Rubicon has warned that EV and PHEV drivers will be penalised for plugging in without charging at its stations

[mylesillidge]

R250 fines for electric car charger hoggers in South Africa

South African electric vehicle (EV) charge point operator (CPO) Rubicon has started warning EV and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) drivers that they will be penalised for plugging in without charging at its stations.

Rubicon is South Africa's second-largest CPO, with around 100 charging stations in operation, each of which has at least two charging connectors.

 

[neoprema]

This is a problem in many countries. In some EU countries you're fined by police/traffic officers if they find your car parked without being plugged-in.

In France some of them have cameras with AI as well, and if you unplug the charger but don't move your car, it recognises the plate from when you did charge, and starts billing a "parking fee".

I'm sure other innovative solutions will be found and implemented.

 

[Craig_]

Makes sense, this would be similar to someone blocking the forecourt with people waiting to fuel up.

 

[FlashSA]

Makes sense, this would be similar to someone blocking the forecourt with people waiting to fuel up.

Yip. I called this as the next move in a previous thread and it makes perfect sense. Generally, people have become selfish in all aspects of life these days. Time to hit them where it hurts if they don't move their car when full.

 

[Craig_]

Yip. I called this as the next move in a previous thread and it makes perfect sense. Generally, people have become selfish in all aspects of life these days. Time to hit them where it hurts if they don't move their car when full.

You get the same with ICE cars, people go to the shop and leave the car there. Probably the same arsehole that does it with an EV.

 

[FlashSA]

You get the same with ICE cars, people go to the shop and leave the car there. Probably the same arsehole that does it with an EV.

100% ALL aspects of life. We tell people to fetch their cars BEFORE 4:30pm as we close at 4:30pm sharp. SO many times they phone at 4:25pm and say they are running late and we must wait. We used to until several made us wait until 5pm or after for them.

Now we just say that our workshop door is alarmed at 4:30pm, if you're not here, see you tomorrow.

Many people think their time is more important or simply just don't give a SH about inconveniencing others.

 

[Craig_]

100% ALL aspects of life. We tell people to fetch their cars BEFORE 4:30pm as we close at 4:30pm sharp. SO many times they phone at 4:25pm and say they are running late and we must wait. We used to until several made us wait until 5pm or after for them.

Now we just say that our workshop door is alarmed at 4:30pm, if you're not here, see you tomorrow.

Many people think their time is more important or simply just don't give a SH about inconveniencing others.

I would be livid.

 

[quovadis]

South Africa reinventing the wheel? Just give a grace period and charge per minute if the number of charge stations falls below a threshold. Parked without charging cable plugged in - tow it.

 

[oros]

Sounds like a good idea?

 

[Fudpukker]

So I tap to charge at Engen and go to the Wimpy for breakfast. I have no way of knowing when my vehicle is fully charged. HTF am I supposed to be notified? Appoint a charging joggie to come and tell me? I can also imagine being somewhere like Fourways mall, even if I do do get notification that I am fully charged, gonna take me half hour to walk back to my car, find another parking spot and walk another half hour to get back to the family that I left. Need a more elegant solution guys…

 

[longboy]

So I tap to charge at Engen and go to the Wimpy for breakfast. I have no way of knowing when my vehicle is fully charged. HTF am I supposed to be notified? Appoint a charging joggie to come and tell me? I can also imagine being somewhere like Fourways mall, even if I do do get notification that I am fully charged, gonna take me half hour to walk back to my car, find another parking spot and walk another half hour to get back to the family that I left. Need a more elegant solution guys…

Get an ICE vehicle then if it's so inconvenient.

 

[FlashSA]

So I tap to charge at Engen and go to the Wimpy for breakfast. I have no way of knowing when my vehicle is fully charged. HTF am I supposed to be notified? Appoint a charging joggie to come and tell me? I can also imagine being somewhere like Fourways mall, even if I do do get notification that I am fully charged, gonna take me half hour to walk back to my car, find another parking spot and walk another half hour to get back to the family that I left. Need a more elegant solution guys…

Maths!

The chargers or car show an estimated time to full when you start charging, right? Set a timer in your phone or smartwatch and start getting back to your car just before it reaches zero.

This is what I'm talking about. Everyone is more important so they don't want to use a tiny bit of effort to help the next human in the queue of life.

Be nice. It's not difficult.

 

[SauRoNZA]

Far worse are the knobs with ICE cars parking in EV charger parking bays.

 

[Hackson]

So I tap to charge at Engen and go to the Wimpy for breakfast. I have no way of knowing when my vehicle is fully charged. HTF am I supposed to be notified? Appoint a charging joggie to come and tell me? I can also imagine being somewhere like Fourways mall, even if I do do get notification that I am fully charged, gonna take me half hour to walk back to my car, find another parking spot and walk another half hour to get back to the family that I left. Need a more elegant solution guys…

"Not all electric cars notify you automatically, but the vast majority of modern EVs do. Notifications are sent as push alerts directly to your smartphone via the car manufacturer's companion app (e.g., Tesla, BMW My, or myAudi)."

 

[Justanotherguybythesea]

"Not all electric cars notify you automatically, but the vast majority of modern EVs do. Notifications are sent as push alerts directly to your smartphone via the car manufacturer's companion app (e.g., Tesla, BMW My, or myAudi)."

Yes, and if yours does not, you probably will easily be able to see on the in car displays time to charge, and thus get an idea that, if say your battery is at 25%, and you are getting a fast charge, that it will be at most 30 minutes before it is close to 60% with a fast DC charger, and the charger tells you how much it is putting in. Your phone AI can do the calculation till full if you are not capable, and you do not know how to ask the car that info.

This is aimed at those who go to the mall, park in the EV bay, plug in, and go to the movies, have a meal, have some drinks, and then decide 4 hours later that they probably should go home, while the car was at 70%, and charged up to near full full in 20 minutes, and then another 15 topping up to 100%, and then sat there blocking anybody else from charging for the next 3.5 hours.