Parking and charging etiquette

So…my Y should be delivered I. The next two weeks and my first road trip is a few weeks later. The hotel I’m staying at the first night charges $22/night for parking, but the EV charger is $2/hour while charging and $1/hour while not. I’ll be able to top off and then sit there plugged in for less than if I just parked alone! I think as long as you are plugged in and charging (or paying overage fees if applicable) it’s fine. And as long as no one else is waiting to charge, but not sure how you would know that without Sentry mode.

Ohh I hadn’t thought of the hotel angle. I’ve got a road trip in July. I know that the hotel offers the charging stations so I’ll have to look at that!

I use the PlugShare app to check local spots. Even when I arrive at my next destination, there’s a free charger at a grocery store on the other side of the hotel parking lot. If not in use, I’ll use that. I mean, I’m not poor by any means…but free is free!!

Generally, you use public charging spots when you need to charge. If you don't really need to charge and there are other spots available, then you would park in a regular spot as there may be another EV driver who is at a low state of charge who really needs to charge. And yes, charging spots are too often placed in primo locations near building entrances rather than off somewhere more distant in the parking lot as installation costs are lower closer to buildings rather than the far ass end of the parking lot where they should be. The etiquette for charging is pretty much like any situation where there is a publicly available resource. Use it if you need it. Skip it if you don't . Move when you have enough. Enjoy your new ride. I'm 7 years, 110,000 miles and 4 Teslas in. It is awesome every day.

Super common for obnoxious EV owners to park and not charge in these locations. If you are actually charging, even if it’s a top off you don’t really need, it’s fine. Move when you’re done charging.

We road trip throughout the year and family is about 5 hours away.  When we go to visit I totally book the same hotel.  It has 2 Tesla destination chargers.  I learned years ago that the Tesla chargers will open the charge door of any Tesla when you push the button on the handle. I've hit my full charge, went out and unplugged from my car and plugged in strangers Teslas that parked next to me.  I've also been the one who parked next to a charger in use and came out the next morning to a full battery because someone was nice enough to plug it in for me. Nice thing is you can plug someone in but you cannot unplug them.

Please don't park there just to park and not charge. There might be someone who really needs it. Also rarely I see a Tesla super charger parked near entrances, of a mall for example. Superchargers are usually towards the back of the parking lot or parking garage from my I've come across. Those non-tesla chargers are sometimes closer but if there's a Tesla charger there, I'll use the Tesla charger.

Are you sure its not $22/night + the charging cost? I have to think the charger is inside the parking of the hotel.

Confirmed on PlugShare…two chargers located just as you enter the garage before one drives into the paid area! And it used to be free charging apparently! 😇

oh...dang...in that case just charge away...lol

So there’s a charger quality difference I should be aware of? Oh the things I’m learning! I know the speed of charging difference. But is there like, a quality” of charge difference? I’m not even sure that’s a thing. I’m very “green” to EVs.

I think its more the convenience factor. With a public charger (non tesla), you'll need to open an app, swipe your card or maybe choose payment method, etc. With a Tesla charger, you just plug in....thats it! When its done or when your just ready to leave, your app/car tells you and you just unplug and go. With public chargers also, ones that I've dealt with, you need an adapter to use them. Unless your using a charger at work which are usually public chargers, its almost always convenient just using a Tesla charger when possible.

Tesla chargers are highly reliable. 3rd party chargers can have technical problems (out of service, charging issues) but I have not seen the amount of complaints I saw, say 2+ years ago. You may need an adapter to plug in at a 3rd party charger - your new car may already come with them, mine did. The main issue you will see with chargers are people using them as regular parking spaces with EV's and ICE vehicles. Nothing more infuriating than coming into a charge location and seeing some gas-powered shitbox parked in the stall, and every other stall has one too.

We recently went to a tourist town. As we were driving down its main road my son said, "hey dad, look there are EV chargers". I pulled in and found 4 free Tesla Destination chargers. The rest of the lot was $2/hour for parking. We plugged in and got 25 kwh of free juice over 4 hours. The charger was sponsored by the local utility at the town's visitor center. The town didn't have a Supercharger so I had charged the day before to arrive at 60%. We charged to 96% before heading home. This allowed us to skip our next planned SuperCharger stop and saved $7.75 in charging and $8 for parking.