Australia’s biggest motoring group, the NRMA, is pleading with drivers to show consideration for others in the upcoming holiday period, amid fears of a repeat of the lengthy queues and sometimes bad behaviour that marked the last Christmas holidays.
The NRMA, which now has more than 100 DC fast chargers across NSW and is building a national network that is part funded by the federal government, has issued a statement reminding EV drivers of good charging etiquette, and not to use charging bays as parking lots.
Last year there were widespread reports of lengthy queues, and grumpy drivers, over the Christmas and New Year period, and there are fears the situation could be worse this year because the uptake of EVs – more than 80,000 new EVs sold so far in 2023 – has been quicker than the roll out of DC fast chargers.
“We are urging drivers not to use charging bays as parking and applying some basic charging etiquette these holidays so that people aren’t left waiting to charge,” says Carly Irving-Dolan, the CEO of NRMA Energy, which manages its charging network.
“While charging an EV at busy public places or in shopping areas, drivers should keep an eye on the charging status so they can return to their vehicle when finished charging. If you do need to continue shopping, plan to move your car once you’ve finished parking to a new space.”
Irving-Dolan says “camping” in an EV charging space or staying after an EV has completed its charge can result in a fine, as it prevents other drivers from being able to use the facilities.
“While we want to remind drivers of the etiquette, we don’t want to see other drivers taking matters into their own hands during this busy and stressful season,” Irving-Dolan said.
In some overseas countries, charging “rage” has become a thing, with newspapers reporting that marshalls have had to be hired at some charging points in the UK, and videos emerging of people fighting over charging cables in China.
NRMA used to offer free charging on its network, but is gradually rolling out payment facilities that have reduced the number of cars “squatting” at its charging bays.
The issue around charging etiquette is an important one, as too many EV drivers insist on charging their car to 100 per cent, even if queues are forming in front of them. Some times that extra capacity is not needed, and the charging rate slows down dramatically between 80 per cent 100 per cent.
Many EV owners advocate “idle fees” that incur a charge if a car sits beyond the completion of its charging session. That is now automatic on Tesla Supercharging sites, but has not been rolled out much on other networks.
Irving-Dolan said is critical that EV drivers move on after charging so that other drivers can access the charging bays.
“Many charging apps allow you notify other drivers you are waiting in-line to charge, or centre management may be able to assist with an announcement if someone is camped at a charger in a shopping centre,” Irving-Dolan said.
Another major EV network operator Chargefox has been trailing idle fees at 10 stations in Western Australia – at a $1 a minute with a 10-minute grace period – and is now sharing those results with its eastern states clients.
It found that the idle fees had an immediate impact, vastly reducing  the amount of time that EVs were left plugged in, even after completing their charge, with only 0.05 per cent of sessions incurring idle fees (see graph above).
“We’d heard that queuing and overstays were a problem, and that there were more vehicles than plugs,” says Matt Bagnara, a product manager at Chargefox. “One of the big metrics we saw from the trial was a much lower “park time” – the time between one charging session finishing and another starting – people were moving on.”
He says there is now a lot of interest at other locations. “I think there will be a point of time when idle fees will be necessary across the network,” he says.
The NRMA does not impose idle fees on its network yet – the Tesla Supercharging network does with just a few minutes grace – but did not provide any comment on whether they are considering it.
But the holiday period will probably not be about idle fees, but the determination of a few to charge to the max – to 100 per cent – even if they don’t need to, and even if the queues are growing in front of them. It is simply not necessary, and not cool.
See also: “Sorry, I went ballooning:Irt’s high time charging networks cracked down on EV squatters
And: “I’m calibrating:” Why some Tesla drivers make people wait at free fast chargers
Giles Parkinson is founder and editor of The Driven, and also edits and founded the Renew Economy and One Step Off The Grid web sites. He has been a journalist for nearly 40 years, is a former business and deputy editor of the Australian Financial Review, and owns a Tesla Model 3.