A Guide to Public Charging Etiquette

Whilst most EV drivers charge their car at home, there is a network of 337 public charge points across Northern Ireland. As EV adoption continues to rise, it’s perhaps more important than ever to understand how to charge your EV in a way that is considerate to fellow EV drivers. That’s why we have compiled a list to help demystify the “Dos and Don’ts” of EV charging etiquette.

Parking

Remember it’s a charging point, not a parking space! Please only park at a charge point if you intend to charge your electric vehicle.

Queuing

It can be difficult to determine how many people are queuing for a charge point, but it is important to be mindful that there may be people around who have been waiting for some time to use it. Don’t hesitate to ask people around for clarity on this.

For those queuing behind you, be mindful of not overcharging where it is not necessary. Once your EV battery has reached 80% capacity, it will begin to charge more slowly, this is caused by the battery attempting to protect itself.

Rapid Charge Points

Charging at a Rapid Charge Point? It typically takes 20-30 minutes to recharge a vehicle to 80% when using a Rapid Charge Point, therefore, it is important to bare this in mind and not overstay beyond necessity.

Stay nearby and/or take note of how long the charge will take place, so that you can return and move the vehicle in time for other drivers to access to the charge point.

Note: Not all EV’s are rapid charge capable, avoid parking your car here if it is not capable of rapid charging except in an emergency or where there are no other options available to you.

Never Unplug Another Person's Car

Regardless of how long the car has been charging, unplugging another driver’s connector from the charging port is unacceptable. In most cases, the connector will stay locked in place until the driver returns, but some chargers have an emergency stop button which can override this, it is unacceptable to press this button.

Note: The emergency stop button should not be used as an alternative to end your session, doing so will cause the charger to go offline for the next user.

If you are in urgent need of EV charging, you can always use https://www.zap-map.com/live/ to locate an alternative charge point.

Look After the Chargers