Charging idiots or charging etiquette - you pick it!

[Jasper4S]

Hi, my post was not about coming across as a “snod”. Sorry it if came off that way to you, for me its about connecting with a group of people around the world that has the same passion I do about this brand and the joy of owning something that most in this world does not.
It’s about sharing our experiences both good and bad and learning a thing or two alone the way. I enjoy my car and enjoy chatting with folks who share the same passion. That’s why I stay on this forum and post my experiences from time to time.

Hi, no worries. It was not personal at all. It is all of us, including me on different subjects around the forum. The title of this thread and some of the reactions this thread got triggered me to finally say what I am thinking for the last couple of months.

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[Hanny]

To make light on the conversation……. I am definitely a ’snob’ ?….that’s why I got a Porsche EV instead of an MG/Nissan EV…… as long as everyone knows who I am and makes way for me when I choose to attend a public charger with the common folk….then that’s good for me ?

 

[Tooney]

I am surprised that we still hear so many issues in the US with charging rates. So many articles and videos have been shared and produced highlighting this dilemma. There has to be some limits from the grid that gives this problem.
we are much luckier here in Europe and below is my charge curve outside Binasco, south of Milano, Italy.

Porsche and VW executives who enjoy accessible, reliable, and fast EV charging in continental Europe do not understand the charging concerns of their NA EV owners. Since they don't personally experience EA charging, it isn't really a problem.

Instead they crow about stuff like this:

The unique design of the exclusive fast-charging stations underlines their special character. The pilot site in Bingen provides a preview of how this design could look in the future. A slim roof that appears to float connects the charging points with the building. The lounge is glazed from floor to ceiling, creating a smooth transition between inside and outside. Bright colours and light wood provide an atmosphere that promotes a sense of well-being.​

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The first Porsche Charging Lounge in the world is heated and air-conditioned by a heat pump that operates without fossil fuels. Part of the required electricity is provided by the photovoltaic system of solar cells on the roof. The digital building management optimises power consumption, for example by automatically dimming the lighting when there are no guests.​

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To ensure a pleasant visit, there are modern sanitary facilities in the lounge area, as well as a large selection of soft drinks and snacks. Payments can be made with debit and credit cards as well as Apple Pay or Google Pay. Analogue and digital media and a high-performance WiFi network are also available. Workouts can be done in front of a smart mirror to keep the driver fit for the journey ahead. Interactive Porsche content can also be selected here.​

Once @Jonathan S. @daveo4EV and the rest of us NA EA charging users get to do our workouts in front of smart mirrors, our EV charging concerns will melt away.
Thank you, Porsche and VW!

 

[Jonathan S.]

Oh, that was precious -- and not just any mirror, but a *smart* mirror!

I'd be fine though with amenities that compromise only some nearby bushes to take a leak.
Plus an estimated 95% chance of achieving 100kW charging speed with less than half-an-hour of dead time (e.g., waiting for an available plug, initiating a charge, extra driving detours from an interstate).
I most recently experienced that combination during a late-night Magic Dock stop in Enfield CT.
(Bushes included!)

Planning a six-hour roundtrip drive tomorrow to Stowe VT (good early-season skiing up high), nothing even comes close to meeting those criteria.
And that's a long a route that is almost all interstate, arriving at a major resort.
(Nope, no L2 chargers in the parking lot for the five hours when I'm skinning/skiing.)

My best-case CCS1 scenario is adding another hour of charging time on top of those six hours of driving given the speeds and locations of available chargers.
Worst-case, perhaps another hour, who knows ... and not me, since I packed up my A6ar instead.

 

[allroadusa]

Today, I shared a 300KW Fastned charger with... a Renault Zoe!
While I was charging insanly fast (260KW+), the lady with the Zoe plugged a type 2 Cable... for a lightning speed of...10.7KW! ?
I stayed at the charger 9 min for 35KW (235KW on average for the session) and 15 Euros.
The Zoe might still be charging as I write this post. ?

 

[Scandinavian]

On Friday we took the ferry between Helsingör in Denmark to Helsingborg in Sweden. A short crossing of about 20 minutes! And to my surprise they had installed HPC chargers on the Hybrid ferry. There were 4 stations with 4 connectors and stated 150 kW power. The pricing was also said to be acceptable, about on par with Porsche Charging Service pricing on non Ionity HPC’s like a Porsche centre etc.
I avsked to be plugget in, but I was 2 hours too early. They had a big Press event scheduled 2 hours later and then the chargers would be operational they said. Seemed like 2 out of the three ferries would offer this service! But you needed to book somehow in advance I understood. But interesting development! If they really deliver 150 kW that would add a good deal of range while you are resting anyhow!!

