Free Charging Sucks! Article: Here's Why Free Electric Car Charging Should be Banned

[mkhuffman]

It's not free charging that's the problem. It's an education one. Why not have a 'universal' charging etiquette guide put together for education purposes and those who are plagued with the issue can hand them out at chargers. Especially those who just have to take a 350kW unit in a vehicle that can't get but 50kW at best.

Free charging is the problem. In a free market, unlimited supply (i.e. free) creates unlimited demand. There MUST be a cost associated with what people consume or there will always be shortages. Always.

It was not a huge problem a couple years ago, when it was mainly Teslas hogging the chargers. But now it is rampant, with freeloaders looking to get as much as possible for free without any consideration to anyone else who might actually need a charge.

I agree with you that some people just don't understand proper charger etiquette yet, but most of the charger hogs do and they really don't care. I know. I see them hogging the chargers in my office building every day I am there. I put notes on their windshields to help them understand they are hogging the charger, but they keep doing it.

It is like locusts stripping a field of all the "free" crops. Once the freeloaders get their "free" fix, they move on to destroy more crops.

By the way, while I am being very critical of the people who are hogging chargers, it is expected behavior. As long as it is free, there will be fights over who gets to use the chargers. The only real fix is to limit the free time per charge or eliminate free chargers all together.

If you really expect the charger hogs out the to all of a sudden become considerate, I think it is wishful thinking.

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[IgorKl]

IMHO: author does not want to look at real issue - we need more stations; we need stations that can accommodate 2 cars simultaneously.
I think next article should be “let’s ban EVs since current charging infrastructure ruins EV experience “

 

[Jax_GT]

This is very wrong. The charger is for people who are visiting the zoo and it is not your personal charger. And this is why "free" charging sucks.

Agreed, we’ve never used it for more than two hours and we’ve always been at the zoo while using it.

 

[mkhuffman]

Agreed, we’ve never used it for more than two hours and we’ve always been at the zoo while using it. I agree.

Ok, but your previous post suggested you drop the car off there to get a free charge. I edited my previous post to point out that if you are doing that, it is theft. It is good you are not, but many people do it.

 

[mkhuffman]

IMHO: author does not want to look at real issue - we need more stations; we need stations that can accommodate 2 cars simultaneously.
I think next article should be “let’s ban EVs since current charging infrastructure ruins EV experience “

No, this will not work. There will never be enough chargers to satisfy unlimited demand.

 

[IgorKl]

No, this will not work. There will never be enough chargers to satisfy unlimited demand.

I think you are overrating free DC charging.

1. I charge DC often and as soon as I bought alternative to EA network membership I started to feel much better and have much less charging fears.
2. I had unlimited charging for 2 months - it was one of the secondary reasons why I enjoyed selling my Ionia 5 and getting back to MME . - I got back plenty of my time.
3. Majority people who use excessively DC free charging usually are GIG economy drivers. They drive a lot and they need to charge more than regular consumer. Even if we carmakers would drop free charging these drivers would still occupy stalls.

 

[worachj]

Charger hogs: Start charging people by the minute after a 10-minute grace period when a car reaches full charge or maybe 90% charge. Tow any car parked at the charger that’s not connected to the charger.

 

[Jax_GT]

Ok, but your previous post suggested you drop the car off there to get a free charge. I edited my previous post to point out that if you are doing that, it is theft. It is good you are not, but many people do it.

Yeah I was just saying my non EV driving mom thought it was a clever idea so you can see why many people think they’re gaming the system and thinthey’re so smart when they do it.

it’s a problem that won’t ever go away, realistically.

edit: typos

 

[IgorKl]

Charger hogs: Start charging people by the minute after a 10-minute grace period when a car reaches full charge or maybe 90% charge. Tow any car parked at the charger that’s not connected to the charger.

100% with you

 

[Mirak]

Free charging is the problem. In a free market, unlimited supply (i.e. free) creates unlimited demand. There MUST be a cost associated with what people consume or there will always be shortages. Always.

