5 Rules of Electric Vehicle Charging You Should Never Break
These five tips will make your electric vehicle charging experience painless for all.
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The rising popularity of
electric vehicles
is bringing an influx of new owners
who will be charging their EVs in public for the first time.Make sure you don't look like a total EV newbie by following these charging etiquette tips from
Kelley Blue Book
.Know your charger
The first on KBB's list of charging etiquette guidelines are kind of a no-brainer: park at the right plug. This means you first need to know what kind of vehicle you're driving.
If it's not capable of using a DC fast charger, try not to park at the DC fast charging station. In your case, you'll likely need a Level 2 240-volt charging station.
If your car does not have a port to plug into, it can mean one of two things: you're driving a hybrid, or you need a gas station instead. If you fall into the latter category, don't be one of those dudes who park their lifted pickup truck in a charging station to "own the environmentalists."
Don't cut in line
Next up also depends on how much common decency you have as an upstanding member of society. Our unwritten social contract dictates that if a queue forms for a service or activity, we must take our place at the end of it.
In simpler terms: don't cut in front of others who were there first, you jerk.
Don’t dawdle
Do you continue to loiter in your stall when you're finished doing your business in a public restroom? If the answer is yes, then we won't judge you for what you do in your free time. But if you're like most people, you leave as soon as you're done.
The same rule applies to public charging stations. If you're one of those people who uses a
free
public charging spot as a premium front-row parking spot for hours after your vehicle is fully charged, you're part of a problem plaguing many electric motorists desperately in need of a top-off. Be considerate of others and move your car when its battery is full. Thankfully, some public charging stations will charge
extra fees
for vehicles that are fully charged but still parked.EVs only
We've all been tempted to park in an electric vehicle-only spot when out shopping on a busy weekend afternoon. But what separates decent folk from the rest is the ability to resist that temptation and park where we're supposed to park.
If you want the primo parking that electric vehicles seem to enjoy, buy yourself an electric vehicle.
If you're one of the coal-rolling truck drivers insistent on "ICE-ing" electric vehicle owners by parking your
diesel-fueled
truck in an electric charging parking spot, here's a word of warning: you're likely to get towed at your expense in some parts of North America.Pay attention to posted signs
As a motorist, you should always pay attention to signs posted anywhere you and your vehicle may go. The same applies when finding an electric vehicle parking space or station: if a sign on the station indicates a two-hour time limit, be considerate and follow the posted limit.
These etiquette tips will help you make the most of your electric vehicle charging experience without being considered "that guy" at the station. What else could make owning an electric vehicle even better? Saving on your car insurance.
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