the EV1 Etiquette) work with Chargepoint chargers? Says the same card that started the charge has to stop the charge.

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Unplugging the handle stops the charge.

grommet said:

rv6abob said:

Will this (and the EV1 Etiquette) work with Chargepoint chargers? Says the same card that started the charge has to stop the charge.

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Unplugging the handle stops the charge.

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But then, and this is a small but important point, you have to return the handle to it's holster before it will authorize charging on a new card. Or at least that's how I remember it.