When an electric vehicle charging point is on private property, follow the rules stated by the company, plus use good charging etiquette. If the charging point is on public land, then you must not do anything that endangers other road users. These 10 guidelines will help you be a responsible and considerate charger user.
Good charging point etiquette: 10 rules
- Don’t leave your car charging any longer than is necessary as you’ll prevent other vehicles from being charged; return to your car before it stops charging. A charging app can let you know when this is.
- A charging point is not an all-day car park, and if you are not charging, it is not a parking spot.
- Respect the charging limits on the charger or you might be unplugged or towed.
- Don’t park an internal-combustion engine vehicle in an electric vehicle charging bay. Some drivers of ICE vehicles have put the charging cable in through their bonnet to try to fool people.
- Park close to the charge point so that the cables are not stretched and you minimise the trip hazard for other people.
- If the charging point is not obvious, you can display a warning sign in your window to let other people know it’s charging.
- Don’t use a rapid charging bay if your vehicle doesn’t accept rapid charging.
- If you’re driving a dual-fuel vehicle and the charging bays are busy, consider continuing your journey using fossil fuels.
- Once you’ve finished charging, return the cables and connectors neatly and to their designated slots to help prevent damage to them, to minimise the trip hazard and to avoid creating an obstacle for other vehicles.
- Use your home charger when possible so that public chargers are kept as available as possible.
Darren has owned several companies in the automotive, advertising and education industries. He has run driving theory educational websites since 2010.