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Company parking lot charger etiquette

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My work offers three or four free charging spaces in the parking lot. Given the range of the Model S, must I leave these for the Nissan Leaf and Ford Focus owners? Or first come, first served? (There's a Chevy Volt too, but I wouldn't feel bad about taking their slot given the gas generator).
 
My work offers three or four free charging spaces in the parking lot. Given the range of the Model S, must I leave these for the Nissan Leaf and Ford Focus owners? Or first come, first served? (There's a Chevy Volt too, but I wouldn't feel bad about taking their slot given the gas generator).

In my opinion, if you have adequate range to get where you need to go, yes, you should leave the spaces open for the cars with less range.
 
In my opinion, if you have adequate range to get where you need to go, yes, you should leave the spaces open for the cars with less range.

+1

I would include Volts, PiP, and the like. Why force them to use gas unnessaraly?

GSP

(Volt owner)

PS. I only plug in my Volt at work when I don't have enough EV range for the rest of the day.
 
We have four ChargePoints at our office building's garage, and in talking to the garage staff I've learned that they rarely see anyone using them. There's a Volt, and me, and the odd visitor. So I keep using the spot and plugging in, even when I'm in good shape for a charge, so that the garage management doesn't think that their foresight in installing chargers was for naught. Also, I'm nearly assured that no one will park in the adjacent (EV) spots, avoiding door dings. :)
 
My work offers three or four free charging spaces in the parking lot. Given the range of the Model S, must I leave these for the Nissan Leaf and Ford Focus owners? Or first come, first served? (There's a Chevy Volt too, but I wouldn't feel bad about taking their slot given the gas generator).

I am of the opinion that Pure EV cars that NEED charge to get to to all their destinations are first. Then plug in hybrids IFF the charging prevents them from using fuel (or significantly reduces it, not a PiP). Then it is a free for all.

In my opinion, if you have adequate range to get where you need to go, yes, you should leave the spaces open for the cars with less range.

I agree in principal but I think Robert Boston also has a point.

We have four ChargePoints at our office building's garage, and in talking to the garage staff I've learned that they rarely see anyone using them. There's a Volt, and me, and the odd visitor. So I keep using the spot and plugging in, even when I'm in good shape for a charge, so that the garage management doesn't think that their foresight in installing chargers was for naught. Also, I'm nearly assured that no one will park in the adjacent (EV) spots, avoiding door dings. :)

Filling up EV spots will display a demand. By parking in the spots all the time more will show up. I think you should park in those spots, but put your number on the dash so if someone needs (or should take priority over your charging) to charge you can move your car. And if you have to start shuffling cars around start griping about the hassle, loss of productivity, and need for more chargers!

I say fill up the spots first, and then work on priorities only after all the spots are full.
 
Slightly unrelated, but my local Whole Foods, Schaumburg, has three charge points, two level 2, one level 3.
In the little known basement parking.

I rarely see an EV parked in any bay; seen a Volt or two upstairs out in the open. (The basement parking sign needs an EV awareness message.)

I treat the level 3 as my own private parking space (for my Leaf) when I go (once a week) ... even if someone else is in dire need of a charge!

Because the d4mn thing was installed a year ago and has never worked and 350Green has no ETA as to when it will work.

Otherwise I would never park there.

Sadly, when my MS arrives, I doubt I'll ever use public charging except superchargers. I'll have enough range to go whereever I want, whenever I want in a given day (I have now for 99% of occasions)

Why sadly?

Because I think EV's need to be seen plugged in. For public perception. To raise awareness.
 
wasn't this a question from the hilarious social game, Scruples?

Scruples%20deck.jpg
 
If I need a charge (realistically, almost never), I plug in and leave a note with my contact info.

If I don't need a charge,
and there are multiple chargers
and at least two are free, I plug in. (leaves a spot open, contact info available)

If I don't need a charge,
and only one spot, I don't plug in - unless it looks like never used and I want people to see an EV (but always always leave contact info).

If I'm not plugging in, I do try to park right next to the EV spots - people still notice even if not plugged in.
 
If I need a charge (realistically, almost never), I plug in and leave a note with my contact info.

If I don't need a charge,
and there are multiple chargers
and at least two are free, I plug in. (leaves a spot open, contact info available)

If I don't need a charge,
and only one spot, I don't plug in - unless it looks like never used and I want people to see an EV (but always always leave contact info).

