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Supercharger Etiquette

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Patrick W

Active Member
Mar 17, 2015
1,524
943
SLC, UT
Reading through the various threads on charging I see occasional mentions of suggestion regarding superchargers.

As someone who has not yet taken delivery (the car is currently "in transit") I'm guessing there are more than a few things newbies like me need to know before their first trip to a supercharger lest we commit some sort of "Charger Faux pas".

Some of the things I've seen elsewhere are:

1. Don't take up more than one charging space, even if you're the only one there.

2. If you leave the car while it's charging leave a note with your cell number.

3. Best to leave busy superchargers to those passing through and do most charging at home.

4. Be prepared to courteously answer MANY questions from MANY curious ICE vehicle drivers.

5. Don't hog the charger by staying plugged in longer than necessary.

Any other suggestions, serious or not? :)
 
By George, I think you've got it!

6. Just because you have a Tesla does not mean you get to park at the SuperCharger. It is NOT a parking place. If you are not charging...MOVE IT!

7. For the most part Tesla owners are very friendly people. At the Charger get out and talk with fellow owners when you have the chance.
 
Should all spaces be occupied, are we supposed to form a line somewhere to wait for the next available station?
Will there be a day when we line up a prefered station, knowing it is faster or something? (paired with an idle charger)
I dread the day when I find all stations occupied; I hope etiquette is established before that happens.
~Larry
 
No need to leave a note if you leave the car, unless you don't plan to be back until some time after your car will have the charge it needs. Then it's really nice to offer to come back sooner to move it. There is a reason superchargers are located at shopping malls or restaurants- most people on long trips are taking a break and patronizing those establishments. Lines at superchargers are rare except for a small number of locations.
 
I leave a note with my mobile number, and/or a code to one of the "contact me" apps. The supercharger may have open slots when you walk away from your car, but it could fill up 5 minutes later. This way if my car finishes charging while I'm still eating/shopping/whatever, I'll know there is a line and can come back and move my car. If there is no line, I need not be bothered. Frequently I may plan to return back to the car in 20 minutes, and that turns into 40-60. People don't realize how much time we usually spend having a quick bite, using the restroom, etc.
 
Those are all great thoughts you guys put down. Agreed- If I'm going for a while and think my charge will finish before I return, I keep a piece of paper with my name and cell # printed in very large font I lay on the dashboard so it can be read through the front window.
I agree, don't park at these spots unless you are charging. I could add:
8. If you're not in a hurry or just topping off and the stalls are all full and someone pulls in who will have to wait, offer your spot to them.. That is, if you have enough juice to get to wherever you are going next
 
4A. You may encounter one or more spots ICE'd, depending upon location, time of day and year. There are a few threads dealing with this annoying and inconsiderate behavior, and there are some good suggestions. Above all, however, is to remain calm. The person might be ignorant ("I thought they were car vacuums.") The person might have had a momentary lapse of decency because it was the first parking spot available and he just HAD to go to the bathroom, and was only parked there for 10 minutes. Sometimes the signs that are posted allow for "30 minute general parking from 8AM-6PM" while the signage at adjacent stalls clearly state "Parking for Tesla vehicle charging only." Not everyone reads the signage at all 6 or 8 stalls; some are different.

But you seem like an affable sort, so I doubt that you would morph into Mr. Hyde!
 
Should all spaces be occupied, are we supposed to form a line somewhere to wait for the next available station?
Will there be a day when we line up a prefered station, knowing it is faster or something? (paired with an idle charger)
I dread the day when I find all stations occupied; I hope etiquette is established before that happens.
~Larry

Etiquette has definitely already been established for full supercharger stations; there are some that are full a lot of the time. Generally it works fine. You note what cars are already there waiting when you arrive, and let them go first. Usually there will only be maybe two or three cars in front of you. Generally you won't ever want a particular station. Hooking up to a paired station if that is all that is available is always better than waiting for an unpaired one (your charge rate increases automatically as the paired car tapers).
 
Nice thread. I wish more people had supercharger etiquette. I have a local supercharger at San Juan Capistrano. This is an extremely busy Supercharger.

My #1 piece of etiquette is that i leave if the supercharger is full and someone shows up and would otherwise have to wait. Hey, I'm local. I don't need to be hogging a spot. I don't feel bad about using the supercharger but I won't block others.
 
