[ddd]

For the 1st time since I've had my car, I've managed to get a space at asda!

Normally the chargemaster spaces are totally iced, all 4 of them.

Whilst I was plugging in initially and unplugging at the end I had 2 people say 'glad to see these things being used, never seen a car plugged in"
Naturally my answer was that's because you can't get a space normally.

These spaces aren't well marked and are alongside the disabled spaces, although 2 of the ice cars when I left were not showing blue badges.

I wanted to ask, do you challenge ice drivers when they pull in? I could have when I parked as someone pulled in as I was leaving my car.
The problem is though, you have no idea who you are dealing with. Remember Kenneth Noye?!?

 

[Steven Barrett]

For the 1st time since I've had my car, I've managed to get a space at asda!

Normally the chargemaster spaces are totally iced, all 4 of them.

Whilst I was plugging in initially and unplugging at the end I had 2 people say 'glad to see these things being used, never seen a car plugged in"
Naturally my answer was that's because you can't get a space normally.

These spaces aren't well marked and are alongside the disabled spaces, although 2 of the ice cars when I left were not showing blue badges.

I wanted to ask, do you challenge ice drivers when they pull in? I could have when I parked as someone pulled in as I was leaving my car.
The problem is though, you have no idea who you are dealing with. Remember Kenneth Noye?!?

I had that very issue in Sainsburys car park in Halifax the two slots were ICEd and as one lady was leaving her car I asked her to move so I could charge and she went off on one - ballistic effing and blinding and still refused to move her car. Then the other ICEr moved off and I managed to park up only to find their single pod point was off line !

 

[Paul_Moxhay]

I used to challenge ICE drivers in a polite and friendly "did you know..." sort of way but I won't do it now. I have been subjected to a number of rather scary verbal attacks when getting into discussions with ICE drivers that were blocking charging bays and on one occasion physically threatened! As someone who has never got into a physical altercation with anyone it was very scary.

It needs proper policing of the bays and official enforcement IMO. If you do say something then be prepared... you may end up with more than you bargained for.

 

[UKTechie]

No Asda that convenient for me, I did check out Bangor and their two spaces where around the back so not iced.

 

[ddd]

I think I'll keep quiet unless it's a little old lady

 

[AndyG]

I think I'll keep quiet unless it's a little old lady

They are the worst, really dangerous haven't you seen Madagasca 2

 

[hopbackguy]

I had that very issue in Sainsburys car park in Halifax the two slots were ICEd and as one lady was leaving her car I asked her to move so I could charge and she went off on one - ballistic effing and blinding and still refused to move her car. Then the other ICEr moved off and I managed to park up only to find their single pod point was off line !

Why are so many people sociopathic morons these days?

 

[Paul_Moxhay]

Just a sign of the selfish society we now live in I suppose. As the population increases and people need to look out more and more for themselves and their own families so I see it just getting worse. The key to it IMO long-term is population and immigration control but that is a whole new ball of wax and discussed on another thread

 

[richardglover]

I pull into my driveway, pull the little lever, the flap opens, I get out the car and plug in my lovely blue Leaf.
And by all accounts most ev miles are courtesy of that set-up.
It is just one of the good things about driving 100% electric. What could be better than that?
Well, an inductive charging pad set in the driveway would be a really cool thing.
And I somehow think that if supermarket charging bays said "Warning Inductive Charging For Electric Vehicles Only
ASDA do not accept responsibility for any misuse of this facility", then perhaps people would think twice about icing the spaces.
I know this is just wishful or foolish thinking but surely by now we have a pattern of ev usage that says, public parking and plug-in charging just don’t go together.
Before they called them supermarkets they called them convenience stores. These set-ups are not convenient.
Inductive pad charging would be convenient for both staff and customers if low range/low priced ev are to grow in popularity.

 

[dave k]

I popped into waitrose and found 3 ICE cars taking up slots, with the last charger blocked off with a cone. In the morning all 4 are coned off and I guess people just move the cones as they can't be bothered to find another spot. Luckly one spot had the driver sitting on his bonnet having a cup of tea and I asked if he was using the charge point. He looked back at me blankly and I asked him to move and he just went 'ok if you reverse I'll move somewhere else' and off he went.

However I'm not a small guy and I don't often get shouted at by random people

 

[John2]

My impression is that spaces are sometimes blocked by staff who are too tired after a day on their feet to walk across the car park, or arrive late for their shift. They might think they are leaving the "real" parking spots for paying customers if the take up on charging is low.

 

[BlackLeaf]

Perhaps the answer is a long charge cable and blocking in the petrol cars

 

[Paul_Moxhay]

Blocking in will not solve the problem and will just make an enemy out of the ICE owner.

We want to have ICE owners respect us and our charging bays... not have them hate and curse us!

I can see only one outcome if you block someone in and it isn't a good one for anyone.

 

[Olivier]

Blocking in will not solve the problem and will just make an enemy out of the ICE owner.

We want to have ICE owners respect us and our charging bays... not have them hate and curse us!

I can see only one outcome if you block someone in and it isn't a good one for anyone.

Of course, I agree but I wonder how much awareness of EV and their drivers there is out there. I think its minimal. When I had my charge point installed, some neighbours asked about it. The mere fact that British Gas was written on it made them think it was a gas outlet so thought the car used gas.... I don't think EV drivers are yet seen by many as a distinct group the same way cycling commuters are.

I have seen once a car take a charge at a public charge point and only noticed because I am interested. My GF would have not seen it without me pointing it out

 

[Nick]

I've certainly blocked in vehicles which had ICEd spaces previously when the pure EV that I was driving needed a charge to complete my journey. Most of the time (if there was any comeback) it was the the spaces were blocked by staff members of the facility. Normally I identify myself to the facility management and where I can be found if there's an issue.

At other times people just don't recognise what the spaces are. In some places they already have disabled, parent and child, and old folks spaces (brown badge) and users simply shift between categories if one is full but another has spaces.

 

[dave k]

I like the idea of leaving a card with my mobile on it if I'm using a public charge point - if someone really needs a quick charge and I can help by unplugging I have no problem, as I have the range extender as backup. However people just not noticing and not caring about blocking charge points is a bit like people who park in disabled / toddler spots who don't need them. Just thoughtlessness on the part of these people I guess. However I'd like think I'm not like that!

 

[Steven Barrett]

Well over the weeks we have had a mixed bag of replies. Overall we all feel the same. Maybe we should get 8 EVs and block all the petrol pumps at the supermarket in protest !.
There is going to be a second issue soon as really EV chargers should be reserved for EVs not Hybrids (tongue is in cheek here !)

 

[Nick]

Well over the weeks we have had a mixed bag of replies. Overall we all feel the same. Maybe we should get 8 EVs and block all the petrol pumps at the supermarket in protest !.
There is going to be a second issue soon as really EV chargers should be reserved for EVs not Hybrids (tongue is in cheek here !)

I think we'd all agree that chargers should not be blocked by vehicles that aren't charging. As hybrids don't generally have plug in capability then they wouldn't be charging,

 

[Steven Barrett]

Im seeing more mitsubishi PHEVs over the past few months plugged up to the DC chargers but I guess they too want to save a few quid on gas. We need more chargers !

 

[AndyG]

Im seeing more mitsubishi PHEVs over the past few months plugged up to the DC chargers but I guess they too want to save a few quid on gas. We need more chargers !

Outlander can rapid charge so IMO there is not a problem with them using them. Every EV mile is important whether driven in a BEV or a PHEV makes no difference.