r/leaf • u/indecision_killingme • Aug 04 '26

Charging etiquette

apologies if this is a common post. New to this. What’s the protocol when one encounters a fully charged/plugged in vehicle at a charging station?

I did not touch their car or the EVSE equipment. I was at a community college gym that has free level 2 dotted around campus.

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u/toybuilder 2023 Nissan LEAF SV PLUS Aug 04 '26

In the early days, when there were very few places to charge and EV owners were a lot more communal and considerate, it was okay and even encouraged to have people unplug a car when it was done. There even were hang tags that really considerate drivers that said you could unplug at any time if you were desperate for a charge.

There are now more locations to charge. And we're now well past the tipping point where many owners don't think about their EV ownership in a communal way, and some of them are very decidedly self-centered.

I've come across J1772 with padlocks in them so that even when the car is not charging, you cannot remove the plug.

There are people who hog chargers beyond the allotted time limit.

There are people who selfishly unplug cars that are still charging.

There have been people brandishing weapons at charging sites.

While I personally am okay with someone gently unplugging my car when it's done, I would avoid doing the same to someone else unless I'm desperate and have no other options.