Having EV charging at work is awesome! Hop in the HOV lane with your EV, get to work faster and never make a side trip to the gas station again. Plus, you'll be more engaged and productive knowing that your employer is investing in sustainability and you’re getting the charge you need at work.
Access to EV charging in the workplace makes people 6X more likely to drive electric. While that's exciting, it can also create a situation where more people want to charge than there are charging spots available. Other than adding more charging spots, there’s a lot we can do to help EV drivers get along at work. Here’s how to be a kind coworker and practice good EV charging etiquette at the office.
Be the Early Bird
It frequently pays off to be early, and that’s especially true when it comes to EV charging. If you get to work first, you’ll probably get the chance to plug in right away. If you tend to arrive on the later side, no problem—your courteous coworkers will surely unplug when they’re done charging so your car can sip electrons in the afternoon (maybe when you're having your post-lunch caffeine fix).
Charge When You Need To
Just because you can charge, doesn’t mean you should. Plug in only when you need to so that others get a chance to charge. Now that many EVs have more range, drivers may not need to charge every day. If you drive a plug-in hybrid, consider charging later in the day so battery electric drivers have time to get the juice they need to get home.
Keep Cables Neat
ChargePoint stations come with cable management so that charging cables stay neat and off the ground. If your workplace stations don't have cable management, make sure to wrap up cables and put them back neatly for the next person to use.
Try Waitlist
Individual workplaces with ChargePoint stations can choose to enable Waitlist, which lets drivers get in line to charge. Perfect for workplaces where a lot of people need to charge and have a lot of time to do so, Waitlist will let you know when it’s your turn to charge and hold a spot for you when one is ready. That means you need to keep an eye on your phone so you know when it’s your turn. Don’t worry, you can “snooze” your spot and stay in line if you can’t move your car when one opens up.
Pay Attention
If you have DC fast charging at your workplace, stay near the station when DC charging or closely monitor the session using the app. Always assume others are waiting to charge—even 5 minutes is an eternity when waiting for a charge that you really need! Likewise, pay attention when you're on Waitlist so you can snag your spot or snooze and make it available to the next person.
Move Along
Here’s perhaps the simplest way to be a kind coworker: when you’re done charging, move your car so someone else can charge. Nothing’s more frustrating than a full battery taking up a spot.
What are your tips for EV etiquette at work? Share them with us on social media!
