Keep calm and charge up: an etiquette guide for those wanting to use public EV chargers without leaving a trail of chaos in their wake.
It looks like a petrol pump. It is like a petrol pump. But this one doesn’t have any fossil fuels flowing out the hose. Electric vehicle car chargers operate just like the petrol pumps that fuel cars with ICE (Internal Combustion Engines): lift the nozzle, plug it in, push the button and voila, instant energy.
But EV chargers have one big difference to their petrol counterparts: there just aren’t as many of them. As the country’s vehicle fleets evolve into a combination of hybrids and full battery-powered EVs – a change pushed by the growing climate crisis, rising fuel costs and the government’s rebate scheme – more people are making the switch to EVs than ever.
Sales doubled in 2022, and a record high was recorded in December. The biggest selling electric cars over the past three months have been Tesla’s Model Y, the BYD Atto 3, and MG’s ZS. (Electric vehicle companies love a good acronym. You can bet there are more where those came from.)
All that means there aren’t enough public charging stations to go around. As most EV owners know, charging in public is a frustrating, sporadic, inconsistent experience. Sometimes, those chargers are broken. If they’re working, they’re often busy, with large unorganised queues of cars and impatient motorists forming around them.
Yes, that’s changing, with Jolt recently entering the market with a bold initiative to make money from building 500 top-up stations around the country, and the government announcing plans to install free chargers on state highways and small towns over the coming years to help reach its goal of electrifying 30% of the country’s vehicle fleet by 2030.
Until then, EV owners have to make do with the chargers that are available. It’s messy out there. Charging your car can be hectic. There are fights over wait times and frustrations caused by inconsiderate EV owners. No one seems to know what to do.
With that in mind, here’s The Spinoff’s informal guide to charging your EV without it turning into a scene from the new John Wick film. Stay safe out there.
Do: Be polite
Are all charging hubs in use? Then wander over and spark up a conversation with your fellow motorists. Ask those already charging how much longer they’ve got to go. Throw in a casual comment about the weather. Be polite. Be kind. Be chill! That’s it. That’s all you have to do. Be a nice human and a spot will open up. Eventually.
Don’t: Block other EVs in
Yes, it happens. I’ve seen it. EV drivers desperate to prove they’re first in line park up in front of those already charging just in case someone nips in first. It’s aggressive. It’s antagonistic. If you do this, you’re dabbling in the dark arts. Don’t do this.
Do: Park nearby and leave your EV cap open
Instead, park up in the nearest free carpark and pop your charging cap open. Consider it the EV equivalent of an Instagram thirst trap. Your EV is thirsty. It wants to be charged. This tells every new EV arrival that you’re waiting and next in line. Then jump on your phone and post your actual thirst traps. Or whatever else you do online.
Don’t: Hog the charger
If you’re lucky enough to have plugged into a hub, that’s great. Good for you! Just remember there’s a half-hour limit on many public chargers, especially the free ones. For all you full battery car owners (the Leafs and Teslas of the world) that means you’re not going to be able to nap for six hours while you charge to capacity. Take your 43% battery home and make room for the next person. Some apps, like Jolt, even allow you to book a charger if you’re planning it as part of your day.
Do: Leave on time
This isn’t the moment to visit the mall. Thirty minutes is barely enough time to do your grocery shopping. It’s not free parking for the whole day while you eat sushi and shop for sneakers. You can’t do an Escape Room. “Please respect others and be mindful of how long you spend using the charger,” says a spokesperson for Vector, the power company that has free chargers dotted around Auckland. “Others have places to be too.”
Don’t: Unplug someone else’s charger
This is a contentious issue in the EV community. Some cars lock chargers while charging, meaning something can break if forced off by another user. Others see it as acceptable if there’s a fully charged car and the owner’s disappeared. This could be fine. It could also break something. It might be viewed as aggressive. You have been warned.
Do: Sit it out
Half an hour is half an hour. It’s really not that long. If you disappear for a haircut you’ll end up having your car papped and posted on the NZ EV Owners Facebook group. They’re a vocal, volatile bunch. Trust me: You don’t want that to happen.
Don’t: Get angry
Don’t squeal off in a huff because the chargers are full. Don’t pull into a charging spot when others are clearly waiting. Don’t use EV chargers as free parking spaces. And if you see anyone doing any of these things, don’t get angry back at them. There’s enough hate in this world. You’ve got an EV, you’re doing your bit, there’s enough charge for everyone, eventually. Go get a coffee, do some deep breathing and calm down. You’ll get where you’re going eventually.
Do: Be nice to ICEs
Just because you’re lucky enough to be able to afford an EV, it doesn’t give you the right to mouth off at those still reliant on fossil fuels. Smugness doesn’t suit anyone. Unless, that is, an ICE is sitting in an EV charging bay. This happens! I’ve seen ICE cars with an EV charger casually sitting under the hood, pretending to charge, just to nab a free parking spot. “This is a relatively common situation,” says a Jolt spokesperson. Report them to the charging company, or post photos to your EV Facebook group of choice. It’s not on.
If all else fails…
Keep calm and carry on. Most EV owners have their favourite spots and know which times they’re likely to be free. Try some out, venture a little further, and explore. There are apps, like Vector and ChargeNet and Jolt, that tell you where they are. Or you could just bite the bullet and install a fast charger at home. You shouldn’t have any problems with queues, or arguments, there.