To combat a growing problem of bad-mannered electric-vehicle owners monopolizing fast chargers, Electrify America is experimenting with strict limits at 10 of California’s busiest charging stations.
CNN Reports We’ve seen a huge increase in demand for public fast charging due to the growing popularity of electric vehicles. But this demand has also highlighted a frustrating issue for many EV owners: “charger hog” – inconsiderate drivers who linger at fast chargers even when their batteries are nearly full, causing long waits for others who need to charge.
A recent experience by a Chevrolet Blazer EV owner highlighted the severity of this issue: a 90-minute drive from New York City to Bristol, Pennsylvania, turned into a four-hour ordeal due to long lines at EV fast chargers. The driver saw other EV owners hogging the chargers even as their batteries reached 92, 94, and even 97 percent capacity while others waited behind them. EV batteries charge much more slowly as they approach capacity, as opposed to the initial charge to 80%, which is a safety feature to prevent fires and other problems.
To address this issue, Electrify America, one of the largest charging companies in the US, is experimenting with strict limits at 10 of California’s busiest EV fast-charging stations: When a car’s battery reaches 85 percent capacity, charging will automatically stop and drivers will be told to unplug and leave, or face an extra “idle time” fee of 40 cents per minute for occupying the space.
The approach is similar to a feature in Tesla cars that automatically limits charging to 80 percent at heavily used Supercharger stations to ease congestion. But unlike Tesla’s system, which allows users to override the limit using the car’s touchscreen, Electrify America’s limits can’t be circumvented.
Robert Barrosa, president of Electrify America, believes the charger-hog behavior is due to the fact that electric vehicles are still relatively new to most owners. Many electric vehicle drivers treat fast chargers like traditional gas stations, aiming to completely “top off” their batteries. They may not realize that charging speeds slow down significantly once a battery reaches 80 percent capacity, or that charging from 80 percent to 100 percent can take as long or longer than it took to get to 80 percent in the first place.
A lack of chargers and the long distances between them also contribute to the problem. “You get to the charger and you’re like, ‘Oh yeah, I can charge everything,'” says Sarah Rafalson, executive vice president of policy at EV charging company EVgo. Both Electrify America and EVgo are rapidly expanding their networks to ensure they have enough chargers to meet future demand, which could help mitigate this hoarding behavior.
But the free charging deals that Electrify America has with various automakers, including Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai, could exacerbate the problem: When charging is free, drivers have no financial incentive to unplug, which could lead some EV owners to take full advantage of the situation and annoy others waiting behind them.
While there may be legitimate reasons for drivers to charge 100% at a fast charger, such as taking long trips to areas with few chargers or driving an EV with a limited range, Electrify America hopes that the new policy will encourage more considerate behavior from EV owners. Because the company has access to a huge amount of real-time data on charger usage, it may be able to take a more granular approach in the future, such as charging different amounts at different times of the day to encourage drivers to charge their batteries during less busy times.
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Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering free speech and online censorship.