My #1 piece of etiquette is that i leave if the supercharger is full and someone shows up and would otherwise have to wait. Hey, I'm local. I don't need to be hogging a spot. I don't feel bad about using the supercharger but I won't block others.
Good one. Ever hang out (in a close by, non-charging spot) to chat with out-of-towners? I for one love to get advice on local dining/attractions from one who knows.
 
#5 (exiting the stall as the charge completes) at the few SCs that are busy, and/or just as a matter of best practice is probably
most important in my mind, second to doing everything possible to reduce ICEing.

Concerning pairing, and again despite being in one of the densest areas of ownership, this has happened rarely, I do tend to wait up to 10 minutes for an unpaired stall to become available. It's breakeven or better timewise, and it doesn't impact those already charging. Admittedly it's not a perfect strategy since someone could always cut in front of me, but hey, it's my high road and I'm taking it fwiw :).

I've charged at SJC several times and even when busy it's not terrible. It is, however, poorly laid out and is too dark at night and is the only SC in Orange County now almost 3 years after vehicle deliveries began, which is laughable given that the OC SvC is one of the busiest due to demand. Just one more mystery to add to the pile concerning who's running the show for rollouts in the region and if perhaps they should be replaced.
 
I leave a note with my mobile number, and/or a code to one of the "contact me" apps. The supercharger may have open slots when you walk away from your car, but it could fill up 5 minutes later. This way if my car finishes charging while I'm still eating/shopping/whatever, I'll know there is a line and can come back and move my car. If there is no line, I need not be bothered. Frequently I may plan to return back to the car in 20 minutes, and that turns into 40-60. People don't realize how much time we usually spend having a quick bite, using the restroom, etc.

i use a placard with this info, in Ashe I'm occupied otherwise.
 
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Here are few that I'll add.


  • Some superchargers have one slot that is designed to be nose in. Avoid using it unless you have no other choice. Some travelers have bike racks or other rear mounted accessories that make it difficult to use back in chargers.
  • Some superchargers have handicap slots. These parking spaces are usually wider or have an empty space next to them to make it easier for handicap people to get in or out. This space should also be used last.
  • Many superchargers have slots that are not exclusive to Tesla charging. Typically these slots will be marked with a sign that mentions a time limited general parking. Also use these slots last.

To summarize in my opinion should use slots in the following order. Any other slot, general parking slot, nose in first slot, handicap slot.
 
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Hey, I'm local. I don't need to be hogging a spot. I don't feel bad about using the supercharger but I won't block others.

Not to steer this thread way off topic but if I'm reading your post correctly it sounds like you frequently use your local supercharger. Correct?

I ask because I have heard that it's best to charge at home most of the time and only use supercharges on trips. Something to do with the way superchargers work they can damage the battery if used too much. Is that true?

Also that superchargers ignore whatever charging level you've set on the console and will continue to charge until the battery is at 100% which is also not a good thing to do very often. Is that true?

It would be nice if it is ok to supercharge frequently as there is a supercharger located near my house at the restaurant I visit a few times a week.

Thoughts?

I have so much to learn.
 
Not to steer this thread way off topic but if I'm reading your post correctly it sounds like you frequently use your local supercharger. Correct?

I ask because I have heard that it's best to charge at home most of the time and only use supercharges on trips. Something to do with the way superchargers work they can damage the battery if used too much. Is that true?

No. The superchargers actually didn't even count as Fast chargers when they came out (charged slower than 1C on the S85). Now they are faster but I guess Tesla has realized that they don't really damage the cells as much as they thought. Once the battery is above 40% they charge much slower anyways.

Also that superchargers ignore whatever charging level you've set on the console and will continue to charge until the battery is at 100% which is also not a good thing to do very often. Is that true?
(I think this used to be the case?) No, you can set a limiter bar to determine how much you want your car charged.
It would be nice if it is ok to supercharge frequently as there is a supercharger located near my house at the restaurant I visit a few times a week.
There is this rumour going around that if you constantly use a supercharger at a location which is close to your "home" location or the location the car spends a lot of time standing, Tesla throttles the charge range down to 50kwh. Personally, I think that is BS but you never know...