Sainsburys aim to establish etiquette for EV charging

Sainsburys have turned to etiquette coach William Hanson to produce a guide emphasising the dos and don’ts of EV charging, so EV drivers can avoid some of the worst faux pas committed when charging.

Sainsbury’s Smart Charge have conducted research into some of the greatest annoyances drivers encounter when trying to charge their EVs and the new etiquette guide aims to help minimise these in the future. 

The research not only highlighted EV drivers’ charging bugbears but also revealed the extent to which those people themselves abuse the system.

Over half of them (51%) admitted to ‘ghost charging’, in which they occupy an empty charging space in a a busy car park and pretend to charge the car.

70% of EV drivers felt there is a lack of etiquette within the EV community, with 88% of them saying they had experienced frustration at other drivers not following the rules.

The top 10 charging irritants according to the research are:

1. Lack of charging availability (35%) – experiencing long queues due to not enough charging spots available
2. Plug hogging (34%) – drivers leaving their EV charging for much longer than needed
3. Long wait times for your car to charge (31%) – having to wait up to several hours for a full charge
4. Parking perils/poor parking (29%) – other drivers not parking properly or in the appropriate spot
5. Cable spaghetti (26%) – drivers taking the ‘wrong side’ charging cable, causing cable crossover
6. Ghost charging (24%) – drivers pretending to charge just to nab a parking space
7. Not following instructions (22%) – when others don’t follow the clear instructions and processes sign posted by EV charging brands
8. Littering (20%) – drivers not cleaning up after themselves before departing their bay
9. Engaging in small talk (18%) – having to partake in a conversation with the driver next to you when you’re not in the mood
10. Current corrupting (17%) – drivers trying to stop someone else’s charge

Etiquette coach, William Hanson, said: ‘It’s been an absolute honour helping to educate the British public on appropriate social etiquette when it comes to navigating the EV world as no one likes an awkward encounter or a charge hog. By working with Sainsbury’s Smart Charge to create an EV Etiquette Guide, we’re hoping to reduce the frustrations felt by the electric vehicle community, so people can have a more enjoyable, stress-free experience.’