EVs, stupidity, and common sense…
Discussion
ajap1979 said:
C.A.R. said:
Just on my last day of holidaying in New Forest and Cornwall and took the decision to drive the company EV here. Covered over 1200 miles and haven't once had a problem with charging.
I should probably make it clear that I’ve travelled from my home in Yorkshire to Northumberland, then to the Lake District, and I’m now in Lytham, and I’ve not actually struggled to charge the car once. I’ve just witnessed a lot of idiocy along the way, none of which has directly affected me. Hand on heart, I still find it less depressing than back in the day visiting petrol stations. I've never truly struggled to charge en-route.
I don't prescribe to the view 'this will only get worse with more EV's' either. Guess what, as the demand increases so will the supply. These chargers make money, they're not a limited charity gesture.
Blue62 said:
I don't own an EV and am at the start of my research, there's plenty of information out there but some of it is contradictory and some of it has a language of its own, including acronyms, which makes the process more laborious than it needs to be. As you say basic courtesy is somewhat lacking these days.
Yes... one of the good and bad things about EV ownership is that people ask you about them all the time, and there is never a simple answer in words that a layman can understand. As soon as you mention kilowatts their eyes glaze over.gangzoom said:
Imagine the 'fun' if hydrogen fuel stations became a reality every where, I don't want to be in the queue when the guy in front opens the boot and tries to fill up a plastic jerry can 
.
But it's the same reality for EVs, you can't rock-up with a small battery and a get some juice to go. .gmaz said:
Yes... one of the good and bad things about EV ownership is that people ask you about them all the time, and there is never a simple answer in words that a layman can understand. As soon as you mention kilowatts their eyes glaze over.
Not so much at the moment. A kW is something people are gettig very familiar with at present.ashenfie said:
But it's the same reality for EVs, you can't rock-up with a small battery and a get some juice to go.
https://www.zipcharge.global/Edited by SWoll on Saturday 27th August 14:18
RobbyJ said:
An ID4 charging (right side charge port) on a Supercharger and me having to point out to around 5 Tesla's that they couldn't charge in the seemingly empty spot as the ID4 was using 'their' handle
I see a lot of posts about this and I’m confused as to why it’s always the driver’s fault rather than the short sightedness of Tesla opening the network to all and sundry without making the cables longer. They did see it coming. There's often a blank space at the far end of the charger row which is for cars with ports on the wonky side. A Tesla would never use that, but they reserved it anyway. But nobody knows how to use that space or even that there's an issue because again, there's no guidance, no signs, no rules, no explanation of any sort.
TheRainMaker said:
All the EV spaces near the door were all taken today, two out of the four were charging, both PHEV as it happens so time to start filling the charging bays which are more of a walk away 
As for the markings, it seems fairly clear to me these are for charging, not just parking.
I could understand how a person could interpret that either way. The lead coming from the car could be just to show that it's electric.As for the markings, it seems fairly clear to me these are for charging, not just parking.
ajap1979 said:
Richard-D said:
I could understand how a person could interpret that either way. The lead coming from the car could be just to show that it's electric.
And why exactly would electric cars need their own specific spaces, unless it’s for charging?!It’s like parent and child though, the buggy suggests a limited mobility / duration walking child and yet people park with their 11 year old sprogs.
The sign is there to designate it’s location, not it’s use profile, common sense and decency should prevail there…
Instead it’s a case of “I’m alright Jack”
The sign is there to designate it’s location, not it’s use profile, common sense and decency should prevail there…
Instead it’s a case of “I’m alright Jack”
Harry H said:
Having just invested in an Electric scooter I am going to be one of those muppets that annoys other EV users.
So far I've just plugged in every night (13A) for the commute but there will come a time where I need to use a public charger. To date my sole investment in the learning process is "yep there's a strange looking cable in the boot, I may need that at some time".
I have no idea whatsoever what capacity my vehicle is capable of charging at. I have no apps on my phone. I will merely have to walk round the various chargers hoping to find a compatible socket on one of them.
The terminology in this whole EV lark is a bloody minefield compared to looking for 95 or 98 Ron.
There's no point in finding out now as I will probably have forgotten when the need arises.
I note this comment was completely ignored, a bit of EV owner arrogance in this thread. Most of what is described is basic lack of common decency but there is the case for some of us who will be wandering around at the public chargers for the first time trying to figure it all out. You were all there once so a bit it help might not go amiss if you’re not too busy. So far I've just plugged in every night (13A) for the commute but there will come a time where I need to use a public charger. To date my sole investment in the learning process is "yep there's a strange looking cable in the boot, I may need that at some time".
I have no idea whatsoever what capacity my vehicle is capable of charging at. I have no apps on my phone. I will merely have to walk round the various chargers hoping to find a compatible socket on one of them.
The terminology in this whole EV lark is a bloody minefield compared to looking for 95 or 98 Ron.
There's no point in finding out now as I will probably have forgotten when the need arises.
rewild said:
They did see it coming. There's often a blank space at the far end of the charger row which is for cars with ports on the wonky side. A Tesla would never use that, but they reserved it anyway. But nobody knows how to use that space or even that there's an issue because again, there's no guidance, no signs, no rules, no explanation of any sort.
I don't have an ev, or Tesla. What's wonky side? Surely that will vary if you reverse in our drive in.mcdjl said:
rewild said:
They did see it coming. There's often a blank space at the far end of the charger row which is for cars with ports on the wonky side. A Tesla would never use that, but they reserved it anyway. But nobody knows how to use that space or even that there's an issue because again, there's no guidance, no signs, no rules, no explanation of any sort.
I don't have an ev, or Tesla. What's wonky side? Surely that will vary if you reverse in our drive in.All Teslas have the flap at the near-side rear. So any car with near-side-rear or off-side-front could park with that corner right next to to the Supercharger, which because Tesla chargers were made for Teslas, is always the charger to the right as you look into the parking bay. The cables are not long enough to comfortably stretch to the front of the parking bay, so you need to reverse in for rear charging ports, and go nose-in for front charging ports.
If your car has a port on the opposite side to a Tesla, and you're using a Tesla charger, you'd be parked in the wrong bay for the charger next to your port. You have to move one bay over, which takes up 2 bays and 2 chargers (the one you're in, and the one you should be in if you had a port on the "correct" side). It's "wonky".
By putting a blank bay down one end after the last charger, Tesla are making a space to use if you've got a wonky car, without blocking a second charger for Tesla owners.
(My i3S is wonky, and I use Superchargers, and the one I use most doesn't have this extra bay, so I have to be quite careful. I tend not to leave the car,
and would move if anyone was waiting.).
Edited by rewild on Monday 29th August 11:26
JonnyVTEC said:
Yay, im going to France next week in my IPACE. Joy to look forward to!
Good work on your efforts to help though, fair play.
France is great for EV charging, I've just returned from 10 days there. Waaaay ahead of the UK. Good work on your efforts to help though, fair play.
At Folkestone there were 6 free bays when we arrived.
If full, stop at Maidstone services about 28 Miles up the M20, there are 4 x Ionity there.
JonnyVTEC said:
Thanks, Looks like I still have an active code for Ionity top up for free so going to get 200kWh ready ??
Was going to stop Thurrock on way down but I think I’ll go Maidstone so good you have suggested that.
The Ionity chargers are located on the petrol forecourt. I used my Electric Juice card, but you can use a CC as well.Was going to stop Thurrock on way down but I think I’ll go Maidstone so good you have suggested that.
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