Peter Valdes-Dapena of CNN reports that EV drivers may get cut off from chargers or face additional charges. The EV charging experience is slowly turning into a famous Seinfeld skit, The Soup Nazi, with “No soup for you!” Valdes-Dapena writes:
Sometimes, technology doesn’t fulfill its promise. But, other times, it isn’t the tech that let’s you down, it’s the people using it. So one electric vehicle charging company is experimenting with cutting off people who linger, attempting to “fill ‘er up.” […]
Fast charging can be stressful for a car’s batteries, though. So, to protect batteries from damage, charging speeds slow way down once batteries get beyond 80% full. In fact, it can take as long, or even longer, to go from 80% charged to completely full than to reach 80%. Meanwhile, lines of electric vehicles wait behind almost-full cars.
I was waiting behind people with batteries that were 92%, 94% and even 97% full, as I could see on the charger screens. Still, they stayed there. I made my own situation worse by giving up on one location and going to another with more chargers, but there were even more EVs waiting there.
Given that a lack of public charging is turning many consumers off to EVs, according to multiple surveys, this is a major issue.
Electrify America, one of America’s biggest charging companies, is experimenting with a solution to the problem of charger hogs who can make it slow and unpleasant to travel in an EV. At 10 of the busiest EV fast charging stations in California, Electrify America has enacted a strict limit. Once a car’s batteries are 85% charged, charging will automatically stop and the driver will be told to unplug and leave or face additional 40-cent-per-minute “idle time” fees for taking the space. […]
Charging companies like Electrify America have an immense amount of real-time data on charger usage, so a more nuanced approach than a simple limit at certain chargers would be possible. Some EV charging companies have experimented with plans that charge different amounts of money at different times to give drivers incentives to fill their batteries at less busy hours. For now, at least, Electrify America executives want to keep things simple, said Barrosa, so drivers know what to expect when they arrive at a charging station.
For the time being, let’s just hope that EV drivers who don’t really need to fill all the way up will learn to be more considerate.
Read more here.
