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5 Messages
Rethink of EV charger etiquette?
Over the last couple months, I have noticed an increase in the use of EV fast chargers (particularly NRMA chargers) as ownership of EVs continues to grow. A couple of weeks ago I had a family gathering at Jugiong, where I spent about 4 hours observing the comings and goings at the charger. There were at least 20 charging (or attempted) sessions at this particularly charger during that 4 hour period. At one stage 4 EVs were waiting to charge. To be fair, there was additional pressure on the charger as all Chargefox chargers at Gundagai were out, but the Tesla superchargers were online. The different EVs were Nissan Leafs, Tesla Model 3 and Y, BYD Atto 3, Hyunda Kona and my Kia eniro.
The accepted etiquette of charging to 80% maximum SOC or what you need to comfortably get to the next charger seems to have slipped. One Leaf owner insisted on charging to 100% SOC with another Leaf and my Kia waiting to charge. Talking with the owner it seemed that he had the concept that he needed 100% SOC to get home. Despite explaining about the time and overheating issues with doing that he could not be dissuaded . The next Leaf driver charged to what he needed and I charged to 61% SOC to get home. This seems to be a recurring theme particularly with the NRMA chargers being free. I have had a growing experience of some EV owners will leave vehicles plugged in, reaching 100% SOC and nowhere to be found for those waiting to charge. If there is no one waiting that's fine, but if you are it is very frustrating, particularly when they have not checked in using plugshare and no means of contacting them.
As a sideline, I was recently waiting to charge at the NRMA charger at Yass, while an Atto 3 charged. When I arrived he was at 85% SOC, so I believed he would leave within a short space of time. As the SOC rose, so did my annoyance at the "accepted etiquette" being ignored by this EV owner. I thought about having a social chat when I realised that in a very short time he was at 95% SOC. A quick double take and I remembered that the BYD Atto 3 battery packs are most likely Lithium Iron Phosphate and more advanced than my poor Kia eniro. The BYD was still charging at 43 kw/h at 95%, so now what is the correct charging etiquette now?
Cheers
Ken
Dan Alex
Community support
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44 Messages
2 years ago
This is a really fascinating post! Thanks for sharing it with us, Ken. I have shared it with some of the team and invited them to consider it. Will see if we can build on the conversation and work out if we need to update this article as a first port of call: https://www.mynrma.com.au/cars-and-driving/electric-vehicles/charging/ev-charger-etiquette
What else would you like to see the NRMA do to help fix this issue? Very interested in your feedback and that of the rest of the community.
In the meantime, this piece from today highlights a similar issue: https://thedriven.io/2023/01/26/sorry-i-went-ballooning-it-high-time-charging-networks-crakced-down-on-ev-squatters/
Did you see it? Any thoughts?
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MrD
New user
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2 Messages
2 years ago
Hi Ken (and Don) - there are a number of factors at play here, that are seeing fast charger congestion in holiday periods - particularly along the Brisbane-Sydney-Melbourne corridor as the cars "cross". Firstly, there is a need for an impartial "EV Owners Manual" to supplement the OEM handbook that comes with your new EV. This manual would include guidance on EV Etiquette as well as trip planning, battery SOC etc. The motoring associations, State Governments and various EV groups are aware of the need for owner education - and this forum is part of that education. My second comment relates to the recent surge in EV ownership - faster than the roll-out of new DC chargers. I suspect many of the cars you observed are relatively new, and their owners may not yet be comfortable with only charging to 80%. Thirdly, we need more Level 2 AC chargers at destinations, businesses, museums, motels etc. These will allow EV owners to confidently arrive at a location, or have a longer rest break, knowing they can 'slow' charge rather than rely solely on fast chargers. These destination chargers are also a "back-up" should a nearby DC charger be broken. Fourthly, the NRMA fast chargers are currently "free" to everyone - a very generous initiative by the NRMA - but this is also making them popular for all EV owners who would otherwise have to pay between 40c and 60c per kWH at a commercial charger or Tesla Supercharger. Finally, some fast chargers have recently been commissioned (and more are planned) along the "inland" route - which should see some diversion of EV's away from the Hume. I trust these comments assist - the future is electric. Chris
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bje
Bronze user
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72 Messages
2 years ago
I don't think charging to 100% should be encouraged just because some models can do so at rates close to 50 kW. These chargers are still a scarce commodity. The strategy should still be to take only what you need, especially in busy periods. Charging an EV is not like filling a petrol car, and the NRMA could certainly do a lot to help educate drivers. When I've been charging with three or four people queued behind for me, I am very conscious of the need to be as fast as possible and then get on my way. It's hard to believe some other drivers don't feel that way!
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electricTrevor
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4 Messages
2 years ago
As a BYD Atto 3 owner who has travelled twice from Central Coast to Hobart and once to Mudgee and not once have I had to wait for an NRMA charger nor other chargers for that matter. The main reason is that I have deliberately chosen to travel via the country towns and have deliberately avoided the Hume Hwy etc.
I acknowledge I have been lucky and that things may get worse before they get better but I'm prepared for that (I think?).
Now one response noted that the BYD has a LFP battery which can be charged to 100% without concern and as noted the charge rate does not slow down all that much as it gets closer to 100%. Although I am extremely grateful to the NRMA for their chargers dotted around the country locations I do err on the side of caution when it comes to how full I charge the BYD. Given that these chargers are roughly 100km apart and a definite range of around 380-400 charging to 100% or near it ensures I have enough range should the next charger be occupied or not working after an approximate trip of 200km.
One trip via Cooma and Cann River left me without a fast charger and an hotel stay was required. Even then I only just made it to Moe where the 4 superfast chargers were being fixed. I had a ferry to catch later that day so please be considerate of EV users charging beyond 80% as they may have a good reason for it.
Finally, it is my hope that the NRMA could double up some of their chargers and indeed install a few more further west. I would be happy to pay towards the power I used for this convenience.
It is sad to see that the other EV charger suppliers are only interested in cities and busy corridors such as the Hume Hwy. I guess that is where the market is. All too often I would plug into an NRMA charger and have a local walk up to me and say "that's the first time I have seen anyone use this thing".
Happy and patient travels. I might see you on the road one day.
Trevor
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namiley
New user
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10 Messages
1 year ago
I noticed in the comments that an Atto 3 user was charging to 100%. It is recommended by BYD to charge the battery to 100% a couple of times a week to ensure the battery remains in a good state. If you have an Atto 3 but no home charging capacity, then a fast charger is the only way to do the 100% charge. I have home charging capacity so don't need to rely on public chargers. There will a need to have far greater access to charging facilities as the number of EVs increases (in NSW the Government has a target of 30,000 by 2026, that is ten times the current national number).
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AJ4
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1 Message
1 year ago
I think particularly with the NRMA chargers they need to consider bringing in Chargefox or similar that require a user to 'check-in' even if the price is still free for now. No doubt this will come in future when they allow free charging for members and payment for non-members (and they are using chargefox on their ultrafast chargers). Introducing this for the existing 50kW DC chargers now though, would really limit the frustration around people not using Plugshare, by at least seeing availability on Chargefox or similar, but not the planned charging timeframe. Dwell-time fees should also be introduced so that people don't just leave it plugged in for long periods. Again, another incentive for them to move it.
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