What argument do ICE driver parked in EV spot give you?

[ralphmc]

This morning I stopped by a Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, to let my LEAF learn the charger by plugging it in there while when I arrived both spots where vacant. After I came back out to the car 10 minutes later or so I Jeep SUV was parked in the 2nd slot. While I was getting ready to unplug, the driver of the "offending" SUV came out to her car with an infant in her arm. I took the opportunity and asked her with a smile, pointing to the blue EV sign, and asked her if she knew that this was a dedicated EV charging parking spot. She answered: "...we don't think that EV drivers should get extra treatment, they are not handicap drivers..." I asked her if she knew that the Electric Vehicles have no other means to refuel, she said:
"...oh well the parking lot is kind of full..." I just chuckled and turned away.

Ralph

 

[EVDRIVER]

Don't people with infants get to board planes first?

 

[TangoKilo]

It's clear those infants in Tennessee need to learn EV manners... :mrgreen:

 

[padamson1]

This is the hazard of having the EV spots for charging in a 'desirable location' which, given my experience parking at malls, translates to anything more than 5 feet closer to the door than any other spot. It is human nature that a parking space that saves time/effort is more desirable, so EV owners will be 'getting extra treatment' if the EV spaces are closer to the door. Even if from the EV Charger owner's point of view that's the most practical place to put the chargers (on the building close to existing wiring), some people will have hurt feelings.

We are fortunate enough to have chargers at my work, but they are not very close to building so there is never any competition with ICE cars for spots. However since there are many more employees who drive EV's than the 8 available spots, the spots are still almost always full (of EV's charging).

 

[TEG]

A number of times the excuse I got was "Oh, I didn't see the sign", but seemed like a made up excuse.
There seems to be no shortage of "opportunistic parkers" willing to bend the rules and see if they get away with it.

Once someone stays there without getting a ticket or tow, then others notice and starting doing the same.

 

[Boomer23]

My favorite was the one told to me by someone else on this forum. He found a Corvette parked in the EV charging spot next to a library. He went inside and actually found the 'Vette owner, who said "Electric cars? No they crushed all of those." He'd assumed that the library hadn't gotten around to taking out the special EV spots, since obviously, there aren't any EVs out there to use them. :lol:

On the bright side, he was apparently nice enough and willing to go outside with the EV driver and move his 'Vette once he'd been "educated".

 

[ralphmc]

My favorite was the one told to me by someone else on this forum. He found a Corvette parked in the EV charging spot next to a library. He went inside and actually found the 'Vette owner, who said "Electric cars? No they crushed all of those." He'd assumed that the library hadn't gotten around to taking out the special EV spots, since obviously, there aren't any EVs out there to use them. :lol:

On the bright side, he was apparently nice enough and willing to go outside with the EV driver and move his 'Vette once he'd been "educated".

-------------
Awesome!

Yes I concur with you boomer23, that one of the most critical items of the things we (the EV users and charger providers) need to do / focus on, is active "education" of the public, if we want our future to be greener.

Ralph

 

[Coffee_Slurry]

I think it would be great if the EV Charging parking spaces were the FURTHEST from the front door.
Having them adjacent to handicap parking makes no sense at all.

 

[ralphmc]

I think it would be great if the EV Charging parking spaces were the FURTHEST from the front door.
Having them adjacent to handicap parking makes no sense at all.

Yes we (EV users) tend to be environmentally concerned, and I for that matter do not mind walking from the further end of the parking lot to the store, to get a little exercise going too.

Ralph

P.s. check out my blog at ralphmc.wordpress.com for my reports on the EV installations here in the deep south

 

[Herm]

He went inside and actually found the 'Vette owner, who said "Electric cars? No they crushed all of those." He'd assumed that the library hadn't gotten around to taking out the special EV spots, since obviously, there aren't any EVs out there to use them. :lol:

an unintended consequence of all the anti-GM EV-1 hoopla.. The Volt forums used to be filled up with those people, apparently they have calmed down or perhaps took their medications.

 

[johnr]

This is the hazard of having the EV spots for charging in a 'desirable location'...

