Almost a quarter of electric vehicle owners said they’ve gotten in an argument at a charging station

There is only one car charging station in the Cranbrook area (Black Press Media files)

British Columbians who drive electric vehicles may find common ground on environmental issues, but all bets are off when it comes to who gets first dibs at public charging stations.

Charging etiquette is at the centre of BC Hydro’s latest survey. Almost a quarter of the 1,100 EV drivers surveyed admitted to arguing at an electric pump, while one-third said they had witnessed conflict.

The survey also heard that nearly a third of the respondents had fallen victim to another EV driver unplugging or attempting to unplug their vehicle while it was charging.

Just shy of a quarter said have experienced extreme frustration when another driver uses a public charger to fully charge their vehicle.

READ MORE: Drivers are ‘ICE-ing’ electric car charging spots in Greater Victoria

There are 1,700 public electric pumps across B.C., according to BC Hydro. Although the province offers rebates to eligible residents wishing to install a home charging station, the survey heard that most EV drivers choose to take advantage of public stations instead – with more than half admitting to making changes to their daily schedule or routine to use the chargers.

BC Hydro recommends a number of basic charging etiquette tips, including to avoid parking at an EV stall if you’re not charging your car, limit charging to 30 to 40 minutes, use the PlugShare app which allows drivers to find available stations and, most importantly, resist the urge to unplug another vehicle.

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