i3 reg number LC15 YNW Attention!

[supermono]

A couple of angry EV owners happened to meet as I was looking too to see if you'd moved off yet.

One fellow says he's seen you there playing the same game of hogging the point all day and was joking (I think) about cutting your wire or performing some other act of vandalism.

I suggested that maybe you were just a bit thick and didn't realise that being on the post for the entire day (at least 730am but probably all night, still there at 1600, fully charged) was selfish.

Either way, if you happen to be on this forum it's time to wise up and stop being a dick.

[PKLD]

All of these cars (says the parking attendant) except my white leaf are parked here in these EV bays from before 9am until after 5pm everyday during the week. They're owned by people in the offices above the carpark

The only reason I got a space was because the charger for that bay wasn't working so they'd put a cone out. I reset the charger and got them to remotely re-boot (hadn't been working since November) and managed to get a charge.

The attendant looked at me funny when I said 'so what happens when I'm finished charging? Do I start paying for parking after that, as I only need 2 hours?' - nah mate just leave it there like the others...

So it means that if I was a member of the public wanting to use the 'public' chargers I can't!

[squirejo]

Leave them a 'polite notice' under the windscreen wiper like in the old days!

[K2MDL]

It'll only get worse unless the car park owners slap fines on the cars like normal over time stayers after say 3 hours. That should do it.

[cb010]

Highcross Centre (Leicester) has absolutely loads of EV points... which are almost always occupied by vehicles that don't recharge.

[JonV8V]

I leave my car on a charger at a railway station when I go off for the day. Not a chance of nipping back once full. It's what happens in car parks unlike service stations. Yes it's annoying if you're blocked but without knowing more I don't see there is always much that can be done.

If you want to get angry, focus on normal cars blocking charging points, the owners of constantly broken charge points who don't fix them and getting more installed.

[craigjm]

How much do these charge points cost on top of the usual parking fee?

[DonkeyApple]

Not sure I see the issue? It reads like these are parking bays with no rules or enforcement with regards to time stayed? As such it seems rather obvious that they would fill up with commuters.

Surely the car park is at fault if these spaces are not intended for all day parking for not laying out the rules and associated penalties as they would have done for all the other parking bays?

You'd think they would just stick up 'Max Stay' and 'No Return' signs. But if they haven't then it must mean the spaces are meant to be used by commuters?

[Phunk]

We have a similar problem in Glasgow.

Cities should have the same rule as Westminster in that if you have an EV you can park for free anywhere. Meaning those that actually need a charge can get one.

[Frimley111R]

Phunk said:

We have a similar problem in Glasgow.

Cities should have the same rule as Westminster in that if you have an EV you can park for free anywhere. Meaning those that actually need a charge can get one.

Interesting this, I can only see it getting worse. IMO spaces need to have a max 2hour (or whatever) stay limit. Imagine driving somewhere that you know will require you to recharge only to find a fully charged car blocking the space and no owner in sight. I'd be pretty pissed off!

[TooLateForAName]

I suppose if chargebump gets more traction that might help.

[Murph7355]

DonkeyApple said:

Not sure I see the issue? It reads like these are parking bays with no rules or enforcement with regards to time stayed? As such it seems rather obvious that they would fill up with commuters. ...

Can't see the issue? Can't see the issue?

He's trying to be green and people are blocking his way

Car parks are going to have to have so many segregated areas and restrictions to cover all the minority road users they'll be unusable for everyone else soon

Perhaps the answer is to buy a car that can get you to where you want to go and back without needing a special parking space....I foresee an increase in stress levels and powerpoint rage as EVs take off.

[PKLD]

Frimley111R said:

Phunk said:

We have a similar problem in Glasgow.

Cities should have the same rule as Westminster in that if you have an EV you can park for free anywhere. Meaning those that actually need a charge can get one.

Interesting this, I can only see it getting worse. IMO spaces need to have a max 2hour (or whatever) stay limit. Imagine driving somewhere that you know will require you to recharge only to find a fully charged car blocking the space and no owner in sight. I'd be pretty pissed off!

