Freeway signs and others

[Gynob001]

1. Just like Freeway signs for eating places, Hotels, gas etc along freeway exits, it might be great idea to include a sign for electric charging stations.
2. It would be nice if Rest Areas have charging stations. Government should take initiative to incorporate this.
3. Recently I charged my Model S with 110V current, it took for ever!
4. Home builders need to be aware of electric cars and garage outlets. My builder did provide a 240V outlet but didn't have any idea of where the charging door is located on the cars. The cords provided by the car manufacturers often are not long enough to reach the outlets. Besides, the cord stretched along the garage becomes a hazard.
5. Even when there are charging stations, hardly one or two outlets are provided. Considering several cars are "serviced" in gas pumps, if a charger is occupied, there is no way of telling when the "pump" would be available for the next person.

 

[PhilBa]

EVSE highway signs is one of those incredibly obvious ideas that you never thought about! Having EVSE signs at exits will do a lot to change people's perceptions about EVs. Regularly seeing that charge stations are available will help mitigate the range issue. Tesla should put up SC signs like that (maybe they already have?). I bet that's incredibly effective advertising.

 

[Lloyd]

EVSE highway signs is one of those incredibly obvious ideas that you never thought about! Having EVSE signs at exits will do a lot to change people's perceptions about EVs. Regularly seeing that charge stations are available will help mitigate the range issue. Tesla should put up SC signs like that (maybe they already have?). I bet that's incredibly effective advertising.

Someone would have to agree on signage Icons for the type of charging/adapters that are available at that stop.

 

[brianman]

EVSE highway signs is one of those incredibly obvious ideas that you never thought about! Having EVSE signs at exits will do a lot to change people's perceptions about EVs. Regularly seeing that charge stations are available will help mitigate the range issue. Tesla should put up SC signs like that (maybe they already have?). I bet that's incredibly effective advertising.

We already have some of these in WA state.

 

[ChadS]

A few years ago the Puget Sound Regional Council put out a bid to ready local governments for EVs - the first of its kind. Plug In America won the contract, and put together a model ordinance report that included model ordinances for cities to incorporate that would cover permitting, installation, signage and such related to EVSEs. We worked with state and federal officials and got them both to agree on specific signage. The guidebook is available to any municipality, and indeed it has been adopted across the nation. WA and OR both have signs pointing to EVSE from their freeways.

Why was WA first in the nation - by far - to do this sort of work? In 2008 and 2009 representative Deb Eddy from Kirkland sponsored and passed a bill that not only mandated that all state and municipal entities be EV-ready by 2013, it also included money for the PSRC project to make it easy for them to do so. This was the brainchild of Jeff Finn, who was done volunteer work for the Seattle EV Association for years (he just recently became a Plug In America board member, as well).

We worked with the state departments of Transportation and Commerce on their charging projects as well. They initially wanted L2 EVSE at rest areas; we convinced them that L2 was more useful in cities. We did try to get DC charging at rest areas, but the gas & convenience store lobby blocked that idea, saying that the state should neither give away nor sell fuel as that would compete with private enterprise. (We managed to sidestep that at the Northernmost and Southernmost rest areas on I-5 by using Adopt-A-Charger to pay for the electricity. That said, we don't expect the L2 to be used much for travel; they are more educational installations for all the gas cars that stop there).

 

[Discoducky]

How funny that since I only drive in WA and OR mostly with the Model S, I assumed this was all over the country. Pretty cool and can't wait to thank those responsible in a few weeks in person at Plug-in America day!

 

[Robert.Boston]

Signage for Superchargers isn't really needed -- every car capable of using the Superchargers has the navigation system to find them. But as a general matter, yes, it would be great to have charging locations marked clearly on highways, just as gas stations are on most of the main interstates.

 

[dsm363]

It would help just advertising EVs. The more signs people see the more they might be open to buying an EV if they think they can travel with it.

 

[wycolo]

I love the highway signs with the airliner silhouette pointing to a cornfield landing strip with a shack and a fuel tank.
--

 

[stevezzzz]

I love the highway signs with the airliner silhouette pointing to a cornfield landing strip with a shack and a fuel tank.
--

So do I, because I love those dinky airfields and like to stop and see what's going on. Nothing, as often as not, but I still like 'em. :biggrin:

Back on topic, highway signs pointing the way to EV charging stations would be a good thing all around.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Symbols:
- Tesla Motors badge+<symbol>: Tesla Superchargers plus <symbol> representing the local amenity (e.g. a fruitcake)
- Red plug on white background: ChaDeMo.
- Frankenstein's monster's head: SAE DC fast charger.

 

[Steven Loyens]

Did some graphic work on designing a road sign for loading spaces.

Green is the same as used in a lot of parking spaces here in Europe to indicate it is a "reserved" space for EV's.
The loading symbol around the P is for indicating it's a charging spot for EV's (cars, bike's, scooters, trucks, ...)
like the same symbol that is used for handicapped reserved parking spaces.
The 1, 2 and DC symbol's at the bottom are to indicate the different type's of loading connections available.

 

[Mark Petersen]

We'll the arrow and the round bars do not really signal EV charging
I like this a little better just wish they only show the plug, and remove the station part

 

[FlyinLow]

We'll the arrow and the round bars do not really signal EV charging
I like this a little better just wish they only show the plug, and remove the station part
View attachment 37690

Revamping an old thread...

I agree, it looks like a gas pump with a plug on the side. Tesla Supercharger posts are largely for advertising and to hold up the charge cord, shield it from the rain, and position the thick cable for plugging in.

A universal sign will likely be a natural result of a national charging standard. We don't have one of those yet. Unfortunately, because Tesla is leading the way it is likely those drug kicking and screaming into the EV transition will choose some other plug just to make things difficult.

Wouldn't it be nice if there was a Supercharger station (or DC fast charger) at every travel stop like FlyingJ, Love's, Travel America, etc. throughout the U.S.? I'm sure there's similar branded travel stops all around the world that would make sense. I wouldn't even mind paying per use for widely available charging since driving electric is still much cheaper per mile even if paying double the national average per kWh.

 

[cpa]

The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices already has the approved signage:

Figure 2I-1 Long Description - MUTCD 2009 Edition - FHWA

A number of years ago I searched this site, and I came to the conclusion that in California, anyway (we have our own set of sub rules), the informational signs that are on the freeways that provide notice for lodging, fuel, eating, and EV charging are paid for by the businesses, and not by the taxpayers.

It is unclear whether the business would pay for stand-alone directional signs once off the highway and onto the frontage or arterial roads.