Excerpt from the April 2023 issue of Car and driver.
Our recent experiences at public charging stations make us fear that the electric vehicle charging experience will soon turn into violence and chaos. Too many people try to use too few stations, a situation exacerbated by failed outlets. Before people get kicked out of weddings or cut out of wills, let’s see if we can solve some of your messier behavioral dilemmas.
A few basics: always place the fork to the left of the plate when eating lunch on the trunk lid and never park a combustion engine vehicle at an EV charging point. Now let’s move on to the more difficult ones.
IS IT SO TOUGH TO STAY PLUGGED IN FOR A 100% CHARGE? I mean, I was there first.
Oh my dear. It may seem incomplete to unplug at 82%, but if someone is waiting, don’t be greedy and go for a full charge. This is rude, because on a DC charger, chances are the last 20 percent will take as long as the previous 80 percent. In addition, full charging accelerates long-term battery degradation, which is also rude to your car. This rule goes threefold for Lucid drivers. Even at 80%, a Lucid has over 300 miles of highway range, far more than most EVs.
I LIKE TO USE THE FASTEST CHARGER. IS IT FALSE?
If you’re driving a Mini Cooper SE that can accept a charge of just 50kW and you’re hooked up to a 350kW charger when slower chargers are available, you’re making the angels cry. It’s like taking both armrests when sitting in the aisle of an airplane. You may be more comfortable, but you’re taking space away from the person who can really use it. While some newer EVs can accept over 200 kilowatts, most older models cannot. Know your limits.
MY TESLA CAN CHARGE ANYWHERE, SO I CONNECT ANYWHERE I SEE AN OPEN LOCATION, EVEN IF IT’S NOT A TESLA STATION.
It’s not a question, but also, unless you’re desperate, please don’t do this. Somebody’s gonna figure out how to unplug that plug and launch it into low Earth orbit. Tesla offers an incredible and exclusive charging infrastructure that works, like, all the time! We can’t say the same for non-Tesla stations, so seeing Teslas at those stations in instances where their own network is available nearby can be frustrating. Think about the community.
DO I REALLY NEED TO LOGIN TO PLUGSHARE OR OTHER REPORTING APPLICATIONS?
Of course not. You also don’t have to help older people with shopping, but it’s fine if you do. Reporting inoperative or damaged stations on apps like PlugShare can help stave off frustration for other travelers. If everyone did, it might also save you some frustration. Participatory information also helps stations organize repairs. Good car-ma for all.
THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE FOLLOWING THIS. CAN I MOCK THEM?
Sure, but that’s nasty. Once you’re used to public charging, it’s easy to forget how frustrating and confusing stations can be. Some have a touchscreen, and some have what looks like a touchscreen but requires pressing a button. Some take a hit, and some seem to need a moon alignment before accepting a credit card. If you see someone in trouble, help them. You’re not going anywhere for a while anyway. Maybe tear out this page and give it to them.
