This is only going to get worse until EA and others rethink charger placement in crowded parking lots

[melissphillips]

Spring Break in FL is exposing some future issues for Electrify America and other EV Chargers with this new breed of EVs. As summer rolls in it's only going to get worse along those interstate corridors.

This was my experience today in Bushnell FL along side I-75 - when I pulled in the Rivians camper was blocking the row although I will say he had pulled in and left the camper at an angle so you could get around it. When the Volkswagen beside him left and I used that spot, went into the Walmart to use the restroom and grab a snack .. when we came back out the Lightening was in his place and had his trailer been longer would have blocked the row. Either way these charger placements were never intended to account for trucks pulling trailers or campers. If this had happened at my local EA, which is at a mall and on the parking row of the most popular restaurant in the mall, so the parking around the chargers is always full, this would have caused no end of problems for the traffic flow at a busy mall entrance.

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[generaltso]

The driver could have disconnected the trailer and left it in a parking space. I assume that’s what Cybertruck drivers have to do since their charge port is in the rear.

 

[SWO]

When EVs become more mainstream, it will make sense to have pull-through charging. This is why I think it's a waste of time to argue over vehicle chargeport location

 

[21st Century Pony]

I've now pulled my teardrop trailer for 4,700+ miles, from Western Colorado to the coast of Maine and many states in between.

About 1/2 the time I can juice up with a charging station placed on tbe curb where I can pull alongside, or with a pull-through charging point. The other 50% of the time, usually at a Walmart with EA charging points or at a car dealership, I just drop my trailer. Easy enough to do, IMHO.

The OP's pictures unfortunately demonstrate a lack of civility on those trailer-pulling drivers' parts. We must all be conscious how we affect others around EV infrastructure points where we all share somewhat scarce resources.

 

[AliRafiee]

Didn’t Florida say don’t go there for spring break?

 

[KevinS]

When EVs become more mainstream, it will make sense to have pull-through charging. This is why I think it's a waste of time to argue over vehicle chargeport location

Land, land land. Here in Maryland you'd be hard-pressed many areas to be able to accommodate the amount of paving and storm water management within an affordable parcel size. You know how it is here.

 

[AhardFSU]

Didn’t Florida say don’t go there for spring break?

Miami Beach said that. Bushnell is north of Tampa.

 

[RickMachE]

Lightning...

Regardless of charger configuration, people need to be courteous. If you can drive behind that trailer... Dropping some trailers is quick, others not so much with load bars, etc.

People should be scouting locations with all the tools available especially if they are towing.

 

[johnnycombo]

Easy solution, just start swapping out those useless gasoline pumps!

 

[Charliepop]

In order to use the restroom or get a drink, you have to walk across a parking lot of full of MAGA bumper stickers and 74 Chevette’s into a Walmart is in itself problematic

 

[djstough]

I stopped in Delaware on Saturday at a Royal Farms with 8 Tesla stations and 8 EA. There were six Tesla slots open, and EA was full. Two were being used by Teslas. I can only assume the rate was cheaper across the parking lot for them to be sitting at EA spots.

 

[ThatGuyLando]

That's not a charge location problem, that's a driver being a dick problem.

 

[nvabill]

Easy solution, just start swapping out those useless gasoline pumps!

Either you are joking or have no knowledge of the infrastructure differences of each.

 

[melissphillips]

Didn’t Florida say don’t go there for spring break?

Spring Break here is way more than just the party college crowd. It's all the families that come to the beach for a week's vacation. Coming north on 75 Sunday, the southbound lanes were stop and go from Wildwood (where the Turnpike starts) all the way to Ocala ... that's amusement park traffic heading to Orlando or beach traffic heading to Clearwater for the most part.

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