EV Charging Etiquette: 10 Unwritten Rules
Public charging works because drivers cooperate. The short version: move your car as soon as it is done, never unplug someone else's vehicle, do not park in a charging bay unless you are charging, leave the cable tidy, and do not take a rapid charger for a 5% top-up when someone behind you is nearly empty.
1. Move off when you are done
A charging bay is not a parking space with a bonus. On rapid chargers especially, staying plugged in after the session ends blocks the bay — and many networks now apply idle fees precisely because of this.
2. Do not unplug another car
Connectors lock during a session, so this is usually impossible anyway. Where it is possible, do not: you cannot know whether their charge is complete, and interrupting a session can leave them with less range than they planned for.
3. Do not park in a charging bay without charging
This applies to combustion cars — the practice known as "ICEing" — and equally to electric cars parked in a bay without plugging in. If you are not charging, the bay is not yours.
4. Match the charger to your need
If you need 5 kWh and there is an AC post free, use it and leave the rapid charger for someone who needs it. Conversely, do not occupy a 350 kW bay if your car peaks at 50 kW and a 50 kW unit is free.
5. Stop at 80% when there is a queue
Above roughly 80% charging slows sharply, so the last stretch delivers very little range for a lot of bay time. When people are waiting, 80% and go is the considerate choice — and usually the faster one for you too.
6. Leave the cable as you found it
Coil the tethered cable back onto the station. Cables left on the ground get driven over, damaged, and become a trip hazard.
7. Park within your own bay
Charge ports are in different places on different cars, and it is occasionally necessary to straddle bays. Occasionally. On a busy site, find another solution rather than taking two spaces.
8. Report faults
A broken charger nobody reports stays broken. Call the operator's number on the unit or report it in the app you use. It takes a minute and saves the next driver a wasted journey.
9. Queue fairly
Where there is a queue, form one and honour it. At sites with several bays, position your car so it is obvious you are waiting rather than parked.
10. Be patient with new drivers
Everyone's first public charge is awkward. If someone is struggling with a connector or a payment screen, helping takes thirty seconds and is the reason the culture around charging is generally good.
The one-line summary
Treat every charging bay as though the next driver is arriving at 6% state of charge — because sometimes they are. If you want to make that easier for yourself too, check availability before you set off: Voltika shows live status where operators publish it, across 368 cities.