New Ways of EV Charging Could Spell an End to Charge Point Hogging

Frustrated drivers have been complaining about rude charge station hoggers for a while. Will they quit hogging the stations? 

Charging to 100% at the Time Expense of Others

EV hoggers have been the town’s complaint as some try charging their car’s batteries 100% while other drivers wait hours in a long queue. Sometimes, new EV drivers think they must charge their car to 100% at every charge. However, this isn’t quite true. 

Slow Chargers Take Time

Slow charging stations are known to take more time, so this might necessarily be the case of a charger hog; instead, only a fellow EV user is “refilling” their car’s power. Slow chargers have very limited kilowatts; thus, a longer wait is to be expected. 

Even With Fast Chargers, People Wait Too Long 

Long waits are often the EV driver’s experience if they’re in the queue waiting to boost their car’s battery with energy. At fast stations, there might be a charger hog. However, grocery stores and parking lots are often equipped with slow chargers. 

Let Others Use It, Too

These days, it’s not just road courtesy that people appreciate; it’s also the concept of being “neighborly.” In this case, once the car’s battery reaches at least 80% or 85%, it’s decent to give it over to the next EV driver waiting to use the station.  

Hogging the Charge Station Is Never Great

Charger-hogging users will make other drivers late for their appointments because instead of “filling” and going, they stay and push for 100%. The problem has been going around for a while, with no one able to do anything about it until recently. 

It’s a Fast Charge

Fast EV chargers are equipped with higher voltages to enable speedy charge times. Electrify America is one of the top suppliers of fast charging stations in America which provides DC charging. Their DC chargers use 350kW. 

Charging Options

Electrify America’s stations offer three charging speeds: CHAdeMO, up to 50 kW; Ultra-Fast, up to 150 kW; and the Hyper-Fast variation, offering speeds of up to 350 kW. 

Not All EVs Can Use Hyper-Fast Speeds

The company notes on its website that if an EV isn’t “capable of a 350kw maximum charge, the charger automatically applies the highest power level.” In this way, the car will always get the correct energy charge. 

Track Charge Progress

In an interview with wTop News, Electrify America’s Director of Marketing, Misty Murphey, said the company’s app allows EV charger users to track the progress of their battery’s charge even when they’re not close to their car.

The App Is Handy 

Electrify America’s app tells the user when the car is 80% full and needs to be moved. In this way, the driver will never be that EV charger hog.  

Fast Charging Station Pros

American charge station provider Electrify America is a reputable Zero Emission Vehicle infrastructure (ZEV). The company has charging stations throughout 47 States and is renowned for its fast DC charging station network. 

Changing the Way, People Charge their EVs

Electrify America is said to have implemented a strategy of how charging EVs will work so that everybody using their stations gets a fair opportunity. 

Lobbying Minimum Charges 

According to CNN, Tesla is also known to “cut out” the charge at a certain charge limit. Tesla cars can disconnect the charge at 80% automatically. 

There’s No Getting More After 80%

Electrify America’s charging stations are set only to charge until 80%. After it reaches 80%, the charge ends, preventing more power supply even while plugged in. 

Fast Charging Saving EV Drivers Time

The driver can continue on the road. Other branded charging stations may allow for up to 100% charge. However, this concept usually attracts the hoggers.

Lithium-ion batteries 

Most EVs have lithium-ion batteries installed. Lithium-ion is used to power even smaller tech items fast, from little to no battery power on a speed charge to 80%. The charge will drastically slow down once it reaches about 80% full. 

EV Batteries Are Lithium-Ion

The same concept applies even when charging an EV at a fast station. The battery will charge speedily until 80% and then drop the charge speed.

Productively Growing

Despite people still driving hybrids and petrol cars, the future is set for more EVs on the road. According to wTop News, Electrify America said that in 2020, charging stations recorded over 267,000 uses. During 2022, the company has seen 6 million charges at their stations. 

The More Charge Stations, the Better

A spokesperson for EVgo, another major American EV charging station manufacturer, said that supplying enough charging stations it could “mitigate” the “charge station hoarding behavior.”

More EVs, More Charging

As more EVs occupy the roads of America, it’s the hope that everyone will “play nice” and have charge courtesy when using charging stations. 

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