The Rules Of EV Charging

Plug-in vehicles of all types are becoming more popular. The EV community is no longer just you and a few of your friends that meet up every so often to talk about the latest in battery management systems. As an EV community, this is what we want, a growing community of EV drivers.

As EVs become more mainstream, people are not defining themselves by the car they drive, they are just trying to get from point A to point B. Today, you are more likely than ever to run into someone at a charging station that you've never met.

These new drivers might have different ideas than your local community about charging etiquette. To help clarify things, here are some clear simple rules.

The rules are:

1. First come first served, period.
2. Move as soon as you have enough*.
3. Always have a plan B for charging.
4. You are only "entitled" to use a charging station if you own it. If one you need is in use, you can ask for a favor and appeal to their sense of charity, or try to negotiate/bribe your way to a solution, but don't be an entitled jerk about it.

I'm calling these "rules" but let me be clear, I'm not asking you to enforce them. Please see rule 4 (and 5) below for more.

Let's break each of these down to understand them better.

Rule 1: First Come First Serve

There are some in the EV community (and even one city) that believe that certain types of plug-in cars have more rights to the charging infrastructure than others. There are three general classes of plug-in vehicles: Plug-in Hybrids, Short Range EVs, & Long Range EVs. For those that do believe there is a canonical ordering of access rights, they tend to put whichever type of vehicle they drive at the top of this list.

I have a different opinion. I refer to it as the 14th Amendment of Charging. The 14th Amendment of the US Constitution guarantees equal protection under the law. The "14th Amendment of Charging" provides equal access for all plug-in vehicles. If the car has a plug and they have a membership to the charging network, then they have an equal right to use it. Having a gas backup option does not diminish the right of access compared to a BEV.

Rule 2: Move As Soon As You Have Enough

When you buy gas, you might "Fill'er Up", but with EV charging, filling up to 100% is generally a waste of your time. If you're on public infrastructure, when your battery is charged enough that you can get to your next destination with a comfortable cushion, then it's time to unplug and free up the spot for some else that may need it.

Charging up with enough is what I call "Lagom charging". Not to be confused with legumes; Lagom is a Swedish word that means "just the right amount". The charge rate of an EV slows as the battery pack approach full. If you don't need the range, there is no need to tolerate the slower rate. Instead, you can avoid wasting time by continuing your trip. Or if you are staying in the area, you can avoid some battery degradation by unplugging before your pack is at 100%. If you have what you need, then the rest of the charging can be done at home, overnight, while you sleep.

Rule 3: Charging Plan B

Charging stations are occasionally blocked, occupied, or down for maintenance. You should have a backup plan. Apps like PlugShare are one good source to find charging locations. Some areas are flush with charging stations and you can find another location easily. In other areas, it is more difficult.

For those more difficult areas, if you have a portable level 2 EVSE, you can grab a few Watt-hours from a friends dryer outlet or even at an RV campground. In a pinch, a standard household level 1 outlet can fill in some small gaps when used overnight.

Rule 4: Don't Be "Entitled"

If you own the charging station, then you get to decide who can use it. Outside of this case, charging stations are a shared resource that all of us EV drivers need to use. At a public station, coming up to a person and telling them to move because you need/deserve/want it more is a jerk move.

Instead, try being friendly. You already have something in common and you might actually make a friend.

Bonus Rule 5: Be Friendly 

Since you've read this far, I give you a bonus item suggested by reader Brian H.

As Brian put it, "I’d add a #5, be friendly and encouraging to fellow EV drivers, regardless of type of vehicle they drive. We all in this together to make life better. ☺"