Electric Vehicle Charging Only. When Charged...Enforcement

[braebyrn]

The signs above the 4 charging stations read "ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING ONLY. WHEN CHARGED MOVE VEHICLE SO OTHERS MAY USE THIS STATION. VEHICLES NOT BEING CHARGED MAY BE TICKETED."

If you read that, would you understand that you should move your Electric Vehicle when it is done charging or you may get ticketed?

We waited over 4 hours to charge my Leaf today where these signs were posted above 3 Leafs and one Volt plugged in and Not charging. My daughter just had her wisdom tooth extracted and was not feeling well. My battery indicator had 10 miles left and I have 20 miles until home.

I ended up in a debate with an officer who claims he was the one that designed and wrote the signs for these stations. He said he meant them to be for gas cars that park there. I actually think he was lying. He said he wouldn't enforce the signs by ticketing the violators and after I asked for his supervisor's name, decided that it was ok if I unplug someones car to charge mine after all.

Last year I was the only one charging at the station and this year its always full with squatters. I didn't think that it would come to this so soon.

 

[smkettner]

Yes by all means if the vehicle is done charging use it if within reach.
When finished plug them back in. Not really a big deal.
And yes it would help if they moved when done but that is not always workable.
Although if is free it could well be local employees camping out all day every day... leave a nice note of why you unplugged them.

 

[JasonA]

you need a j1772 ext in this case.. and block them in by parking behind them!!

Screw'em all!! :lol:

DAMN I hate Volts and PiP's :twisted:

 

[eloder]

Last year I was the only one charging at the station and this year its always full with squatters. I didn't think that it would come to this so soon

Move out to the rest of the country. Here in Ohio, you'll never see charging stations occupied! (And you'll rarely see charging stations. Maybe 1-2 every square mile or so around the city core!)

 

[Slow1]

I think a polite note on each car informing them of the situation they caused would be in order. I'm sure any EV driver out there has had the issue of being low on charge - it is, however, difficult for some folks to realize they aren't the only ones who have this issue.

In any case, parking enforcement is challenging enough. I wonder if they will have to train the officers on different makes/models to determine if they are actively charging or not. Perhaps they'll have to take a short video showing the light status (blinking or not) to prove the violation....

 

[TomT]

And some cars, like the MB ED, don't have any kind of charge indicator at all so the only way to know if it was still charging would be to observe the EVSE...

In any case, parking enforcement is challenging enough. I wonder if they will have to train the officers on different makes/models to determine if they are actively charging or not. Perhaps they'll have to take a short video showing the light status (blinking or not) to prove the violation....

 

[Slow1]

And some cars, like the MB ED, don't have any kind of charge indicator at all so the only way to know if it was still charging would be to observe the EVSE...

In any case, parking enforcement is challenging enough. I wonder if they will have to train the officers on different makes/models to determine if they are actively charging or not. Perhaps they'll have to take a short video showing the light status (blinking or not) to prove the violation....

Like so many things, the only real solution is for each individual to take responsibility for doing the "right thing" and playing nice. Exceptions will happen - i.e. times when one cannot move their vehicle after charging, but these should be relatively rare in the big picture. Folks need to recognize the difference between "inconvenient" to move (i.e. middle of work day taking 10 minutes to walk out and move the car) vs "unable" to move (i.e. in middle of a medical/dental procedure and unable to take a break). Sure, we would all like to drive to our destination and just park the car plugged in until we are ready to leave but the cost of infrastructure to support that model is extremely high.

The same "need" vs "convenience" applies to the use of public EVSEs to begin with. My opinion is that folks should charge at home as much as possible and only charge in public chargers when necessary to make it home again. Just because there is an EVSE at the office doesn't make it necessary to use - leave it open for those who would not otherwise be able to use their EV to get to work and we'll have fewer conflicts. Same goes for any other EVSE out there unless the location has structured things to provide sufficient for any/all who show up. I believe it is far better to know that one can get to an EVSE when _needed_ than to stay topped off throughout the day. Of course as long as EVSEs are "free" to use folks will feel compelled to save a few bucks charging even when not needed - thus I support having all public EVSEs be pay for use and I'd include a time-based escalating cost structure in many locations.

 

[Randy]

And some cars, like the MB ED, don't have any kind of charge indicator at all so the only way to know if it was still charging would be to observe the EVSE...

In any case, parking enforcement is challenging enough. I wonder if they will have to train the officers on different makes/models to determine if they are actively charging or not. Perhaps they'll have to take a short video showing the light status (blinking or not) to prove the violation....

Like so many things, the only real solution is for each individual to take responsibility for doing the "right thing" and playing nice. Exceptions will happen - i.e. times when one cannot move their vehicle after charging, but these should be relatively rare in the big picture. Folks need to recognize the difference between "inconvenient" to move (i.e. middle of work day taking 10 minutes to walk out and move the car) vs "unable" to move (i.e. in middle of a medical/dental procedure and unable to take a break). Sure, we would all like to drive to our destination and just park the car plugged in until we are ready to leave but the cost of infrastructure to support that model is extremely high.

