Charging Etiquette and the Driver Experience: Why CPOs Have a Role to Play
A charger can be online, operational, and still fail the next driver.
Consider a familiar scene: an EV has finished charging, but its owner is still inside getting coffee. Another driver arrives with 20% battery and nowhere to plug in. Nothing is broken. Your dashboard shows the charger is working. But for the driver waiting to plug in, the site is not delivering what they need.
It is easy to call this bad charging etiquette. But when drivers are left to figure out who goes next, how long to wait, or when to move their car, the problem is bigger than manners. It is a gap in how the site is managed.
For charge point operators (CPOs), keeping chargers online is only part of the job. Helping drivers share them with clear rules, timely reminders, and a simple process when stalls are full is part of the service, too.
A good charging experience should be built on clear guidance, not assumptions about how drivers will behave.
Different behaviors, the same access problem
Unclear expectations can lead to everyday conflicts at charging sites. These can take several forms:
ICEing: A gas-powered vehicle occupies an EV charging stall, preventing drivers from using the charger.
Staying after charging ends: An EV remains in the stall after its session is complete. Without a reminder or a clear reason to move, the driver may not realize someone else is waiting.
Missing a reservation: At sites that offer reservations, a driver books a charger but never arrives. If the reservation is not released promptly, other drivers may be left waiting while the stall sits empty.
The reasons differ, but the result is the same: a charger that should be available is out of reach.
Why this lands on the CPO
At a gas station, drivers usually stay with their vehicles and leave once they have filled up. Charging works differently. Drivers may walk away during a session, and at a site with only a few stalls, one car staying too long can leave the next person waiting. The waiting driver may recognize that another customer caused the delay. But their experience is still tied to the charging network.
CPOs cannot control every driver’s behavior. They can, however, set clear expectations, explain what availability information means, and give drivers a way to report a blocked stall. Those steps help prevent one person’s actions from becoming a frustrating experience for everyone else.
The risk here is not necessarily legal liability. It is a loss of trust. Drivers need more than a charger that works. They need confidence that they can use it when they arrive.
These tools help, but they cannot solve everything
CPOs can use fees, reservation rules, and reminders to help keep charging stalls available. But each has limits.
Idle fees charge drivers for staying after charging ends. They give drivers a reason to move, but someone who misses the reminder may still leave their car in place. The next driver keeps waiting, even as the fee adds up.
Reservation time limits release a booking if the driver does not arrive on time. This gives others a chance to use the charger, but it can frustrate a driver who arrives just a few minutes late. The time limit needs to be clear before they book.
App reminders let drivers know when charging is finished and it is time to move. But they only help if the driver sees the message and acts on it.
And none of these tools can move a gas-powered car parked in a charging stall. Fees and reminders are useful, but drivers also need clear rules and a way to get help when a stall is blocked.
What better tools could look like
CPOs need more ways to keep stalls available without turning every delay into a penalty or a call for a tow truck. A few approaches could help:
✅ Idle fees that reflect demand. Fees could be lower when the site is quiet and higher when most stalls are occupied. Drivers would need clear notice of the rate and enough time to move before charges begin.
✅Better visibility into occupied stalls. Sensors could help operators spot when a car is parked in a stall but no charging session is active. That information could support more accurate availability updates and help staff identify access problems.
✅ Feedback that encourages considerate use. Apps could give drivers private reminders about repeated overstays and explain how their actions affect others. The goal would be to encourage better habits, not publicly shame drivers.
These approaches would still have limits. Knowing a stall is blocked does not automatically clear it, and a reminder does not guarantee someone will move. Better tools can make the rules easier to follow and problems easier to spot. CPOs still need a clear process for what happens next.