Electric vehicle (EV) chargers are popping up in various locations across the UK. As more people become EV drivers, the country needs to meet the demand and supply an EV charger every few miles and at destinations to decrease range anxiety. However, like petrol stations, there are various ‘etiquette’ rules that you need to follow to be a good EV driver. No matter whether you need quick emergency EV charge or you’ve just stopped off at the nearest charging station, there are unwritten rules to follow…

Here at Elite EV Charge, we provide portable EV charging to destinations and events across the UK. Instead of connecting to the grid, we deploy our chargers to be easily taken away, providing rentable EV charging solutions. They’re perfect for remote locations and annual events, but they can benefit virtually any other instance. Are you new to vehicle charging? Don’t forget these steps when you’re off to charge your car.

Never Hog a Charger

How frustrating is it when you go to fill up your car, but the vehicle in front has gone to do their shopping, leaving their car to just sit there? This can still happen with EV chargers. EV charging stations are a common sight at locations such as restaurants, shopping centres and retail parks, allowing drivers to charge their vehicles as they go about their daily business. If you need to charge your car, but you know you’re going to be at the location for a long time, try to remember to move it if you can see that the clock is ticking.

At the moment, this isn’t so much of an issue, as there aren’t enough EVs on the street to fill every single charger at once. However, you can find that the arguments have already started. Recently, an EV charger ‘war’ broke out when a man removed a charger from someone else’s car, as he noticed that it was no longer charging. A dispute arose as to who was in the right; should the man have moved the charger to charge his own car, or was it not his place? Either way, the message is clear; try not to hog a charger, especially if someone needs an emergency EV charge.

Only Charge When You Really Need To

If you have arrived at your destination, and your battery is still around 60% charged and you can get home on the charge you’re on, don’t just fill up for the sake of it. Charging when you don’t need to can actually damage your battery, as well as annoy fellow EV drivers who desperately need to charge. With petrol and diesel cars, there’s no issue filling up when you don’t need to, as it’s quicker. EV charging takes longer, and if you leave your car fully charged sitting in a parking bay, you’re taking valuable minutes away from others.

There aren’t enough grid chargers available in the UK, so charging when you don’t need to can increase the range anxiety felt. With portable EV charging, you can deploy as many chargers as you want without disturbing the grid and causing disruption. They’re easy to deploy and can be taken away with ease. We even provide a concierge service to keep chargers working as optimally as possible.

Never Park in a Space When You Don’t Need to Charge

Can’t find a parking space, but the only ones free are the EV charging spots? Never park in one of that spaces if you don’t need to charge. They aren’t an invitation for EVs; their sole purpose is to allow EV drivers to charge their cars as they go about their day, whether they’re shopping or at work. If someone desperately needs to charge, but your car is parked in a spot and isn’t even charging, you can expect some angry words if they catch the culprit. Therefore, find somewhere else to park, and be courteous.

By deploying emergency EV charge points, you never have to worry about finding a parking spot again. Installing grid chargers can be disruptive and incredibly costly,  but you don’t need the worry about mobile EV chargers. To find out more about our rentable EV charger, or to receive a bespoke quote, please give us a call on 0800 702 2661. Alternatively, you can fill out our online form here.