 

[tigerbalm]

HPC on a ferry connection that short makes sense but still surprised to see it.

In Norway that would probably be an all electric ferry.

 

[Scandinavian]

I was wrong to say Hybrid ferry, they are actually fully electric and get charged at every stop at port. Large batteries sufficient for the crossing plus 8 charging places! Looks interesting!

I was also surprised to see the HPC. But I guess this is in response to competition for people taken the route via the Bridge over Öresund from Copenhagen to Malmö? A way to make the Ferry route more attractive?

 

[tigerbalm]

I was wrong to say Hybrid ferry, they are actually fully electric and get charged at every stop at port. Large batteries sufficient for the crossing plus 8 charging places! Looks interesting!

I was also surprised to see the HPC. But I guess this is in response to competition for people taken the route via the Bridge over Öresund from Copenhagen to Malmö? A way to make the Ferry route more attractive?

Here is the setup we had in Norway:

The ferry "CCS" plug:

And the "charger":

 

[whitex]

I bet people will look at Taycans this way at Tesla chargers. "Oh great, another Taycan slow-charging at the full 50KW (stock Taycan limit on 400V DCFC) while a line of Teslas and other EV's are waiting". Even upgraded Taycans charging up to 150KW will still get the looks, because people will not know (no displays on Tesla chargers) that they can charge faster (though still not at full 250KW), and if you tell them, they will treat you like you would a Bolt owner trying to convince you that their Bolt can charge at 350KW. Lines at superchargers are not uncommon today, I imagine once Tesla opens more superchargers to non-Tesla EV's they will grow.

In my travels I found most EV owners have no clue about DC charging, nor their car capabilities. A lot of them think 350KW is just better, and that their cars will benefit from it - some think their cars can actually use 350KW, others just think that it must be better in some way they don't understand (like premium gasoline grade). I don't think the public will ever care and/or be capable of understanding the intricacies of DC charging. The only solution to this is to site balance the power for all DC plugs.

 

[DerekS]

I got Bolted at the 350kW unit in Rogers coming home from my trip. I was annoyed and had to use the 150kW.

So sick of this happening with clueless idiots blocking chargers waiting for 100% on their slow-charging POS cars.

 

[DerekS]

As for the time difference, I think it's fairly substantial.

Two visits on the same charger:

+55% (46.959 kWh): 12 mins on the 350kW unit
+60% (52.496kWh): 25 mins on the 150kW unit

 

[whitex]

Why? In some (most?) countries several networks/providers offer a 60-min grace period after the car has charged to 100%. If one does not remove the car past the 60 mins, one gets charged (eg. 0,3 eur per min) not fined.

So as per your principle and the current regulations, it's ok to charge up to 100% and leave the car plugged at the stall for 60 mins after the charging reached 100% - there may be motives for that..

Whenever charging stations are convenient, some EV drivers will treat them as special parking reserved for them. This used to happen with Teslas a while back, then Tesla implemented 5 minute grace period then something as high as $1/minute (with some wavers if more than some % were not occupied). Some people started just parking at the charger but not plugging in, again, treating it as a premium parking spot they are entitled to for driving an EV. Some Tesla owners who needed the charger but couldn't use it because of that started plugging in such unplugged cars (Tesla charge ports are not lockable), so they start paying for the charge and/or idle time. Then Tesla added automatic lowering of target SoC when plugging in to a busy charger (more than some % occupied) - you could override that manually in the app or in the car (which showed a pop-up message explaining why the target SoC was changed), but that took an explicit action, so eliminated ignorant owners who always charge to 100% and never think about it. Now Tesla is rolling out a surcharge for charging above 80% (maybe 85%) during busy times, to further discourage people from occupying chargers too long when others are waiting. Tesla has the largest share of EVs in the US, and the largest charging network, their lessons should be studied by the others who are still building out - perhaps they could avoid having to learn the same lessons on their own network, and just learn from Tesla experience of scaling EV charging.

 

[Jonathan S.]

^ Meanwhile, in an alternative universe ... this summer, at a New England EA, an EV was abandoned at a charger, blocking aforementioned charger. A notice was placed on the EV that it would be towed. The notice was not placed on the EV until a few days after the EV had been abandoned. And the noticed stated that the EV would be towed after 30 days.

 

[whitex]

^ Meanwhile, in an alternative universe ... this summer, at a New England EA, an EV was abandoned at a charger, blocking aforementioned charger. A notice was placed on the EV that it would be towed. The notice was not placed on the EV until a few days after the EV had been abandoned. And the noticed stated that the EV would be towed after 30 days.

If the idle charges reach the value of the car, can EA just confiscate it, sell it, use the money to add new charging spots at said location?

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