Free Public Chargers: Leaf Abuse

Wouldn't it be nice if we could all agree to get along and help reduce the usage of oil.
You help me out a bit and I'll help you out a bit in return.
Or we can just isolate ourselves from each other and sue every time our feeling are hurt.

Mike

 

Every public charging station I've used that requires a card to authorize its use shuts off the moment you unplug it from a vehicle and will not restart until you swipe your card again. Admittedly I've only use a dozen or two stations from about 4 different companies so I can say they all work this way.

But, hey, let's give some credit to the engineers who make these things a little credit. If they are going to charge you for a service (a few kwh) do you think people would like your produce (the charging station) if they all didn't work as I've described?

This is what is different about a home charging station...no card to swipe to enable, power always available.

Mike

 

Easy solution. All Tesla owners get a few free supercharger uses every year for free (maybe 12). They get another dozen or so for $1. After that they have to pay something close to the cost per kwh.
Buy a premium package and you get more free or cheap charges, but not unlimited.

Mike

 

Very viable scheme. The sensible user is not penalized at all while the abusers are limited.

 

So your implication is I'm a sue happy isolationist...because I won't allow someone to mess with my car "without authorization". You are not living in the real world.

 

I mentioned it in passing before, but more in depth, people have pulled guns and shot others over parking spaces. And not all on the incidences happened during periods of snow. On the less serious front, a wife's friend squirted a ketchup packet through a cracked window because whoever parked the car didn't leave much room for opening her door.

Right now, the majority of plug in buyers may be more communally minded, but that will change as the numbers grow. There will be more a-holes with plugins in the future, and even more, like me, that simply don't want people touching their stuff without permission.

 

You might want to read the thread on mynissanleaf about NRG / eVGO billing issues. My Nissan Leaf Forum • View topic - $450 bill from NRG / eVgo

Apparently they've been racking up fees in ways that shouldn't happen. One expample is if someone tries to use a charging station and the session fails to start then they go to the station right next to it and start charging, NRG is charging for both sessions at the same time and the phantom session may continue to run for a day or two.

They've been doing other goofy billing issues as well. It's enough that if I ever saw one I'd avoid it.

But I have used public charging stations that work just like a home station. No swipe, no log in, just plug it up.

and I've used a local Blink station that requires a membership card but still is free charging (not convenient as you spend a minute or two getting the card out of your wallet and fighting through the slow touchscreen interface through several steps before it lets you charge).

considering the variation in charging stations I've seen and the things I've read about I won't rule out the possibility that someone can continue a charging session after unplugging from one car and plugging into another (or say it's a new session but uses the authorization from the prior user).

 

A week after getting my new Sonic, we stopped for quick bite at a local fast food place. I parked near the door, but it was an aisle of parking spots that was empty. When we came out, there was a large ding on the driver's door. My tolerance of careless ignorance as dropped since then.

If you don't care if people unplug your car when it is done, you are free to leave a note to that affect. Without a note, just leave the plug in place. You don't know the person, or how they would react.

 

No. I'm saying that reasonable people can act reasonably.
If you choose to use a public charging station, that is available for the "PUBLIC" then you should probably accept the fact that someone else should be able to carefully unplug you, when your car is done charging, so they can use the PUBLIC charger.

Are you worried your car will get damaged? From what? Do you park in a PUBLIC parking lot with shopping carts? You've already accepted a probably much bigger risk that a cart will ding your car.

Mike

 

That is a bug, not as designed, right?

yes, I've used a couple like that. No problem because no one gets billed for the wrong car, right?

Mike

 

2 thoughts;
1 - If you've never witnessed a pattern (I've noted it with ALL plug in's not just Nissan's) with an individual owner, but just presume the fully charged car owner is a scofflaw - you never really know. They may be unable to return at the moment - or? Yep there may be several reasons. Our company policy is to NOT be out valeting you car. After all, there may be no other parking spots in the structure, and now you gotta drive off to a remote lot & hike back? On work time? That's no good.
2 - Many people I work with can get there earlier ... work earlier hours ... but wont. Yet they still expect one of the 10 EVSE's to be available? And these are pay spots. The nice thing is, it only charges you for time of use - 28¢/kWh with $1 minimum. You charge for just 3.5kWh's and violà ... you got a close up parking spot better than some of the V.P.'s. It aint my rules ... but I can work the system.

.

 

And you can really milk it with the Mrs' Model X.

 

it's a jungle out there

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jungle motors?

 

yes - really. They played their hands when they put forth ad depicting this;
http://chargedevs.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Lexus-talking-trash-on-EVs.png
It's pretty much impossible for Toyota - Lexus to spin it now, any other way.
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there is a nexus one can make to the OP's title; Jungle Motors of San Juan Cap, builders of plugin cars, became notorious for ripoff business practices. The husband & wife (divorced to stave off plaintiff's litigation) team were always being sued. Both of 'em were murdered.

What was behind killings of San Juan Capistrano couple? - The Orange County Register

People; taking it to the next level. End of litigation. Moral of the' Bad Leaf story?
1 - let it go
2 - someone will always take it to the next level, if you do
3 - treat' em the way you wana be treated
4 - show a bit of grace when peeps fail @ #3 above
Happy plugging in
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undoubtedly, it was one of the countless vicious Prius owners that unplugged them. Probaby getting off on harassing a non-prius plug-in vehicle.

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there are a lot more tesla, m/b, bmw around here than pips. honestly, what is even the point of plugging in your 300 mile tesla for a 1/2 hour?