The same "need" vs "convenience" applies to the use of public EVSEs to begin with. My opinion is that folks should charge at home as much as possible and only charge in public chargers when necessary to make it home again. Just because there is an EVSE at the office doesn't make it necessary to use - leave it open for those who would not otherwise be able to use their EV to get to work and we'll have fewer conflicts. Same goes for any other EVSE out there unless the location has structured things to provide sufficient for any/all who show up. I believe it is far better to know that one can get to an EVSE when _needed_ than to stay topped off throughout the day. Of course as long as EVSEs are "free" to use folks will feel compelled to save a few bucks charging even when not needed - thus I support having all public EVSEs be pay for use and I'd include a time-based escalating cost structure in many locations.

Agree wholeheartedly...Especially the part about "Free" charging...

 

[asimba2]

I certainly sympathize with your position, I think we have all been there. EV adoption rates are exploding in my area and I had to give up the idea of public charging a long time ago as it is simply not reliable for the reasons you stated. When charging is free people opportunity charge, not really thinking about others that may need a charge to get home. My car will be more usable for me *when* the free charging goes away and stations start charging for use.

 

[Nubo]

This is a good sign in the larger scheme of things. More and more EVs on the road.

When there were few EVs, free charging made sense, or just charging by kW. Now that we have contention the fee structures need to evolve, to make it painful for "squatters". Free charging is simply an invitation for abuse. Some will go out of their way for "free" instead of charging at home. Others use it as an excuse to hog a "good parking spot" all day long.

As we get more EVs on the road, the infrastructure will evolve and begin to make more sense because it will be driven by actual need, instead of various scattered notions of how/where to encourage adoption.

 

[KeiJidosha]

...thus I support having all public EVSEs be pay for use and I'd include a time-based escalating cost structure in many locations.

Thousand Oaks has recently changed out their free ClipperCreek chargers for paid Blinks. I agree that public charging should be pay-to-charge. My only concern here is the slower, more fragile, fussy to operate Blink units are a step backward. If I'm paying for a charge, I'd like it to be reliable 240 volt, 32 (better yet 80) amp fast, with a useful display (ChargePoint), that shows real time availability on-line. I'm ready for reserveable service at busy locations. Enforcement won't overcome bad incentives.

 

[davewill]

I'd have been tempted to leave notes like this, "Better be careful! I was barely able to talk a cop out of giving all you guys tickets for parking here without charging."

 

[DesertSprings]

There's a nearby train station with 3 free L2 chargers. 2 of the 3 chargers have been broken for at least 4 months, possibly longer, meaning the only working charger is pretty much always occupied. Everyone is really nice about not locking the charger when in use, and allowing other people to either unplug you when near full, or leaving their car with the charge port open so you can plug them in when you are done.

 

[dgpcolorado]

Move out to the rest of the country. Here in Ohio, you'll never see charging stations occupied! (And you'll rarely see charging stations. Maybe 1-2 every square mile or so around the city core!)

Around here it is one public charge station per county, except that some counties have zero. But that's better than it was a year ago when there were none.

I always use the charge stations when I can so that people can see them being used. Only twice have I ever shared one with another EV (each EVSE has two cables). Different world here.

 

[braebyrn]

I'd have been tempted to leave notes like this, "Better be careful! I was barely able to talk a cop out of giving all you guys tickets for parking here without charging."

Love that idea!!!!!

 

[Slow1]

...thus I support having all public EVSEs be pay for use and I'd include a time-based escalating cost structure in many locations.

Thousand Oaks has recently changed out their free ClipperCreek chargers for paid Blinks. I agree that public charging should be pay-to-charge. My only concern here is the slower, more fragile, fussy to operate Blink units are a step backward. If I'm paying for a charge, I'd like it to be reliable 240 volt, 32 (better yet 80) amp fast, with a useful display (ChargePoint), that shows real time availability on-line. I'm ready for reserveable service at busy locations. Enforcement won't overcome bad incentives.

That is another problem entirely. However, if the fees collected were enough to actually allow companies to make a profit then I believe competition could set in and solve your issue. IF you had a choice between the Chargepoint and Blink units, would you be willing to pay more for the Chargepoint? If so, there is hope.

My main concern about this scenario is that I don't believe that a viable business model exists (financially) for 'convenience' charging. I can see it for DCQC units on major travel routes, but I just don't see it anywhere where folks routinely could charge at home. As the range of EVs increases I see the _need_ to charge away from home being limited to road trips. The cost to deploy and maintain a network of L2 chargers is very likely more than most of us are willing to pay to have them if we can charge at home for just the cost of electricity. Sure, if you spend tax money or otherwise subsidize them it could happen, but I submit that spending "other people's money" doesn't make it a viable business model.