Desination Charger Etiquette

[greyjustice]

I'm planning a few weekend trips away when my M3 arrives next week, can anyone advise on the etiquette for using destination chargers at hotels and other locations?

Many of the hotel charges are free to use for customers so I'm expecting them to be busy, especially in popular locations.

Is it OK to leave the car plugged in overnight if there are other Tesla users parked nearby or is there an unwritten rule to only charge for short periods?

As a new EV driver I don't want to upset my fellow Tesla owners

 

[BZM3]

I'm planning a few weekend trips away when my M3 arrives next week, can anyone advise on the etiquette for using destination chargers at hotels and other locations?

Many of the hotel charges are free to use for customers so I'm expecting them to be busy, especially in popular locations.

Is it OK to leave the car plugged in overnight if there are other Tesla users parked nearby or is there an unwritten rule to only charge for short periods?

As a new EV driver I don't want to upset my fellow Tesla owners

Only unwritten rule is to unplug once car is fully charged.

 

[NorfolkMustard]

Agreed, take what you need then free it up - don't leave it plugged in any longer. Treat every charger away from home as if it has idle fees of whatever amount you'd be unwilling to pay

 

[Glan gluaisne]

I've only used destination chargers at hotels, and every time I've plugged in I've made sure to tell reception and ask them to call me if someone else wants to charge. One hotel we stayed in had valet parking, that included charging the car, so they looked after the way the destination charging was managed. One we stayed in last Christmas (Burgh Island) had their parking garages and charge points on the mainland, so again the hotel staff dealt with charge point sharing (they arranged for both Teslas to park side by side, so they could move the fixed Tesla lead between the two cars). Never been a problem anywhere we've been, as it seems that hotels, at least, usually have a system that works fairly.

 

[kevuwk]

Etiquette is too unplug when full but that isn’t always possible. I used a destination charger at a hotel but was having a few drinks so couldn’t move the car until I left in the morning. I left sentry on and in the time I was there 1 other car turned up and left and the other charger got iced so I didn’t feel as bad about it

 

[AnthonyLR]

One we stayed in last Christmas (Burgh Island).

How about that sea tractor?

 

[Glan gluaisne]

How about that sea tractor?

The sea tractor's a bit limited, in that it can't operate in rough weather, and it's not unusual to get rough weather around Christmas time, which is mainly when we've stayed there. We were there once when the sea tractor couldn't operate for a couple of days, so we could only get to the mainland at low tide. Found this photo I took from Christmas 2013, of the sea tractor just arriving at the island. Looks a bit blustery, but the tide's not yet right in from the look of it:

If staying there in the summer there's always something peaceful about the tide coming in and cutting the hotel off for a few hours. It also stops all the holidaymakers from the beach opposite just wandering over to the island, as non-hotel guests have to pay to ride on the sea tractor.

My wife's great uncle, Archie Nettlefold, built the hotel in the 1930's, so she has a strong family connection to the place.

 

[AnthonyLR]

The sea tractor's a bit limited, in that it can't operate in rough weather, and it's not unusual to get rough weather around Christmas time, which is mainly when we've stayed there. We were there once when the sea tractor couldn't operate for a couple of days, so we could only get to the mainland at low tide. Found this photo I took from Christmas 2013, of the sea tractor just arriving at the island. Looks a bit blustery, but the tide's not yet right in from the look of it:

View attachment 585338

If staying there in the summer there's always something peaceful about the tide coming in and cutting the hotel off for a few hours. It also stops all the holidaymakers from the beach opposite just wandering over to the island, as non-hotel guests have to pay to ride on the sea tractor.

My wife's great uncle, Archie Nettlefold, built the hotel in the 1930's, so she has a strong family connection to the place.

I was there for a 1920's party about 14 years ago one Summer. It was lovely (but a little tatty!) Agatha Christie loved it there apparently.

 

[MrBadger]

I was there for a 1920's party about 14 years ago one Summer.

