Strangers unplugging electric vehicles at charging stations has become a disturbing trend.
One blatant example was caught in Toronto, where an EV owner parked at a DC fast charging station and then walked to a nearby restaurant to get food.
The original poster's video shows another driver unplugging their charging car to get the full charging capacity for their own vehicle. Commenters suggested that the culprit's selfish motivation was likely to get max charging speed rather than split speed shared between two vehicles at once.
"I got an alert that my car stopped charging, but I didn't see it until after I finished my food," the OP wrote. "Came back 40 minutes later, expecting my car to be almost done, but someone else was charging in my spot, and my car was still halfway charged."
Unplugging a charging EV can be considered an act of vandalism and prevents drivers from reaching their intended destination in good time. It is also bad etiquette to unplug someone else's car without their permission, as stations operate on a first-come, first-served basis.Â
EV vandalism is often caused by those skeptical about the technology and worried about what it means for the future of cars powered by dirty energy. In their defense, those who are anti-EV may argue about the environmental impact of mining for materials to make EV batteries. However, the process is improving, and electric cars are still cleaner and more sustainable over their life cycle.
This situation stands out because it was another EV driver who committed the etiquette breach.
A better approach involves notifying an EV owner before unplugging a car or, at minimum, ensuring that their vehicle is fully charged before unplugging. Meanwhile, EV drivers must be mindful of charging station time limits so they aren't taking up a spot that another driver could use.
Communication between EV drivers is essential to encourage the widespread adoption of EVs and reduce our cities' reliance on dirty energy for transportation.
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Chargers not working 🚫 Other r/TorontoDriving followers were appalled at the EV unplugging video and shared their reactions in the comments.Â
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One Redditor simply wrote, "This is disgusting."
"Any honor-based system doesn't work in current Canadian urban communities," another Redditor commented. "If you're not watching your car, it will happen. It shouldn't, but it will."
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