[bro1999]

You come out to your car that you plugged in earlier into a FREE L2 charging station, and you notice that another plug-in vehicle is parked next to you with their charge port door open. What would you take that to mean? Assumptions are that this is at a FREE charging station, no adapters of any kind needed, charge port already open...just a straight "plug and play" is all that's needed to start charging the other person. Don't even need to touch the other person's car with your own hands. (poll forthcoming)

There is a 4th choice (ignore the request to be plugged in like an a-hole, then hang the cord improperly on the charging station to further spite the person), but that seems to be a Tesla owner exclusive so I'm leaving it off as an official poll choice.

 

[mbsmd]

I'm brand new to the EV thing. Had mine less than a week. Didn't know that an open port was a thing. But if it is, I'd happy plug them in after mine was done.

 

[BAZINGA]

I read them to mean, plug me in when your finished.

 

[bro1999]

Backstory to the above photo:

I pull into the local Whole Foods, where they have 4 painted EV parking spots (but only 2 charging stations, and the one furthest from the store has been broken for several months. Thanks WF). A pre-facelift Tesla owner was parked backwards in spot #3 charging, and it looked like he was chatting on his phone. Since the working station is between spots 1 and 2, he dragged the cord across spot #2 so that anyone trying to park in #2 would have had to either run the cord over or stop short and have the back of their car sticking out of the parking spot.

Seeing he was on the phone, I decided not to bang on his window, so I just popped my charge port open, a seemingly obvious request to plug me in after he was done. He would literally have to walk right next to my charge port to put the plug back, so I was hoping he would just plug me in, as all us EV owners should be friendly to each other and whatnot. I've done that exact thing many times, and each time someone plugged in returned before I came back, they had plugged me in. Let me remind you this station is TOTALLY FREE, no RFID swipe even required.

I come back, and the Tesla owner is gone, and I see the plug is sloppily draped over the side of where you are supposed to coil the cord around. Thanks for nothing, jackass! Can't even be bothered to place the plug back properly.

Maybe he had a S60 and was jealous my $40k Bolt has more range than his $70k+ S60?

 

[Norton]

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/elitism

 

[calebh2002]

I would have happily plugged you in when I was done.

 

[Raymondjram]

I have my own EVSE but no EV, I have seen several EVSE stations here (all are listed at PlugShare), but only have seen five BEVs in six years (two Nissan Leafs, one BMW 13, and two TM Model S), so I have no experience on "open charge ports" at all.

 

[bro1999]

I have my own EVSE but no EV, I have seen several EVSE stations here (all are listed at PlugShare), but only have seen five BEVs in six years (two Nissan Leafs, one BMW 13, and two TM Model S), so I have no experience on "open charge ports" at all.

What would you take that to mean though? "Hey, I like driving around with my charge port open!" or "Hey, could you plug me in plz?"

 

[ClarksonCote]

Seems pretty obvious. That said, maybe the Tesla owner had bad news on the phone about a family member, or something else was bothering him that day, and he didn't even take notice of your car or its charge port.

Not necessarily likely, but still a possibility. It's easy to be oblivious to surroundings at times due to mental distractions.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

It's a standard way of saying that they'd like you to plug them in when done.
If they're parked in a charging space they're only there to be plugged in and shouldn't be there otherwise.

 

[kentlucas]

Whole Foods has charging stations? Not here in NJ AFAIK.

 

[bro1999]

Whole Foods has charging stations? Not here in NJ AFAIK.

Yep, the WF's in my area do. Well, 2 of the 3.

The one in my town has 1 broken one that's been broken for months, and the other "working" one requires a voodoo dance before the station will establish a connection to your car. You figure with all the money people are dropping at WF for organic chickens and tofu, they could at least keep the 2 charging stations operational???

 

[Fyodor]

Backstory to the above photo:
A pre-facelift Tesla owner was parked backwards in spot #3 charging, and it looked like he was chatting on his phone.

Pre-facelift? Car or owner?

 

[bro1999]

Pre-facelift? Car or owner?

Both? If the owner did get a facelift, he deserves a refund.

 

[srmarti]

I'd probably plug it in, but of course there are still going to be some out there that won't notice or actively ignore the other car.

Backstory to the above photo:

I pull into the local Whole Foods, where they have 4 painted EV parking spots (but only 2 charging stations, and the one furthest from the store has been broken for several months. Thanks WF). A pre

 

[Dutch]

I wasn't aware this "open port" deal was a thing.
Clipper creek should include this on their charging stations <grin>
https://www.clippercreek.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/EV-Charging-Etiquette-Revised-06062016.jpg

 

[GeV]

I don't fit into any of the three poll categories; I would probably not assume anything if I saw an open charge port.

Can't the Bolt's port be opened (potentially as an act of mischief) by pressing on the outside of it? That's what I would probably think of first if I saw this. Second would likely be, 'maybe they were finished charging so someone else who needed to charge unplugged them?'

I don't think it's necessarily fair to assume malicious intent or entitled ignorance; in certain circumstances maybe, but I'd say our rEVolution is still new enough that we shouldn't take it for granted that everyone is already on the same page.

I mean, maybe if I was in the Model S I would have tried to be more attentive of the charging situation/circumstances in that instance. But what if I simply pulled up to the spot and was confronted with a Bolt sitting there like that? I would most likely not assume it was waiting to be plugged in.

 

[Dutch]

I can easily see public locations going to plugless charging to get around some of these issues.

 

[bro1999]

I don't fit into any of the three poll categories; I would probably not assume anything if I saw an open charge port.

Can't the Bolt's port be opened (potentially as an act of mischief) by pressing on the outside of it? That's what I would probably think of first if I saw this. Second would likely be, 'maybe they were finished charging so someone else who needed to charge unplugged them?'

I don't think it's necessarily fair to assume malicious intent or entitled ignorance; in certain circumstances maybe, but I'd say our rEVolution is still new enough that we shouldn't take it for granted that everyone is already on the same page.

I mean, maybe if I was in the Model S I would have tried to be more attentive of the charging situation/circumstances in that instance. But what if I simply pulled up to the spot and was confronted with a Bolt sitting there like that? I would most likely not assume it was waiting to be plugged in.

In my case, the Tesla owner was sitting in his car when I pulled in. Unless he was completely oblivious to everything except what was on his phone, he would have noticed me pulling in. It could be this guy was indeed Captain Oblivious, had no idea I had parked 1 spot from him, had no idea my charge port was open, and no idea what a "Bolt EV" was, but based off other experiences I've seen online and in person with Tesla owners, "the guy was a jackass" fits the bill better.

Maybe I should have dived onto his windshield shirtless with "PLUG ME IN BRO!" scribbled on my chest with a Sharpie. I'm sure he would have noticed me then.

 

[PH2]

I also take that to mean 'plug me in', and have done so many times before when in a similar situation.
I have experienced both sides myself; if I have to hazard a guess, I have had more non-Tesla EV owners not plug me in than Tesla owners. I had a Tesla driver not only plug me in when he was finished but also leave a kind note stating that he was happy to help!