Best 'EV only parking' type signage

[lion]

Looking for the most effective examples which indicate the parking spot is reserved for EVs only. I want to use these results to go to local businesses and help them use this data to copy the design, since local parking spots are currently not marked at all.

Example: several Chili's franchises have installed ChargePoint stations, but when asking the staff about it, they have no clue about it. When I show them, they think these are air pumps. If the staff doesn't know what this is, I can't expect drivers to know. So I want to the business owner to mark these spots, if needed, I'll help figure out a way of paying for these markings.

So the big questions is, what's the most effective? Dream scenario would be spikes coming out of the ground, which go away once you swipe your ChargePoint/Blink card

Spray paint the ground while a big tow truck sign on the post? Show me what you think is best!

 

[apvbguy]

maybe a clever salesman could upsell their clients no parking signs when selling the charging stations

 

[lion]

what?

 

[Nubo]

Any sign which states for electric car charging only, and includes the monetary fine in large friendly letters. :mrgreen:

 

[richard]

There are three sign options in the Plug In America store.

This one is pretty direct:

 

[fooljoe]

Putting a cone in the spot is a nice addition to a sign. It won't deter an EV driver desperate for a charge, but should keep out most ICEs.

 

[apvbguy]

There are three sign options in the Plug In America store.

This one is pretty direct:

that one certainly is direct, I like this one better, a softer but similar sign
comes with a green background also

 

[jackal]

FINE: $200
except for fully electric vehicles

 

[eclecticflower]

There are three sign options in the Plug In America store.

This one is pretty direct:

that one certainly is direct, I like this one better, a softer but similar sign
comes with a green background also

The red one is more to the point. It's about charging, not parking. Although we'd LIKE to be soft and nice about it, ICE drivers might ignore the charging issue, since it's not expressly stated on the blue sign, regardless if there's a charging station there and may just take the space, if they so desire ("plug-ins shouldn't get preferential parking"). The red sign gets the charging message across. It would be even better complemented by a sign stating a fine will be levied.

 

[davewill]

The red one is more to the point. ...

More importantly, the red one looks official...like something a cop or security might take enforce (although that's not true) while the blue one looks like some cutesy thing they can feel free to ignore.

 

[lion]

The thing is, I can't see a business being that 'aggressive' towards customers, but I'll talk to some managers, see how they feel about this. I know you can buy these signs online etc, but was hoping you had seen some great signs in use, and had some pics showing how they were doing a great job.

I do like the traffic cone idea, could easily be shared via PlugShare that the cones are ok to be moved. Will have to check what the cheapest source for those are.

 

[eclecticflower]

I do like the traffic cone idea, could easily be shared via PlugShare that the cones are ok to be moved. Will have to check what the cheapest source for those are.

That traffic cone idea might have started out as a good idea, but it confused the heck out of me last June, when I first got my car and wanted to charge at Walgreens. I didn't know what they were trying to communicate, since the cone was up on the curb in front of the charging station and not actually blocking the space. It looked like it meant the unit was out of service. Had it been blocking the space, reserving for plug-ins, I wouldn't have known what that was about either, since I "didn't get the memo" that it's OK to move it and park/charge. A cone blocking any space means to me that you don't park there/something's under construction and/or not in service (safety cone). When I went inside Walgreens to ask about it, they were kind of clueless, but said the station did work, but they'd never seen it used. I've never placed the cone in the space to block non-plug-ins to-date and think that would be inconvenient to do after backing out of the space. The cone should go away if it's that useless, in favor of signage indicating a fine, IMHO.

 

[davewill]

... The cone should go away if it's that useless, in favor of signage indicating a fine, IMHO.

The business owners don't want to threaten their customers with fines. Period. The only reason handicapped spaces are enforced is that it's a legal requirement, and you can call the cops to enforce it. If it was left up to the business owners, no one would get towed or fined for parking in them.*

Now, businesses don't mind towing or fining NON-customers...and unfortunately, EVers all too often look less like customers than a lot of ICE drivers that block us.

* Reminds me of an incident many moons ago. A company I was working for had some big-shot VC guys coming in for a meeting. The lot was always very full, so one of the big shots parked in a handicapped spot (his time was MUCH too valuable to spend walking in from the street :roll: ). One of my coworkers was disabled and wasn't about to let that go, no matter who they were, so he phoned the cops. Needless to say, the VC guy got a big, fat, expensive ticket. The bosses were hopping mad, knew my coworker had to be the one that called it in, but also knew they couldn't do anything about it.

 

[eclecticflower]

... The cone should go away if it's that useless, in favor of signage indicating a fine, IMHO.

The business owners don't want to threaten their customers with fines. Period. The only reason handicapped spaces are enforced is that it's a legal requirement, and you can call the cops to enforce it. If it was left up to the business owners, no one would get towed or fined for parking in them.*

Now, businesses don't mind towing or fining NON-customers...and unfortunately, EVers all too often look less like customers than a lot of ICE drivers that block us.

* Reminds me of an incident many moons ago. A company I was working for had some big-shot VC guys coming in for a meeting. The lot was always very full, so one of the big shots parked in a handicapped spot (his time was MUCH too valuable to spend walking in from the street :roll: ). One of my coworkers was disabled and wasn't about to let that go, no matter who they were, so he phoned the cops. Needless to say, the VC guy got a big, fat, expensive ticket. The bosses were hopping mad, knew my coworker had to be the one that called it in, but also knew they couldn't do anything about it.

Well, the problem is it shouldn't be left up to the business owner, it s/b like handicap spaces. It's early on in the game, so the legal aspects of the issue will be slow to catch on, I suppose.

That VC who took the handicap space deserved a big, FAT fine! Had he been born with any class, he'd have considered the needs of the disabled, refused to park there and walked. Kudos x 10 to your coworker.

 

[lion]

The legal aspect is something I'm trying to deal with as well, but as a single citizen, it's hard to do something about it, need to build an army of EV soldiers first

As for the cones, between marking them with a plug/EV wording, and mentioning it on plugshare, I think EV drivers will/can figure out how the system works, as long as they put the cones back. I also need to work on informing the staff of these businesses, considering none of them knew what the heck this device was. Very sad.

I agree that businesses don't want to accuse/punish/fine their own potential customers, just don't see that work out.

As long as the cones don't get stolen or blown away with a slight breeze, I really think that one could work.

So a 'nice' sign indicating the spot is for 'charging only' (not just EV/plug-in), plus cones is the winning recipe, anyone see any major flaws (besides this costing money)? Has anyone seen this implemented anywhere? I'm more than willing to pay for the hardware to try this at 1 business just to see if it stops the ICEing.

 

[eclecticflower]

As for the cones, between marking them with a plug/EV wording, and mentioning it on plugshare, I think EV drivers will/can figure out how the system works, as long as they put the cones back....and therein lies the problem - I haven't, and personally I'd rather not stop my car, get out, move the cone, park/charge/shop, unplug & get in the car, back up, stop and get out to put a cone back before I leave...too much of a hassle and can obstruct traffic in parking lots.

As long as the cones don't get stolen or blown away with a slight breeze, I really think that one could work...any ICEV driver can also move the cone...it should just go away in favor of better signage, IMHO.

My comments in blue above. Unless a newbie knows to go to plugshare to find out about a cone system, or it's enblazoned on MNL in etiquette, it's going to be confusing like it was for me when I was a newbie a year ago. Good luck getting businesses to mark cones with an EV message. I really do hope you have success getting the ICE out of the spaces.

 

[coolfilmaker]

I think something like this would be ideal, except with EV-Only written on the side.