Avoiding EV Charge Rage: A Charging Etiquette Guide
Avoiding EV Charge Rage: A Guide to Charging Etiquette
As electric cars continue to transform the automotive industry, they bring with them a suite of unique EV technologies and new driving practices. Inevitably, this comes with a learning curve for electric car owners as they adjust to new habits, such as EV charging.
EV charging
and how it works marks one of the most significant differences between owning an electric versus a conventional petrol or diesel car. Indeed, having to learn the etiquette of electric car charging, particularly in public, is one of the biggest shifts we experience in the switch to Electric.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll delve into EV charging etiquette and provide six expert tips for avoiding EV charge rage while also getting the most out of the electric driving experience.
1. Plan Ahead
Planning ahead is one of the most effective ways to avoid large queues, long waits and EV charge rage.
With Kia Connect, you have access to a comprehensive directory of our EV public charging points, both through your car’s infotainment system or Kia Connect app, complete with live availability information. This means you can view how busy Kia charge points are in real-time and choose a spot where you’re less likely to queue.
The Kia Charge
app also provides an interactive map of all Kia public charging stations across the UK, with live availability and pricing. This is particularly useful if you’re planning a long-distance road trip or driving in an area you’re not familiar with, as you can browse the local charge points beforehand and plan your charging stops in advance.
2. Don’t overstay your welcome
Sometimes referred to as camping, leaving your car plugged in and unattended at public charging stations for longer than necessary is one of the main triggers of EV charge rage.
At many stations, particularly in high-traffic areas like motorways or large supermarkets, it’s likely that there’ll be a large demand for public chargers. This means there’s often someone waiting to use the charger after you. To maintain electric car charging etiquette, ensure you know how long your vehicle will take to charge and be ready to move it as soon as you’re done.
It is easy to know how long your charge will take. The information displays in your Kia’s instrument cluster as soon as you start your charge. You can also consult your Kia Connect app to keep on top of things from your phone. You can find charging times for all our electric and PHEV Kias on our dedicated public EV charging page.
It also goes without saying that you should only park in a charging spot if you need to charge your vehicle. If you want to avoid EV charge rage, make sure you don’t use charging stations as a standard parking space.
3. Know which charge points you can use
All Kia EVs come with a charging port that uses the Type 2 and CCS standards, both widely accepted at public charging stations in the UK and across Europe.
As public charging station.
are operated by many different companies, all with their own pricing and access method, it is also worth knowing how you can use their station beforehand.
On the Kia Charge
app, we have a comprehensive, interactive map of all the public charging stations you can access with your Kia Charge subscription. We also provide three simple ways to start a charging session and pay:
• With your Kia Charge RFID card
• Through the Kia Charge app
• Using plug & charge (if your model has this function)
With all these options available to our Kia family, you can make paying for EV charging a speedy and seamless process.
4. Choose the right charging speed
As all EV owners will know, public EV charging stations come with different charging speeds. These include relatively slow AC chargers ranging from 3kW to 22kW in power, fast DC chargers that offer up to 100kW power and high-power chargers that deliver in excess of 100kW, usually up to 350kW.
Before you plug in, make sure you’re using a charger that offers the charging speed you’re looking for. The Kia Charge
app includes filters that help you search by plug type and charging speed. If you’re looking for a specific charging speed, such as high-power charger, consult the map first to find a station that offers the appropriate facilities.
The charging speed of a charger will determine how long you will need to charge. So you don’t overspend your stay at a charging bay and don’t experience EV charge rage, you can check how long your charge will take by looking at your Kia EV’s instrument cluster or your Kia Connect app.
All Kia electric cars
have DC and High-Power charging capabilities, so charging doesn’t have to slow you down. The Kia EV9
, for example, can charge from 10-80% in just 24 minutes on a 350kW charger.
5. Take care of the charger and contribute to the community
Finally, take care of the charger.
It’s common EV charging etiquette to leave the charger as you found it. Once you’ve finished charging, make sure to hang the cord up so it’s not at risk of being driven over and broken.
It is also a good idea to report on the charger’s condition using the &Charge app. Contributing to the &Charge app allows you to earn points that can be converted into free charging credit in Kia Charge.
Are you ready to get started with your own EV? Browse our award-winning electric car
range or book a test drive
today.
Images shown are for illustration purposes only and may not be to full UK specification. Features shown are not standard across the Kia model range and availability will vary dependant on model. For further details please refer to the individual model specification sheets.
Product availability varies by models. To find out which products are available for your vehicle, please contact your Kia dealer.
*The range was determined according to the standardised EU measurement procedure (WLTP). The individual driving style and other factors, such as speed, outside temperature, topography and the use of electricity-consuming devices/units, have an influence on the real-life range and can possibly reduce it.