Charging Station Etiquette

At your own risk.

Bob Wilson

 

Granted, I’ve only been a plug-in guy for 2 weeks now so my advice should be taken with a grain of salt, but so far I’ve used a charger at a dealership, a hotel, and a restaurant. In the case of the dealer and the hotel, I politely asked if it was ok and spent some time talking to them about their place of business. In the case of the restaurant, it was a Chili’s. After parking, I discreetly walked across the street to Massage Envy for a 90-minute massage and then I went and ate lunch at Chili’s. I made sure I thanked the manager on duty for having a charging station and I told him that is why I came today to eat there.

It kind of felt weird to me at first, but I’m getting more and more comfortable with it. I think the key is to be polite and respectful. If the situation warrants it, be discreet. Always move your car when it is done charging. And don’t ever plug into a wall outlet without asking permission first. And I always leave the area cleaner than I found it. We’re in the dawn of a new era and how we all behave will greatly determine the future availability of plugs.

 

You provide an EXCELLENT example for all to follow. To me, this is exactly how it should be done. Goof job!

 

Another place to inquire about charging is at motels/hotels. I stayed at a Best Western in Hollywood, and they let me park in a space which was not a designated parking space, and use a 120V outlet in a utility room. I used my own EVSE.

 

I have found that it doesn't hurt to ask if I can use an outside outlet...

I currently live on the west side of the Puget Sound, across from the Seattle area. My wife and I are on an 18-month ministry mission for our church, where we drive 50 to 75 miles each day visiting and assisting military Navy families when a spouse is deployed. We are not able to charge our Prime we go during the day. EVs are a novelty in this area. There is very little infrastructure to charge EVs, and business I've talked to have no interest in providing charging stations (nor would it be practical to park and twiddle our thumbs for 2+ hours in the middle of the day just to charge the car).

My apartment manager explicitly forbid charging the car at our apartment (I asked). However, the "PlugShare" app I added to my phone showed that there was an outside 110v outlet at a small medical center two blocks away. It is in an awkward location behind some bushes, and is there to power a timer they have on a sprinkler system but does have an open receptical. I asked at the front desk if it was OK to use the outlet at night to charge my car. The staff knew nothing about EVs, but said "use it at your own risk, but if it works for you, go for it." I tried to give an some idea of the energy I would use, but they weren't concerned about it. They leave the lights on throughout the medical center all night long, so I doubt charging my car each night is even noticeable on their electric bill.

BTW, I don't leave my car there all night. I plug in when we get home around 7 to 8 PM, and go pick up the car after watching the 11 PM news. I don't always reach a full charge, but the charge I do get helps a lot the next day -- I now average about 85 mpg per tank of gas, versus the 40 mpg I would get on 2005 Prius this time of year!

I should add that I now find myself looking for an outside outlet at every place of business we happen to stop at. I seldom see one, and if I do, they are in a location with no nearby parking. The problem is that many parking lots have driving lanes between parking spaces and the buildings. At least in the area I live, it will be a long time in the future -- if ever -- before charging an EV while shopping or dining will be practical.

Charging at night without owning a home is not practical in my area either. Out of curiosity, I called several apartment complexes in the area one day, and not a single complex has provisions for charging EVs, or allows charging from the apartment. I suspect, though no one said this, that apartment owners are worried about the liability of overheating an electrical circuit or someone tripping on a charging cord).

 

Tha apartment complex I live in has an electrical outlet next to my parking spot, my landlord charges me $15.00/mo for the unlimited use of his electricity

 

We had our first sip of outside juice today... FREE!

We've been charging at home, but wanted to test the waters via the public charging stations and were thrilled to find two free stations in our town center and adjacent town hall (2 ports each). We did not reserve a spot (via the app) and were moments too late arriving just after a gent in a BMW (X5?) plug-in rolled up. Amazingly, he offered that if we were low, he'd park elsewhere and we could plug in (what a kind gesture)! We weren't in dire need (actually only curious to try it out), so thanked him and proceeded to the second area without further adieu. WHAT A HOOT.... twice the charge rate as our home unit, and did I mention: FREE!

We're loving this car more and more, and finding the plug-in crowd quite civilized to fellow juicers.

 

I’ve gone on longer trips in my BEV smart car a few times (usually to dealership) and have learned to make it an all day adventure and plan out my charging stops beforehand.

On one or two occasions I’ve misjudged my distance and have asked local business if it’s OK to plug into an outdoor outlet. I stay only as long as it takes to get to the closest charging station to top off.

I’ve started taking the EVSE from our prime now whenever I go farther than work in my smart because it’s actually 3 times as long.