Charging numpties
Discussion
Now that EV is becoming much more widely adopted (a good thing), one sad but inevitable consequence is that more and more total cretins are now obtaining EVs and getting in a pickle using them. Take this example. I pulled up to use this charger the other day:
It's a single charger, with two cables. Easy enough, right? Apparently not. Some berk reversed his car on to the right hand side as you look at it, just before I arrived, with his car which had its charge port on the car's left hand side. Bit daft, but no worries right, the cable on the right hand side as you look at it will be fine. But no. This berk decides to take the cable from the LEFT hand side as you look at it, pulling the cable across the charger, and across the back of his car to plug it in. Admires his handy work, and sods off.
Of course, the charge port is on the right hand side of my car, so I have to use the right hand charge cable and pull that across the charger and into the wrong side of my car, parked in the left side charging bay too. My flabber was completely ghasted. Surely the rule is a Ghosbusters approach, never cross the streams?
Anyone else experiencing this level of idiocy? Any other innovative ways people are finding others managing to cock up this extremely simple process?
No EV haters please, there's been decades of people failing to use petrol pumps in the manner God intended.
Oh, and edited to add, I saw a guy roll up to a Tesla Supercharger in a Nissan Leaf later that weekend. Surely he knows these don't have Chademo nor even standard AC connectors? And that his car doesn't have CCS? Surely to Heavens? Got out, looked confused, went along looking at other cars plugged in and charging, scratched his head, etc. Incredible.
It's a single charger, with two cables. Easy enough, right? Apparently not. Some berk reversed his car on to the right hand side as you look at it, just before I arrived, with his car which had its charge port on the car's left hand side. Bit daft, but no worries right, the cable on the right hand side as you look at it will be fine. But no. This berk decides to take the cable from the LEFT hand side as you look at it, pulling the cable across the charger, and across the back of his car to plug it in. Admires his handy work, and sods off.
Of course, the charge port is on the right hand side of my car, so I have to use the right hand charge cable and pull that across the charger and into the wrong side of my car, parked in the left side charging bay too. My flabber was completely ghasted. Surely the rule is a Ghosbusters approach, never cross the streams?
Anyone else experiencing this level of idiocy? Any other innovative ways people are finding others managing to cock up this extremely simple process?
No EV haters please, there's been decades of people failing to use petrol pumps in the manner God intended.
Oh, and edited to add, I saw a guy roll up to a Tesla Supercharger in a Nissan Leaf later that weekend. Surely he knows these don't have Chademo nor even standard AC connectors? And that his car doesn't have CCS? Surely to Heavens? Got out, looked confused, went along looking at other cars plugged in and charging, scratched his head, etc. Incredible.
Edited by 127Sport on Wednesday 26th August 12:23
Pica-Pica said:
It is easy to drag a fuel nozzle over/behind a car to the other side, at least that hinders no-one. Probably had that memory-set. Just explain it to the driver, although they have probably learnt that now. Just inexperience, nothing more.
Yeah. I know. But that isn't all he did. There's a cable there. Right next to his car. And he deliberately walks across the charger, and grabs the other one, on the opposite side of the charger. Not just the opposite side of the car, but the opposite side of the charger as well, drags the cable across the charger, then across his car. When he could have chosen the cable next to his car. Mind bending. He pulled up to the wrong slot, and then compounded it by choosing the wrong cable too. I just can't understand the second part of that. He was wearing a baseball cap, maybe that explains it.127Sport said:
Oh, and edited to add, I saw a guy roll up to a Tesla Supercharger in a Nissan Leaf later that weekend. Surely he knows these don't have Chademo nor even standard AC connectors? And that his car doesn't have CCS? Surely to Heavens? Got out, looked confused, went along looking at other cars plugged in and charging, scratched his head, etc. Incredible.
That's not so hard to believe, especially if someone doesn't charge away from home much. First time I had to I was one of those charging numpties, trying to figure out why the (CHAdeMO) charger wouldn't fit my car... 
When I bought my EV no one really explained the different charging types. I did a bit of research but knowing the difference between Type 1, Type 2, CHAdeMO, CCS, etc is not necessarily obvious until you see them in the wild. Especially as they have stupid names.
127Sport said:
Oh, and edited to add, I saw a guy roll up to a Tesla Supercharger in a Nissan Leaf later that weekend. Surely he knows these don't have Chademo nor even standard AC connectors? And that his car doesn't have CCS? Surely to Heavens? Got out, looked confused, went along looking at other cars plugged in and charging, scratched his head, etc. Incredible.
I don't think that's strange. Probably thought they were all the same connectors. Edited by 127Sport on Wednesday 26th August 12:23
borcy said:
127Sport said:
Oh, and edited to add, I saw a guy roll up to a Tesla Supercharger in a Nissan Leaf later that weekend. Surely he knows these don't have Chademo nor even standard AC connectors? And that his car doesn't have CCS? Surely to Heavens? Got out, looked confused, went along looking at other cars plugged in and charging, scratched his head, etc. Incredible.
I don't think that's strange. Probably thought they were all the same connectors. Edited by 127Sport on Wednesday 26th August 12:23
127Sport said:
borcy said:
127Sport said:
Oh, and edited to add, I saw a guy roll up to a Tesla Supercharger in a Nissan Leaf later that weekend. Surely he knows these don't have Chademo nor even standard AC connectors? And that his car doesn't have CCS? Surely to Heavens? Got out, looked confused, went along looking at other cars plugged in and charging, scratched his head, etc. Incredible.
I don't think that's strange. Probably thought they were all the same connectors. Edited by 127Sport on Wednesday 26th August 12:23
People not interested in driving find petrol stations just as confusing.
