Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

Airport charge etiquette

This site may earn commission on affiliate links.
What is the proper etiquette for charging at the long term lot at the airport? My trips usually last 1-3 weeks but the car will fully charge in less than 24 hrs. Can't help but to feel like an A hole leaving it plugged in that whole time.

Maybe leaving a note that they are free to disconnect it after certain day.

Has anyone experienced this?
 
That's a long time to have it sitting in a charging spot. If it's a "shared" spot where someone else could park next to you and charge, that would be ok. Like you said.. leave a note and say "feel free to unplug."

We have L2 charging in our long-term parking here in San Antonio, as well, and it's kind of pointless. Makes much more sense to just provide spots with 120v outlets.
 
If the EVSEs are in the long term lot, they're intended for long term parkers even though it doesn't make a lot of sense. They would do better with a large number of 120V outlets, but no one makes any money selling them on 120V outlets as companies do selling EVSEs.
 
I've settled on not occupying a charging spot since in theory some Leaf driver might need it to get home, and I don't, even with a couple weeks worth of vampire drain. Then again, at DTW it's mostly Volts in the charging spots and they arguably have even less of a critical need.

It's true, 120v makes more sense for airports and some of the newer build-outs have used those. I think people are still figuring this out.
 
Look on the columns in the same garage where the Level 2 chargers are at SAT. Half of them have 120 Volt Outlets. They work. I used them once when all the Level 2 slots were filled. Also, bring an extension cord next time you park there. Each of the level 2 chargers has a 20 amp 120v outlet as well that you can plug an extension cord into and run it along the wall to an ICE spot further down the wall.
 
Look on the columns in the same garage where the Level 2 chargers are at SAT. Half of them have 120 Volt Outlets. They work. I used them once when all the Level 2 slots were filled. Also, bring an extension cord next time you park there. Each of the level 2 chargers has a 20 amp 120v outlet as well that you can plug an extension cord into and run it along the wall to an ICE spot further down the wall.

Good Idea
 
Quick Park here in Detroit offers about 10-20 110v EV charging spots right in the front. I see mostly volt's plugged in.

As for using 110 outlets in a regular parking lot I would be afraid of someone stealing or messing with my cord.
 
But the other end does not.

Locking one end is enough to ensure they can't steal your UMC... at least not intact.

They could unplug you. An enterprising thief who knows what they're doing could steal the $45 adapter on the end. A jerk could cut the cable (but then again they could also just vandalize your car).

I don't think there's much of a black market for UMCs with the Tesla plug sliced off, unless the JESLA folks turn out to be running a theft ring or something.
 
Austin went to install 10 EV parking spots and put 110 instead of L2 for the above reason. Not sure if they were smart enough to use the one pole to two spot method or not. I get a super shuttle to the airport, so I've not looked.
 
At SMF (and probably other airports too) they drive around every night and copy the license number and spot of every car in the lot. This way if you lose your car they can tell you where its at and also can prove what day you came in if you try to play the card switch when leaving.

It would be a cool idea if they also kept track of which cars were plugged in for a few days and rotated the plugs between the two slots on one charging pole.
 
The long-term lot I use handles it through valeting the car. Nicely, they don't even charge the normal valet rate if charging is the reason they have to valet the car. Of course, I don't use charging now that I have the RAV...I don't need a charge to make it back home like I did with the LEAF.