Peculiar Message from ChargePoint when Pressing the 'Stop' Button

[SWORDER]

I'm on a quest to charge at least once at each of the three major vendors in my neighborhood:

• Electrify America
• EVGo
• ChargePoint

I saved ChargePoint until last because most of their devices are those slow trickle chargers. I found a 50kW one on the nearby UCSD campus though, and after charging for a bit, pressed Stop on the app. The app responded as follows:

Q. Why does disabling the Stop button enable more drivers to charge? Seems like pressing Stop would get you out of there sooner, making room for more drivers to charge. What's the logic on this one?

In any case, I just pressed the green-lit button on the Taycan and that stopped the charge just fine. Just wondering about the rationale behind the decision to disable the Stop button.

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[NC_Taycan]

Your logic seems sound to me. Maybe it's a bug, or maybe they figure stop charge is like someone pressing pause then starting it back up later (while occupying the charging space).

 

[SWORDER]

Your logic seems sound to me. Maybe it's a bug, or maybe they figure stop charge is like someone pressing pause then starting it back up later (while occupying the charging space).

Seems like such a problem could be addressed with idle-time fees, but then again, maybe I'm missing something.

 

[ithinkmac]

Maybe to prevent others from stopping your car from charging? Not sure why either, but somebody put some thought into it. Kids running around parking lots hitting all the stop buttons? Owner comes back 4 hours later, and car only got 2 miles charge.

-ThinkMac-

 

[SWORDER]

Maybe to prevent others from stopping your car from charging? Not sure why either, but somebody put some thought into it. Kids running around parking lots hitting all the stop buttons? Owner comes back 4 hours later, and car only got 2 miles charge.

-ThinkMac-

It's the stop button on the app that is disabled, and the only one authorized to push the Stop button on the app would be the person doing the charging. So it's only the person who's charging that's being targeted. There isn't a Stop button on the terminal.

 

[chrisk]

Seems like such a problem could be addressed with idle-time fees, but then again, maybe I'm missing something.

I believe (some of) their stations do not know when the cable is holstered back into the station so they can't detect idle (i.e. still physically attached to car but not charging). It is like the station has two states, charging and not not-charging but no idle.

This is the same reason why sometimes you see a station as available in the app but when you drive there you find a car plugged-in idle.

 

[SWORDER]

I believe (some of) their stations do not know when the cable is holstered back into the station so they can't detect idle (i.e. still physically attached to car but not charging). It is like the station has two states, charging and not not-charging but no idle.

This is the same reason why sometimes you see a station as available in the app but when you drive there you find a car plugged-in idle.

Interesting. If that's true, it would explain a lot. Good call.

 

[NC_Taycan]

Thinking about those kids, I actually don't know what would happen if you pushed the button on the open Taycan charge port while it was charging. I know if you push it while unlocked, regardless of the key being in range, charging will stop. But what if the car is locked? If a kid pushes the stop button are you now screwed?

 

[SWORDER]

Thinking about those kids, I actually don't know what would happen if you pushed the button on the open Taycan charge port while it was charging. I know if you push it while unlocked, regardless of the key being in range, charging will stop. But what if the car is locked? If a kid pushes the stop button are you now screwed?

No. I actually tried that with my car. If the car is locked and charging and you press the charge button on the car's port, nothing happens. The light remains green and charging continues. If you press it while the car is charging and unlocked, it immediately stops charging.

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