I still reverse my car into the wrong orientation for the chargeport regularly after more than 5 years of EV ownership. Dont know why, I just do it. End up faffing about, re-reversing it or doing a 180 etc. and must look like a right tit. And I charge on the move weekly!
Didnt matter with petrol, you just drag the fuel line over the car. Took me 25 years to realise that the little triange/tick on the fuel guage was the marker to tell you which side the fuel cap was on!
Getting a new EV next month, and the port is on the opposite side nearer the front rather than rear. Will take another 5 years for me to figure that out
Didnt matter with petrol, you just drag the fuel line over the car. Took me 25 years to realise that the little triange/tick on the fuel guage was the marker to tell you which side the fuel cap was on!
Getting a new EV next month, and the port is on the opposite side nearer the front rather than rear. Will take another 5 years for me to figure that out
127Sport said:
I think that thinking they were all the same connectors is strange, for someone actively driving an EV. It's 101, isn't it?
Maybe, but honestly for a lot of people buyhing their first EV, they'll just buy the car they like, and the range they need. They probably have no awareness of different cable types or charging speeds - and there's nothing to volunteer this information to you when you buy an EV for the first time.I've had a R5 for the last 2 months. Haven't needed to use a public charger yet. But I've got the Electroverse and Gridserve apps ready and setup with payment methods for when I do, but I can't imagine for a second that most people would.
You have to remember that EV's are just out of the "early adopter" stage. It was previously people who were enthusiasts and who were interested in the tech and wanted to try something new. We're at the start of mainstream adoption, and a lot of buyers wont have dont any prep for it.
A friend's mum has just bought some Merc EV. She's terrified to drive it (no idea why she bought it). Hasn't got the home charger sorted yet either. People are willing to go EV, but haven't considered how they'll have to adapt to it. It's an odd mindset, but it's going to happen a lot in the next couple of years.
framerateuk said:
127Sport said:
I think that thinking they were all the same connectors is strange, for someone actively driving an EV. It's 101, isn't it?
Maybe, but honestly for a lot of people buyhing their first EV, they'll just buy the car they like, and the range they need. They probably have no awareness of different cable types or charging speeds - and there's nothing to volunteer this information to you when you buy an EV for the first time.I've had a R5 for the last 2 months. Haven't needed to use a public charger yet. But I've got the Electroverse and Gridserve apps ready and setup with payment methods for when I do, but I can't imagine for a second that most people would.
You have to remember that EV's are just out of the "early adopter" stage. It was previously people who were enthusiasts and who were interested in the tech and wanted to try something new. We're at the start of mainstream adoption, and a lot of buyers wont have dont any prep for it.
A friend's mum has just bought some Merc EV. She's terrified to drive it (no idea why she bought it). Hasn't got the home charger sorted yet either. People are willing to go EV, but haven't considered how they'll have to adapt to it. It's an odd mindset, but it's going to happen a lot in the next couple of years.
grumpy_dave said:
I still reverse my car into the wrong orientation for the chargeport regularly after more than 5 years of EV ownership. Dont know why, I just do it. End up faffing about, re-reversing it or doing a 180 etc. and must look like a right tit. And I charge on the move weekly!
Didnt matter with petrol, you just drag the fuel line over the car. Took me 25 years to realise that the little triange/tick on the fuel guage was the marker to tell you which side the fuel cap was on!
Getting a new EV next month, and the port is on the opposite side nearer the front rather than rear. Will take another 5 years for me to figure that out
Aye you can just drag a charge cable over your car too, of course that isn't unusual, but deliberately choosing a more difficult one to drag across than one right under your nose... that's a bit special.Didnt matter with petrol, you just drag the fuel line over the car. Took me 25 years to realise that the little triange/tick on the fuel guage was the marker to tell you which side the fuel cap was on!
Getting a new EV next month, and the port is on the opposite side nearer the front rather than rear. Will take another 5 years for me to figure that out
127Sport said:
I think that thinking they were all the same connectors is strange, for someone actively driving an EV. It's 101, isn't it?
When buying a car most people will choose between petrol, diesel or electric. If you choose a petrol car you fill up with petrol at any petrol pump. Diesel from any diesel pump. It's not unreasonable to think that electric would come from any charger. If no one tells you otherwise why would you even think there is about half a dozen different types of connector (with stupid w
ky code names).Who cares? I pulled up to a charger. Two cables, couldn’t get either to connect to my car. Charger next to mine was working and the lady was a few mins from finished so I politely waited then took her cable across my car and charged mine. Once she drove off it must have looked moronic to see mine charging in the wrong bay. Absolutely no fks given.
ks given. Zetec-S said:
127Sport said:
I think that thinking they were all the same connectors is strange, for someone actively driving an EV. It's 101, isn't it?
When buying a car most people will choose between petrol, diesel or electric. If you choose a petrol car you fill up with petrol at any petrol pump. Diesel from any diesel pump. It's not unreasonable to think that electric would come from any charger. If no one tells you otherwise why would you even think there is about half a dozen different types of connector (with stupid w
ky code names).I shouldn't be surprised though really. There's always been this element in society, I suppose. I was just talking to a neighbour who was raging that he was refused boarding onto a flight a couple of weeks ago because he hadn't checked his passport validity against the county he was flying to's requirements. Everyone else's fault, apparently.
lost in espace said:
I pulled up at a normal/non Tesla charger in my Leaf, was just leaving and got shouted at because I had occupied the side that a Tesla needed to charge. I am supposed to think ahead for Telsas? Expect lots more of this idiocy.
That'll improve with time. Idiots will always be idiots. but it's a problem for the charger companies to solve, really they just need to make the cables long enough. I mean, they make the petrol hoses long enough to pull round the opposite side (just!), so there's no excuse with charger cables.
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