Unplugged by another S owner...

[AmpedRealtor]

Checking out of the Richmond Omni hotel this morning for a 350 mile trip going from Norfolk and then back home. Plugged in last evening, and had Max charge scheduled to start during early morning so it would end just before we had to get on the road at 10am or so.

Checked the phone app this morning when I awoke to find not only was I not charging, I wasn't plugged in.

Went to the parking garage to see another Model S parked next to me, and they were plugged in instead. A woman was walking away from the car. I asked if they had unplugged me, and she told me her husband had "as he thought I wasn't charging". I let her know I was leaving in a couple of hours and that I had scheduled a charge and asked if I could please have the cable back. I plugged in.

She apologized, which I appreciate, but that was uncool. Given that my experience is that my Model S "goes dark" while charging and/or folks have scheduled charging available, I'm not sure it's a safe assumption that you should just take the liberty of unplugging folks.

I've deliberately NOT plugged in for the duration of my stay, simply because I didn't need it so other's could (and several have). I'd hope for similar courtesy. I didn't think I'd need to purchase the J1772 locking ring for protection against other Model S owners, but maybe I'll go ahead and order one.

And incidentally, from the license plate it's another member here, If I recall correctly...

:crying:

Forgive me if this question is a little too "on the nose", but… why do you think it's okay to occupy an EV stall all night only to charge in the morning? What were folks supposed to do if they needed to use the charger while you were parked but not charging, waiting for your morning "scheduled" charge? It's different, maybe, if there were a ton of charging stalls, but it sounds like there was limited availability and you were not thinking of others when you decided that it's okay to occupy the stall all night without actually using the charger until the morning. The correct way to have handled this would have been to charge immediately, unplug and move your car for the courtesy of others, then top off again in the morning if you've lost range.

But just occupying a stall all night only to charge in the morning is, well, rather inconsiderate.

 

[SteveW25561]

I think this issue could easily be addressed by a software update to enable the charge port light even when the car is locked. Default to the current behavior but allow a user to turn on the charge indicator and accept the potential for drawing attention.

I also think the app and car should alert you if charge is complete or if it is interrupted. Since the car has a 3G connection it could email you a message or, if configured properly, send an SMS using your carrier's web portal to send SMS messages (I think most dedicated 3G plans won't allow SMS directly). Using email makes it pretty universally available. In fact the email could be your carrier's email to SMS function ([email protected]), solving this problem neatly.

These in addition to a note would help avoid problems.

One other thing: a note could be a security risk -- you're basically saying you won't be or might not be back for xx hours or until a specified time. I still think a note to contact you is a good idea and likely less risky if you don't specify a time.

 

[dsm363]

There is a learning curve to driving an EV so not everyone is aware of what many would consider the correct way to do things (if there is such a thing as one correct way to do things). That's why boards like this are helpful.

Ideally, Tesla would help out during delivery by educating people with what most consider proper EV behavior for using public charging.

 

[jdevo2004]

OP is at fault in this situation. It is absolutely appropriate to unplug someone who is finished charging or not charging at all. Tesla designed the lights at the charge port to indicate when people are charging or not.

To all those who think it is rude to unplug a vehicle that has finished charging consider this: It is EXTREMELY rude to have your vehicle plugged in at a public charge station when your vehicle is fully charged or not charging at all.

 

[gnelson]

OP is at fault in this situation. It is absolutely appropriate to unplug someone who is finished charging or not charging at all. Tesla designed the lights at the charge port to indicate when people are charging or not.

To all those who think it is rude to unplug a vehicle that has finished charging consider this: It is EXTREMELY rude to have your vehicle plugged in at a public charge station when your vehicle is fully charged or not charging at all.

I think you have convinced me that I was wrong in saying the person that unplugged the OP was rude. You also have convinced me that I should have used a stronger term for the OP than inconsiderate.

 

[rlang59]

I think that both sides of this can be simply summed up with an Arrested Development reference:

 

[ZBB]

Try connectorprotector.com. Although low tech, it does provide a solution to the above situation.

Wouldn't that be a PITA to use? You'd have to park either a bit forward or back from your final parking spot, get out, unwind the charger cord, put it in the slot in the connectorprotector with just enough slack to put it into your charge port (not short or too much), slide the connectorprotector in front (or back) of the tire, set the J1772 connector end on the ground making sure the cable J1772 connector aren't in way of the tires, and then get back in the car to move it a few inches forward or backward to "lock" the connectorprotector in place, then start charging. Repeat in reverse to disconnect when you are done.

Or am I missing something?

 

[Longhorn92]

Let's clear up a few things before everyone jumps on the OP:

Tesla designed the lights at the charge port to indicate when people are charging or not.

The charge port lights (as well as the display on the dash and touchscreen) turn off after the car locks, so there is NO indication on the car of whether the car is charging or not. There may be an indication on the charging station; however, we do not know in this specific case.

The correct way to have handled this would have been to charge immediately, unplug and move your car for the courtesy of others, then top off again in the morning if you've lost range.

But just occupying a stall all night only to charge in the morning is, well, rather inconsiderate.

I am interested in others thoughts on this type of situation. If I am going to sleep for eight hours, but the car only needs four hours to charge to full, should I really set an alarm for the middle of the night, get up, go unplug, and move the car? If not, what is the difference between charging immediately or setting a delayed charge?