It was not a huge problem a couple years ago, when it was mainly Teslas hogging the chargers. But now it is rampant, with freeloaders looking to get as much as possible for free without any consideration to anyone else who might actually need a charge.

I agree with you that some people just don't understand proper charger etiquette yet, but most of the charger hogs do and they really don't care. I know. I see them hogging the chargers in my office building every day I am there. I put notes on their windshields to help them understand they are hogging the charger, but they keep doing it.

It is like locusts stripping a field of all the "free" crops. Once the freeloaders get their "free" fix, they move on to destroy more crops.

By the way, while I am being very critical of the people who are hogging chargers, it is expected behavior. As long as it is free, there will be fights over who gets to use the chargers. The only real fix is to limit the free time per charge or eliminate free chargers all together.

If you really expect the charger hogs out the to all of a sudden become considerate, I think it is wishful thinking.

Your economic analysis is correct. This is a “tragedy of the commons” situation. But I’m not sure it is accurate to call them freeloaders. Many people correctly believe they’re just getting what they paid for. If the expensive car they bought includes a year or two of L3 charging, use it! They are making an economically rational decision (well, without getting into what their time is worth sitting at a charger instead of plugging in at home). The problem is the manufacturers bundling the free charging.

If you were referring to the folks who clog the free L2 chargers, then freeloader is a more accurate term. I engaged in this practice for a while when there was a bank of free L2 a couple blocks from my office, but I was careful to only do it once per week and to wait until I was sufficiently low that I could justify hogging a space all day. The thing that really pissed me off were the bolts, leafs, and plug-in hybrids occupying spots all day with their much smaller batteries.

 

[Blue highway]

No, this will not work. There will never be enough chargers to satisfy unlimited demand.

THIS is the issue - Charge infrastructure is expensive to install and maintain and there is not enough to meet demand.

Putting a price on charging is the best way to allocate this scarce resource. Unlimited charging is a disaster.

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

IMHO: author does not want to look at real issue - we need more stations; we need stations that can accommodate 2 cars simultaneously.

It’s both. Unlimited free charging for X period of time encourages people to do exactly that. Plus we need more chargers even without the unlimited free charging deals. Until charging stations are as common as gas stations, I personally think the unlimited charging is irresponsible. Do as Ford does, give them some amount to encourage BEV use beyond the local environment and do as GM does —help offset the L2 install costs.

 

[kltye]

3. Majority people who use excessively DC free charging usually are GIG economy drivers. They drive a lot and they need to charge more than regular consumer. Even if we carmakers would drop free charging these drivers would still occupy stalls.

We're not saying DCFC shouldn't be used by local drivers. We're saying that unnecessarily using them is the problem. For gig workers, time is money. If you're not out driving/delivering, you're wasting time and money. Pretty sure they won't want to stay forever to charge the last 10% of the battery.

Also, it's all well and good to say we need more chargers - no one disagrees. The problem is it takes a lot of time to stand up new sites (as to why that is is another question) - so the problem is going to stay with us for a while longer. What we can do now is make the process less shitty by being thoughtful.

 

[IgorKl]

It’s both. Unlimited free charging for X period of time encourages people to do exactly that. Plus we need more chargers even without the unlimited free charging deals. Until charging stations are as common as gas stations, I personally think the unlimited charging is irresponsible. Do as Ford does, give them some amount to encourage BEV use beyond the local environment and do as GM dies. Help offset the L2 install costs.

what I experienced when I was with unlimited charging: as soon as I was 100% or time up EA started charging me.

 

[IgorKl]

We're not saying DCFC shouldn't be used by local drivers. We're saying that unnecessarily using them is the problem. For gig workers, time is money. If you're not out driving/delivering, you're wasting time and money. Pretty sure they won't want to stay forever to charge the last 10% of the battery.

Also, it's all well and good to say we need more chargers - no one disagrees. The problem is it takes a lot of time to stand up new sites (as to why that is is another question) - so the problem is going to stay with us for a while longer. What we can do now is make the process less shitty by being thoughtful.

what is unnecessary charging? above 80 or 90%? we can't limit it, sometimes you have to charge to 100% otherwise you risk to do not make to next charging station

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