Precisely. No need to offend other drivers if it can be avoided. We don't want to place EVs in a bad light, and if it looks like they get "special treatment" akin to handicapped people, that's not so good. Place the chargers in a less than ideal spot. EV drivers who really need to charge won't mind, since they won't be in a hurry anyway.

 

[Jim66]

This is the hazard of having the EV spots for charging in a 'desirable location'...

Precisely. No need to offend other drivers if it can be avoided. We don't want to place EVs in a bad light, and if it looks like they get "special treatment" akin to handicapped people, that's not so good. Place the chargers in a less than ideal spot. EV drivers who really need to charge won't mind, since they won't be in a hurry anyway.

Except that businesses who want to provide an EVSE run up against the ADA requirements. If they provide an EVSE, at least one has to be ADA compliant. That's why we end up with the charging locations next to the disabled parking, and not at the far end of the parking lot. It would add to the expense if they were installed several places in the lot.

 

[Coffee_Slurry]

Except that businesses who want to provide an EVSE run up against the ADA requirements. If they provide an EVSE, at least one has to be ADA compliant.

I don't think this is an ADA requirement, but an EV Project requirement. So the subsidized chargers have this need to be near Disabled spaces.

If a business buys their own EVSE, they can install it wherever they please.

 

[Packet]

Additionally, the majority of power will always be near the building; there may be power lines run out for parking light lights, but it will likely always be easier to install the EVSEs nearer to the building rather than on the opposite side of the lot.

 

[Smidge204]

Additionally, the majority of power will always be near the building; there may be power lines run out for parking light lights, but it will likely always be easier to install the EVSEs nearer to the building rather than on the opposite side of the lot.

I respectfully disagree. There might be power available in an existing building if the designing engineer thought to add (and convinced the owner to pay for) additional capacity, and if the owner hasn't managed to pile on additional loads to fill up that capacity. Of all the electrical modifications I've encountered in my professional career, service upgrades are all too common and a real pain in the ass more often than not.

And if there's power in the building, getting it outside can be a real pain. For something like a warehouse type construction it's not that bad, but anything with finished ceilings and walls? Good luck with that.

On the other hand, putting it outside is not necessarily that hard: All you need is a patch of land to put a new exterior service. New meter, new transformer (if the service is too big for pole mounted transformers), new breaker panel. Utility wires are usually out by the street so that's easy enough. Plus it's a whole other meter/account so keeping track of usage is easy.
=Smidge=

 

[redLEAF]

At least for now, in IL where it's quite rare to see ANY EV's (there are a few 'home builts', a few Tesla roadsters but that's about it) so these charging stations have a LOT of attention as they're being put in --- the few I've seen first hand. The ones at Soldier Field have an absolutely HUGE panoramic scene behind them on the wall so there is now doubt what you are parking in front off -- the units themselves had bright LED displays to show they are 'live'. Those at a Walgreen's are bright white with LED's as well and clearly marked. Both are not exactly right in front but a bit off to the side, definitely not near the handicapped spots so perhaps the trend is not to 'offend' others who scoff at EV's but still offer a place where we can recharge them so perhaps as this is really a first for some areas it might work out OK. Have yet to see an ICE drivers park in these spots (pretty much go by the Walgreen's every day on the way home from work) so time will tell.

 

[TEG]

Do you recognize this location?

 

[redLEAF]

Perhaps a downtown Chicago garage? (the Porsche plate appears it might be an IL plate) -- this is what the Soldier Field spots looks like (of course no cars of any type are parked in the photo):


http://chicago.curbed.com/archives/...g-stations-starting-to-crop-up-in-chicago.php


Of course people being people you'll always get those who are oblivious anyways -- they feel they have a 'right' to park anywhere there is an open space, the local news recently did a sting with local police on people mis-using the handicapped spots at a popular downtown fitness center -- it was pretty bad, 3 out of 5 were not handicapped themselves but someone in their family was so they felt 'justified' using the placards themselves (which you aren't supposed to of course) and the cops issued tickets.