Maybe the correct solution is to charge immediately, leave my cell phone number, and if someone calls in the middle of the night, then head down. I assume someone would only call in the middle of the night if they REALLY needed to charge.

 

[4SUPER9]

Agreed. OP clearly at fault. It was utterly inconsiderate to hold up a charging spot all night without using it.
To the OP: feel free to post the license plate. I'd like to tell that person that he/she did nothing wrong.

 

[gmontem]

Scaesare, is the EV charger a ChargePoint charger? If so, one can read the LCD display on the ChargePoint station and patiently wait for the information consisting of charging time and current kWh usage. If the kWh usage isn't around 6 kWh then the EV is either done charging or the driver set the charger to draw less than 30 amps (shame on them for that).

Sent from my Nokia Lumia 920 using Board Express

 

[stevezzzz]

OP is at fault in this situation. It is absolutely appropriate to unplug someone who is finished charging or not charging at all. Tesla designed the lights at the charge port to indicate when people are charging or not.

To all those who think it is rude to unplug a vehicle that has finished charging consider this: It is EXTREMELY rude to have your vehicle plugged in at a public charge station when your vehicle is fully charged or not charging at all.

While I tend to agree with your points, the fact is that Model S doesn't give any indication of charge activity when locked, so the other owner was wrong to assume the OP's car wan't charging.

This thread makes it pretty clear that everyone who doesn't own an S (and some who do) assumes the car does give some indication when it's charging. But I don't think the earlier comment suggesting Tesla should make the charging indication a selectable option solves anything, since someone walking up to a locked car would still not be able to know for sure that it wasn't charging.

 

[ahaer]

I agree. When traveling, charge when you can. By scheduling a charge for late morning, you are blocking that EVSE for a few more hours extra but not charging. If you are worried about doing a range charge and letting it sit there, you could always do a 90% charge on plug in and then finish the charge in the morning. If your charge hadn't started yet they might have genuinely thought you were done charging.

+1

While its unclear if its bad etiquette to do delayed charging on a public EVSE you have clearly demonstrated why its a bad idea !

 

[roblab]

+1

While its unclear if its bad etiquette to do delayed charging on a public EVSE you have clearly demonstrated why its a bad idea !

As I said in another thread:

If everyone would leave a cell number on the dash, where they could be reached, this wouldn't happen. The one needing charge could call, check on your status, your willingness/ability to drop by and allow their charge.

How can we, as a group of considerate EVers, get people to communicate? Why can we not put a cell number on the dash?

 

[Al Sherman]

I would never do what the OP did. I will always leave a note with my phone number. AND, my plan is always to get the charge I need and then move my car.

Having said that: Don't touch my car without MY permission for the purpose of unplugging me. I don't care if you're the head of the charge port design team at Tesla. Don't touch my car without my permission. I'm a really nice guy (really, just ask me) but if you unplug me without permission you wont like me.

Just sayin'.

 

[Monto]

I would have done the same thing as the OP. If you are plugged in...Charge. If you had done that, when the OP unplugged you it would have been no problem. Don't set an alarm to move the car when done, just get your charging done when you get there. What would you have lost, 5 miles by finishing in the middle of the night?

 

[Lloyd]

Takes an extra 15 seconds, but it prevents you from waking up and not having a charge when you really need it!

- - - Updated - - -

Wouldn't that be a PITA to use? You'd have to park either a bit forward or back from your final parking spot, get out, unwind the charger cord, put it in the slot in the connectorprotector with just enough slack to put it into your charge port (not short or too much), slide the connectorprotector in front (or back) of the tire, set the J1772 connector end on the ground making sure the cable J1772 connector aren't in way of the tires, and then get back in the car to move it a few inches forward or backward to "lock" the connectorprotector in place, then start charging. Repeat in reverse to disconnect when you are done.

Or am I missing something?

Takes an extra 15 seconds, but it prevents you from waking up and not having a charge when you really need it!

 

[tdiggity]

An unintentional thing just happened to me this weekend...

I was charging at chargepoint, and someone unplugged me. And then I got a ticket for parking in the EV spot but not charging .

I've printed out my chargepoint documentation that shows I was charging before I got the ticket, so hopefully that satisfies the ticket committee.

 

[SteveW25561]

But I don't think the earlier comment suggesting Tesla should make the charging indication a selectable option solves anything, since someone walking up to a locked car would still not be able to know for sure that it wasn't charging.

That was my point exactly: a locked Model S should optionally be able to have an indicator of charging: a pulsing red light for example would indicate to most people something is happening, and a solid green is pretty universal. A simple menu option like "Charge port status light while locked: ON/OFF". I'd hope this provides at least some deterrent.

That way we can leave cards on the dash saying something like:

"Please call me at xxx-xxx-xxxx.
Charging state:
Green = Charging complete, you may disconnect,
Red = Active charging, please don't disconnect"

 

[markb1]

I was in the position of unplugging another Model S at a 70A EVSE a while back. (This was in SLO at the Marsh Street garage.) It was late in the day, and the security guard told me the other Model S had been there all day. So I unplugged it and left a note with my phone number. When I got back in the morning, it was still there so I took my note, plugged it back in, and left. There were some 30A EVSEs available there, but I determined those were too slow to complete a range charge by the time I was planning to leave in the morning.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

We're going to start having cases of "recharge rage" soon…