2022leaf said:
Here is another etiquette scenario- A free public charging hub of 6 plugs nearby is often full or almost full of plug in hybrids. What's the etiquette for all these RAV4 primes or Subarus with limited range when someone with a full EV needs to charge?
I expect that 6-plug hub is made up of L2 charging stations. Charging on an L2 station can take hours, even for some hybrids.
The car owner on one of those stations may be out shopping or running errands nearby and will probably take a long time, so don't expect them to return any time soon.
Also, I think it depends on the usage conditions set on the stations. Are they totally free or partially free? I have seen a lot of L2 stations in my area go from "totally" free to "partially" free over the years. A "totally" free station lets you charge for free with unlimited time.
A "partially" free station lets you charge free for a specific period (e.g., 1 hour), then typically starts charging you a fee (e.g., parking, idle, etc.) every hour that you are still plugged in. If the car is on a partially free station, then I wouldn't be concerned since they may end up paying for charging anyway.
If they are on a totally free station, then other factors can come in to play.
* You can chalk it up to the scenario I mentioned above about running errands.
* The (charging) car owner should try to be aware of their state of charge (SOC) since they are holding up an L2 station for a long time.
* If the (charging) car owner is nearby, feel free to ask them how long they plan on using the station.
* If this is an area local to you (e.g., at your local library), and you see the same cars plugged in all of the time for long periods at a time, then feel free to go into the local business/establishments and ask if they know the owner of those cars. Sometimes a store employee may be using it for the day but is nice enough to get off the station so you can use it.
(I have seen the abusive side of this: a home owner would drive a few miles to the local library with their Chevy Volt, plug in to the totally free L2 station, drive away in a separate car with their husband, then return at the end of the day to pick up their Volt. The library picked up on this after it kept happening for months, and decided to change it to a partially free station w/ 1 hr free, $1/hr parking fee.)