Should Volts be allowed to use public charging stations?

[12V]

To flmark's edit: right on! It was their choice to buy that vehicle and they put themselves in a position to get stranded. I didn't. But I'm not supposed to ever use a charging station just in case they might want to use it someday and might have to wait for it??? And who's to say they're about to be stranded? Just because they have a Leaf doesn't mean they are low on charge. If I ever discovered that a Leaf owner stole my plug before I was fully charged, range anxiety would be the least of his problems ...

[SoCA_I*R]

Just as I wouldn't drive the Volt with an empty gas tank, counting on finding an unoccupied public charge sation to get me to my destination, I doubt any pudent pure BEV would do the same. If they do, it's their responsibility, not mine.

[sgtpokey]

I don't think BEV, EREV or the prius plugin have special rights between them, nor other cars. If an EV spot is open, I'll take it period. I have no qualms over that. This question implies some kind of hierarchy of worthiness and that rubs me the wrong way. That's getting close to thinking that electric cars as a whole are better than gas cars and somehow make the electric owner a better person (e.g. the South Park smug Pious skit)

[mikeg3]

Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.

Plugging in in hot weather protects my Volt.

I wouldn't advise unplugging someone else's car in Texas. There is an alarm and Texas is a stand your ground state.

[Dan & Nan]

Edit: I had to come back and add this as I kept thinking about the sense of entitlement that would have somebody assume you have less merit to something than they do- AND, oh by the way, THEY MADE THE CHOICE to buy a vehicle that could indeed leave them stranded-
After I exclaim to that crowd of people waiting for the last 45 minutes to be seated that I am starving, I say,
You see, I am starving because I decided to do this cold turkey diet where I told myself just don't carry any food with you. I figured if I didn't have any food with me, I'd just have to put up with being hungry and somehow make it through. It turns out that I made a mistake and now I just can't wait for all of you to eat before I do.

Remember this analogy if the owner of a BEV ever wants you to take a back seat to his desires!

I love this edit, too true. I bought a Volt, not because I want to burn gas, but because I want to avoid being stranded or turtled. If I have the choice though, I'm going to run on electricity, support businesses that have charging and only burn gas if I have to. I won't be a jerk though, if someone needs it, I'll assume they're being honest and let them charge.

This has been discussed at MNL, and there's a few that feel that Volts & PIP are taking what's theirs. Here's the original which starts off with a Leaf owner being told he was irresponsible for not getting a car with enough range by a PIP owner http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=8782 He then goes on to say that they should argue that public stations are not for PHEV use.

A new thread along the same vane has started up http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=9290

[Davem9586]

I believe first come, first served. Just because someone else isn't smart enough to by a Volt and gets stranded not my fault.

[tboult]

What part of the word "public" is unclear?

That being said, I think the market will sort it out. At more than $1/hr I'll leave it for the Leafs. If they get complaints of it all full I do think the management will do the math, which will probably include in looking at increasing the price.

[dcsulkis]

Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.

Plugging in in hot weather protects my Volt.

I wouldn't advise unplugging someone else's car in Texas. There is an alarm and Texas is a stand your ground state.

A guy in Houston just got 40 years for "standing his ground."

If you shoot someone for unplugging your Volt, better hope I'm not on the jury.

[Voltster]

I think old saying apply here:

First come first served.

The early bird gets the worm.

[mikeg3]

A guy in Houston just got 40 years for "standing his ground."

If you shoot someone for unplugging your Volt, better hope I'm not on the jury.

I hear my car alarm going off and I run over and see somebody with his hand on my Volt's charger cover (maybe he thinks it will stop the alarm). I'm not required to let him steal my $40,000 car.

No matter what the jury says, he's already dead. Why risk it?