See all Motoring AdviceElectric car sales may have slowed in Ireland this past year, but across the world they’re charging (pardon the pun) ahead, growing by 35 per cent. It means that, all but inevitably, at some point you’re going to be buying an electric car and at some point, you’re going to want to charge it at a public point. And when that happens, there’s etiquette to be observed…
1. Don’t ICE a charger
Before you ever buy an EV yourself, there’s one major rule of politeness to be observed — never park a petrol or diesel car (with an internal combustion engine, or ICE) at a charging point. Yes, we know, parking is tricky, and you might only be stopping for five minutes. But the person in the EV that comes along next might be desperate for a charge, trying to get home and might also be tired, stressed and in need of dealing with less hassle. Don’t add to their burden.
2. Think before you go
There’s a whole mess of EV and charger apps out there, which can be confusing, but they are getting better and using them to plan your own charging is crucial. Planning ahead, and especially working off live ‘in-use’ status is vital if you’re not to show up at a charging station and find it already occupied. You’ll bring down your own stress, and that of others, by avoiding this.
3. Wait your turn
As we wait for a full and functional charging network to be rolled out (don’t hold your breath) the occasional bout of queuing for a fast charger is inevitable. It’s like queuing at the barber’s — look around and see who else is waiting and take your turn. Don’t try and jump in ahead of anyone, as that will just antagonise everyone. If you’re really desperate for a charge and under time pressure, don’t be afraid to approach and ask others if you can move ahead of them. Equally, be understanding if someone asks you the same.
4. Keep it to 80 per cent
Yes, we know — you’re paying for the charge so you should be able to charge as much and for as long as you like. However, we don’t yet live in a world where there are enough chargers to go around all the time, so in the interim, stick to charging up to 80 per cent. That’s the best for your battery anyway, and it ensures a reasonably rapid turnover of charging points for everyone.
5. Know your charging speed
Chargers are now available with lots of different charging speeds, from 50kW all the way up to 350kW. Your car will only manage a specific maximum charging speed though, which means that there’s no point in connecting to a 350kW charger if there’s a 150kW charger next to it and that’s all your car can manage. Equally, there’s no point in hooking an older car with a 50kW maximum up to the 150kW charger. Learn your car’s charging speed and try to charge accordingly.
6. Never unplug
For the most part, when a car is charging, the charger is locked into the vehicle and can’t be removed, though some cars come with a function which allows a charger plug to automatically unlock once charging is complete or it has reached a pre-set level. However, even allowing for this, you should never unplug someone else’s car. It’s not only bad manners, but it also potentially puts you in breach of the law as it’s technically tampering with a vehicle without permission. Anyway, at most chargers unplugging won’t help you as you’ll need the car to move out of the way before you can plug in.
7. Don’t park and not charge
This is kind of the obverse of someone blocking an EV charger with an internal combustion car. Some EV owners seem to think that it’s OK to use a charging space as a parking space, but without actually using the charger. That’s a big no-no. Go and park in a normal space if parking is all you need to do and leave the charger open for those who need it.
8. Workplace charging
As the rules for Benefit in Kind (BIK) tax for company cars so dramatically favours electric cars, business user-choosers are more likely to have switched to electric power. Which can cause some issues if the office hasn’t put enough chargers into the company car park. You can, one supposes, just use a first-come-first-served attitude to using office chargers, but it would be better to keep an eye on your charge level (via your phone app) and disconnect once you’re finished to allow others to use it. Equally, an office email or WhatsApp group can be helpful for letting others know which chargers are free and when.