Electric car drivers ICED out of charging stations can retaliate with education

With the growing adoption of electric cars there is growth of a phenomenon that's plagued electric car drivers since the 1990's: being ICE'd out of a charging station. ICE'ing is when a gasoline car is parked at an electric car charging station, blocking access to the station for those who need it the most, the EV driver. On Thursday the Blink Network posted helpful friendly notices electric car drivers can place on gasoline cars ICE'ing a charging station. Rather than the flat-out nastygram an angry electric car driver might want to put on the gas car, these are educational and friendly.

Electric car drivers have an absolute need for access to charging stations, just as gasoline car drivers have an absolute need for access to gasoline stations. There is an inequity, however, due to the relative scarcity of electric car charging stations. It's far easier for gasoline cars to block access to electric car charging stations than it is for electric cars to block access to gasoline stations.

This need for charging station access can turn the calmest electric car owner into a towering inferno of rage. Is the situation, an EV driver blocked from accessing a needed charge at a charging station, by smashing things or by education given to the gasoline car driver?

As I noted a few months ago, in Electric car road rage, electric car etiquette, and sharing charging stations, it's better to educate the gasoline car driver. That post also outlines a few points of etiquette around charging station use.

What's more likely, that the gas car driver has no idea what charging stations are for, or that the gas car driver is being purposely rude? It may be that the majority of gas car drivers do not know about electric cars, nor the necessity of access to charging stations. Seeing an empty parking spot may be enough to cause the gas car driver to park, especially if they don't understand the significance of that parking spot to electric car drivers.

Unfortunately not all electric car charging stations have signs. Further, parking restrictions at these stations are often a matter of courtesy rather than a legal requirement. This means it is important to educate the gas car drivers and develop in society the common courtesy to leave open access to electric car charging stations.

California has a law, AB475, allowing a parking lot owner to set aside parking spaces for the sole use of electric vehicles, while charging.

Source: https://www.blinknetwork.com/drivingelectric