Getting EV'd at Superchargers

[Asterix187]

Like this?

 

[drawfour]

Haven’t heard of the KISS principle, have you?

Of course I have. And that has merits, until the system does not do what it's intended to do. If it just costs you $5 in overages, you might be content to say "Well, it would cost me $20 to park all day in a regular parking lot. I'll just get juiced up and pay an extra $5 to park!". The point of the stalls is to conveniently charge an electric vehicle, not to have reduced price parking.

I don't own one yet, so I've never been in a situation where I needed a charge but I couldn't because I was blocked in by a non-charging Tesla, or one that had completed its charge an hour before. But I can say that if I know that there's no way I'll get back to the car to move it in 5 minutes because I'm still eating or the checkout line is too long or whatever, and if I know there are no additional charged to be made after that 5 minute grace window, I will not be hurrying to get out to get it moved. I've already paid the money and if there are no further consequences for me, then I'll continue to enjoy my meal.

 

[TexasEV]

Of course I have. And that has merits, until the system does not do what it's intended to do. If it just costs you $5 in overages, you might be content to say "Well, it would cost me $20 to park all day in a regular parking lot. I'll just get juiced up and pay an extra $5 to park!". The point of the stalls is to conveniently charge an electric vehicle, not to have reduced price parking.

I don't own one yet, so I've never been in a situation where I needed a charge but I couldn't because I was blocked in by a non-charging Tesla, or one that had completed its charge an hour before. But I can say that if I know that there's no way I'll get back to the car to move it in 5 minutes because I'm still eating or the checkout line is too long or whatever, and if I know there are no additional charged to be made after that 5 minute grace window, I will not be hurrying to get out to get it moved. I've already paid the money and if there are no further consequences for me, then I'll continue to enjoy my meal.

You’re misunderstanding two things:
1. You don’t have just 5 min warning to move the car. When you plug in, the car displays an estimate of when supercharging will be completed. Plan to be back to the car before then. (Most of the time you’ll just want to charge enough to get to the next stop and not wait that long anyway, don’t think in gas station “fill er up” mode). You also get a notification on your app when it’s almost done. Then again when charging is completed.
2. There ARE additional charges the longer you’re plugged in after the 5 min. grace period. It’s a per minute charge. If you unplug within 5 minutes the fee is waived—that’s what the grace period means— but if you unplug more than 5 min. after charging is complete then you’re charged per minute starting from the first minute, and for every minute thereafter. Leave it parked for an hour and that’s $24 in idle fees. Enjoy your meal.

 

[drawfour]

You’re misunderstanding two things:
1. You don’t have just 5 min warning to move the car. When you plug in, the car displays an estimate of when supercharging will be completed. Plan to be back to the car before then. (Most of the time you’ll just want to charge enough to get to the next stop and not wait that long anyway, don’t think in gas station “fill er up” mode). You also get a notification on your app when it’s almost done. Then again when charging is completed.
2. There ARE additional charges the longer you’re plugged in after the 5 min. grace period. It’s a per minute charge. If you unplug within 5 minutes the fee is waived—that’s what the grace period means— but if you unplug more than 5 min. after charging is complete then you’re charged per minute starting from the first minute, and for every minute thereafter. Leave it parked for an hour and that’s $24 in idle fees. Enjoy your meal.

Got it. I thought it was a one-time charge after 5 minutes. Now that I know it's a per-minute charge, I understand.