Convenience & Inconvenience — Another Large Vehicle Blocking EV Charging

Driving today, I reflected on how simple the inside of the hood of the electric car I drive is. I used to sit above and behind so many things I did not understand. Now, a large battery and an electric motor replace most of that, removing the smelly gas under the car. But I was reminded today that most drivers have no experience of such simple, clean cars — and how they “refuel.”

Charging at my favorite fast charger, having a quick jog around the park in front, and enjoying pleasant inaction near a beautiful marina, I realize I have become too dependant on this place and an assumption that it will always be available. Today, with a time crunch, I found another large vehicle blocking my only fast charger in the area….

On the way back home, two normal cars (gasmobiles) were blocking the fast charger. Apparently, many car drivers out there do not really care about whether EV parking spaces are only for cars that need to be electrically charged through a portal.

With lots of other Level Two chargers in the area, I lost more time finding 2 decommissioned chargers not working before I finally arrived at a site where I found one broken and one working. “Great. Lost more than an hour….”

Typically, I simply stop at the first station and charge up in a brief period of time. The CHAdeMO DC fast charger says “READY.” I touch it. Then, the display gives me a choice of which port I want to use. I touch it and, “pop,” the door opens and I plug the charging handle into the front of my Nissan LEAF. The lighted image of my car shows me how much charge is lacking as it quickly fills in with the speedy charger. It’s easy, fun, fast, and convenient — for my needs, at least. (On the left is a picture of the charging station and its cool lighting. Below is a picture of the informative charging station screen during one of my charges. Click either of them to enlarge.)

Today, however, the driver of this large gasoline vehicle apparently thinks there are no EV drivers. Parking is difficult. People are still too dependant on cars.

Check out more stories in our long-term review of living with the Nissan LEAF … and no home charging.

All photos by Cynthia Shahan for CleanTechnica (CC BY-SA 4.0)