Little update (I seem to be travelling to Glasgow a lot at the min) I charged at the rapid in Hydro and they have a tighter controlled policy where if you want a free charge and free parking you get 2hrs max. Then you have to move it and park like all the normal folk.

That's fair - I was there for 20min for a 'spark & dash' charge and enjoyed a stress free catch up on emails before driving home for free!

As for the true park and ride, where a car is there all day that's where the budget should go to having 10 spaces with 5 dual outlet slow (and cheap) chargers, not 2 expensive fast chargers with a shiny pedestal charge point. Ingliston park and ride have something like this where you're only allowed 45 min on rapid bays but unlimited on the standard charging bays for those jumping on the tram...

Ffs that's the last time I try and write a long post on my phone :-(

Edited by PKLD on Thursday 28th January 21:18

[Phunk]

PKLD said:

Frimley111R said:

Phunk said:

We have a similar problem in Glasgow.

Cities should have the same rule as Westminster in that if you have an EV you can park for free anywhere. Meaning those that actually need a charge can get one.

Interesting this, I can only see it getting worse. IMO spaces need to have a max 2hour (or whatever) stay limit. Imagine driving somewhere that you know will require you to recharge only to find a fully charged car blocking the space and no owner in sight. I'd be pretty pissed off!

Little update (I seem to be travelling to Glasgow a lot at the min) I charged at the rapid in Hydro and they have a tighter controlled policy where if you want a free charge and free parking you get 2hrs max. Then you have to move it and park like all the normal folk.

That's fair - I was there for 20min for a 'spark & dash' charge and enjoyed a stress free catch up on emails before driving home for free!

As for the true park and ride, where a car is there all day that's where the budget should go to having 10 spaces with 5 dual outlet slow (and cheap) chargers, not 2 expensive fast chargers with a shiny pedestal charge point. Ingliston park and ride have something like this where you're only allowed 45 min on rapid bays but unlimited on the standard charging bays for those jumping on the tram...

Ffs that's the last time I try and write a long post on my phone :-(

Edited by PKLD on Thursday 28th January 21:18

I find that quite funny, last time I was there the spaces were occupied by disabled users (as they're signed disabled & EV bizarely. I complained and they just said tough luck, so disabled users can park as long as they like but EV's can't?

[supermono]

I wonder which nimrod dreamed up the leccy/disabled equivalency!!

[DonkeyApple]

supermono said:

I wonder which nimrod dreamed up the leccy/disabled equivalency!!

What's daft is that we have a parking system for short term. It's called 'short term' and it usually is accompanied by the 'no return within 2 hours' plan. If parking spaces aren't short term then they must be designed for long term so it would seem obvious that some EV free parking is for commuters to se all day while some is just to help with charging or a quick shop etc.

If you have to use commuter parking then logic dictates you need to get there before the commuters. Rocking up in the middle of the day and expecting a free commuter space to be empty isn't a good plan.

[supermono]

I suppose these electric car drivers have a gun to their head forcing them to stay.

I get a space pretty much every morning where I could stay all day long but I go to the slight bother of moving off after charged because it's the community spirited way to be. Oh sure I have the right to stay I just choose not to exercise it.

You do find that people who "Know My Rights" tend not to know their responsibilities.

[JonV8V]

supermono said:

I suppose these electric car drivers have a gun to their head forcing them to stay.

I get a space pretty much every morning where I could stay all day long but I go to the slight bother of moving off after charged because it's the community spirited way to be. Oh sure I have the right to stay I just choose not to exercise it.

You do find that people who "Know My Rights" tend not to know their responsibilities.

You obviously don't park at a railway station and then take an 80 min train journey into London.

If it's convenient to nip back then the community spirited thing is as you say, but not everyone has that option

[anonymous-user]

Am I the only one finding this hilarious?

[toppstuff]

The EV points should be set so that they charge the car for a maximum of 2 hours. After two hours have passed - they then suck the charge OUT of the car...

That would get people to go back to their cars and move them !!