The dos and don’ts of EV charging etiquette and how they’re essential to forming a positive EV charging community.
Plan ahead and be patient
Planning ahead is the easiest way to alleviate EV charging stress. Zap-Map allows you to see which chargers are occupied in real-time, and aiming for facilities that offer an extensive range of EV chargers (like motorway services) also increases the likelihood of you being able to plug in and charge as soon as you get to your desired destination.
If you get to a location and several people are waiting to charge, it can get a little frustrating, so try to be as respectful and patient as possible. Allowing extra time in your journey for EV charging also helps the situation.
Don’t hog an EV charging bay
No one likes a hogger! Unplugging and moving your electric vehicle as soon as it has finished charging is one of the highest commandments of EV charging. While this isn’t always possible (i.e. if you’re shopping or in a work meeting), it's one of the best actions in forming a positive EV charging experience for all. Most EV chargers suggest a fixed period for charging, i.e. 1 hour, to help with this.
EV charging etiquette in the workplace
Workplace EV charging is becoming increasingly popular, and with it comes a whole host of etiquette issues that must be addressed. It’s likely that your workplace will not have enough EV chargers for every employee, which means you’ll need to share. That’s why you need to think about moving your car each time it finishes charging and whether you need to leave a note for other colleagues who may arrive in the car park and need to charge.
To simplify the situation, you could make an EV drivers’ email or WhatsApp group to alert each other when a charger becomes available.
Need some more guidance? It all starts with a simple phone call. We know there’s so much to take in, so we’re here to help you every step of the way. To start your EV charging journey, contact us.
Graham Rowlands, Managing Director at Devitech