That taking being late to the extreme

 

[AnthonyLR]

That taking being late to the extreme

I do like to be stylishly late to parties...

 

[Glan gluaisne]

I was there for a 1920's party about 14 years ago one Summer. It was lovely (but a little tatty!) Agatha Christie loved it there apparently.

It was refurbished to a fairly high standard around 2011/2012, then sold to new owners some time last year I believe. We spent Christmas there again last year, with the new owners running the place, and although most of the old faces were there, and many of the staff that have been there years are still there, we did get the feeling that the new owners weren't quite as into the spirit of the place as the last ones. The rather nice, black, hotel livery, Range Rovers that used to take you over to the island when the tide's out have been replaced with Land Cruisers, and some of the nicer touches that made staying there such fun have gone. Having said that, Gary's still running the cocktail bar, and the Christmas entertainment was as good as ever.

 

[THEbuz]

Hey, Community. I know I’m posting in 2022 to a 2020 OP—and please don’t hate on me for asking (NEW TESLA owner here)—but is it bad charging etiquette to use a hotel destination charger (equipped with a TESLA home connection charger—NOT NEMA 1450) when I am NOT staying at the hotel?

Another dumb question: Does TESLA have any sort of agreement with these hotels for them to provide “destination charging”—or is this the hotels opting to provide this to a growing customer base driving EV’s at their own discretion?

Thanks in advance for the feedback!

 

[Drew57]

@THEbuz, in the UK (this forum) I have only ever used destination chargers at hotels if I am paying for services like accommodation, food or drink because they provide the charging infrastructure etc. Destination charging is at their cost.

In the USA I have sometimes used a hotel destination charger by asking at reception and registering the car beforehand. So far that has always been OK.

In either case I would not do so local to home, only when travelling.

(...as it happens I am also in Boise at present visiting my Daughter & family. I once owned a house here as well)

 

[THEbuz]

@THEbuz, in the UK (this forum) I have only ever used destination chargers at hotels if I am paying for services like accommodation, food or drink because they provide the charging infrastructure etc. Destination charging is at their cost.

In the USA I have sometimes used a hotel destination charger by asking at reception and registering the car beforehand. So far that has always been OK.

In either case I would not do so local to home, only when travelling.

(...as it happens I am also in Boise at present visiting my Daughter & family. I once owned a house here as well)

Hey, Drew. Cool! Thanks for sharing. Sorry—didn’t realize I posted my Q in a UK forum, although I do have a @yahoo.co.uk e-mail address. LOL
Never been, so I guess that makes me a dope.

Would love to grab coffee this week if you have the time and care to do so. Here is my throwaway e-mail…
spammernaut2 at gee mail dot com

I’ll be checking it. I’m unavailable next week.

 

[Ben_]

@THEbuz, in the UK (this forum) I have only ever used destination chargers at hotels if I am paying for services like accommodation, food or drink because they provide the charging infrastructure etc. Destination charging is at their cost.

In the USA I have sometimes used a hotel destination charger by asking at reception and registering the car beforehand. So far that has always been OK.

In either case I would not do so local to home, only when travelling.

(...as it happens I am also in Boise at present visiting my Daughter & family. I once owned a house here as well)

I’d say it’s worth asking the venue (e.g. hotel) whether the destination chargers are only for their customers or open for all. If they’re for customers only - fair enough. However some will not mind. I found destination chargers (UK holiday) at a hotel where we were not staying. I asked in the hotel office and they were happy for anyone to use the chargers, customer or not. That was kind of them. A moot point, as it turns out - as the bay was ICE’d by the time I got back.

 

[Fursty Ferret]

Etiquette is too unplug when full but that isn’t always possible. I used a destination charger at a hotel but was having a few drinks so couldn’t move the car until I left in the morning.

I thought Smart Summon would be the perfect solution in a similar situation but what actually happened was the car got wedged in the most inconvenient place imaginable in the car park and I had to give the receptionist a crash course in driving a Model 3 so that she could move the car on my behalf.