If I'm not plugging in, I do try to park right next to the EV spots - people still notice even if not plugged in.


this reminds me of the urinal test...
 
If you have a 80+ mile round trip commute and you get there first then I say plug in. If you have a short short commute and there are more cars then chargers then it makes sense to leave them free for others.
 
Agree...if your Model S is in need of a charge, then plug in...you're just as entitled as the next EV owner...EV owners of EV's with a lesser range should not automatically assume that just because you have a Model S (and it's range), that you don't need to charge at this particular moment...if you don't require a charge to get to your next destination, then be courteous about it...

If you have a 80+ mile round trip commute and you get there first then I say plug in. If you have a short short commute and there are more cars then chargers then it makes sense to leave them free for others.

- - - Updated - - -

Depends a bit sp4rk...I'm sure Illinois gets plenty cold enough in the winter that even if you don't really need the range, you may want to plug in (and charge at low amperage) to keep your pack warm...

Slightly unrelated, but my local Whole Foods, Schaumburg, has three charge points, two level 2, one level 3.
In the little known basement parking.

I rarely see an EV parked in any bay; seen a Volt or two upstairs out in the open. (The basement parking sign needs an EV awareness message.)

I treat the level 3 as my own private parking space (for my Leaf) when I go (once a week) ... even if someone else is in dire need of a charge!

Because the d4mn thing was installed a year ago and has never worked and 350Green has no ETA as to when it will work.

Otherwise I would never park there.

Sadly, when my MS arrives, I doubt I'll ever use public charging except superchargers. I'll have enough range to go whereever I want, whenever I want in a given day (I have now for 99% of occasions)

Why sadly?

Because I think EV's need to be seen plugged in. For public perception. To raise awareness.
 
There have been some very large threads on the topic of charging etiquette at my work.
(1) we don't have free charging, its 0.50$ an hour
(2) its a parking violation if you're not actively charging (1 warning) -- a lot of the discussion was around 'can I inplug you when you're full', that puts the person more clearly parking violation, but they kind of already were if they're full.
(3) our spots are in regular use to the extent that a few people have to drive to different buildings to find a charger or they can't home -- but the company is not adding more til they all hit 100% usage during working hours.
(4) Spots are very limited, 1/2 of the buildings have at least charger, no building is more than 4 chargers. (so something like 25 charging spots for 50,000 employees)

what would be nice is some standard way to contact someone or know how critical their charge is. I don't believe anyone should be dependent on charging all day at work every day to make it back home, seems like you're asking for problems on the road too (what happens if you're stuck in traffic for a few hours in the freezing cold), but I think we have some people that do that. The city/county has some rideshare LEAFs that are in use now, those leafs get a charge card that gives them free charging at work, some of those owners then take that as opportunity to never charge at home, only charge where its free -- hogging up the charger.
 
I see this as a subset of the EV Parking Priority thread.

At work, I am more comfortable leaving my contact info on the car. Out in the wild, not so much (my wife really doesn't like that idea).

1 building has 4 30A, 200V chargers and several (10?) EV-only spots with 110v outlets. Always full, even though they are way up on the 4th floor. People seem to be good about moving out of the J1772 spots when they are done however.
The other garages have regular outlets scattered about on pillars and walls and I frequently see cars plugged in there too.

What's the endgame as more and more cars go electric? Either (a) equip all spots with a plug or (b) start charging $. Maybe a mix of the two, free use for 110v, $ for 200V.
 
There's a recurrent pattern I've seen described in a couple of threads here that I think is worth evangelizing with workplaces and public places supporting EVs; which facilitiates etiquette

Basically it came down to having a series of good chargers in premium spots ,and 110V outlets near EV-only spots 'in the back'. The chargers would support as high a current as possible, for a fee of for free and possibly in somewhat premium parking places (for visibility, balanced with the risk of getting ICEd). The normal 110V outlets in very non-premium spaces (but still marked as EV-only parking, but reducing the temptation to ICE it) would allow for battery-heating scenarios and not hogging the fast charge.


For example now we are stuck at Harborview hospital with Blink chargers that are $1/hour (charging or not) but we dont need an L2 really, and would be happier with a free outlet deeper in the garage area. Of course this charging is a bit less relevant for pure range with the Model S, however, you may have a long drive to/from airports or long vacations; you may have an unplanned visit to a hospital; and you may want to have your battery heat up a bit before leaving work.