What is ghost charging and how are half of EV owners using it to get priority?

A new survey finds that half of electric car drivers admit to “ghost charging,” a simple tactic to gain priority parking at supermarkets, restaurants and shopping centers.

This selfish move is especially common in large cities, where parking is scarce.

According to a study conducted by Sainsbury’s called ‘EV first’, Cardiff, Birmingham and Belfast are said to be the biggest offenders.

In a poll of 505 EV owners, 51 percent said they use ghost charging.

This involves pretending to charge their car so that they can use an electric vehicle charging station. These charging stations are usually located in priority areas of parking lots and are often available in large city centres.

The research shows that it is comparable to a driver abusing a disabled parking space, or adults only taking up parents’ and children’s parking spaces in supermarkets.

More than a third of EV owners surveyed admitted to regularly ghost charging.

This misleading move means that electric car owners who need to charge their cars are unable to access available charging points, as their electric cars are often parked where they are and therefore no longer working.

With the UK’s charging infrastructure constantly under the spotlight and often criticised for being substandard, selfish drivers who have already switched to electric vehicles are making it difficult for others who have opted for greener driving.

It’s just one example of poor etiquette surrounding electric car ownership, as revealed by findings from Sainsburys, which launched its own charging company, Smart Charge, in January.

By pretending to charge, EV owners are taking up charging spots normally located in priority areas of parking lots and often available in large city centers.

With the UK’s charging infrastructure constantly under the spotlight and often criticised for being substandard, self-interested drivers who have already switched to electric vehicles are making life difficult for others who have chosen greener motoring.

Seven in ten electric car owners surveyed said there is a lack of manners within the EV community, while nearly nine in ten drivers (88 percent) admitted to being frustrated at charging stations because other drivers weren’t following the rules.

A common problem is ‘plug shortage’, another major issue for a third (34 percent) of EV owners.

This is especially the case when drivers want to charge their batteries above 80 percent via public devices. This is not recommended.

The charging curve works in such a way that as the battery approaches 100 percent maximum capacity, the charging speed decreases and it takes longer to extend the range.

This is because the electrons entering the battery have to work harder to find space.

By charging the battery to 80 percent, EV owners typically extend their driving range while avoiding the lowest charging rate at the end of the session.

Long wait times (31 percent), poor parking skills (29 percent) and ‘cable spaghetti’ (drivers taking the wrong end of the charging cable) (26 percent) are also among the biggest annoyances.

Sainsbury’s says a combination of these frustrations means almost two in five (38 percent) electric car owners feel less comfortable charging an electric car than filling up a combustion engine car with petrol or diesel.

Sainsbury’s claims that they are trying to solve some of these problems by making their Smart Charge devices easier to find and operate.

Charging stations, such as parent-child and disabled spaces, are often given priority over parking spaces, meaning the rules are often abused.

Trish Devlin, customer director at the supermarket charging company, said: “We know the rules around electric vehicle charging can be a minefield, but Smart Charge aims to make everyday life easier for drivers.

‘We’re always listening to our customers and want to help solve common issues so we can create a better experience for everyone.

‘Smart Charge is designed to provide a unique and convenient service, with ample and easily accessible parking, an easy-to-use contactless payment system and many practical features for customers.’

Also throwing litter on the street (20 percent), not following instructions (22 percent) and making superficial chitchat (18 percent) topped the list of annoyances for electric vehicle drivers.

When asked how they use their downtime while waiting for their electric car to charge, almost half said they use this downtime as an opportunity to have some time for themselves (47 percent) and do their weekly shopping (29 percent).

Some do it to get away from the family for a while.

The survey found that 13 percent use the time to escape from their partner, while 12 percent say they enjoy some time away from the kids.