Guest charging etiquette

[Mathme]

I have a H2 2023 delivery window on a R1T and thought I'd pose a question to see what the collective thought is on friends & guests charging at your home while visiting.

Here's the background: We have a L2 Charger at our main home that we use with the Tesla Roadster and will also use with the Rivian when it comes. Our vacation house (~250 miles away) only has a L1 set-up that will be upgraded to a L2 charger once the Rivian gets closer to delivery.

We currently have friends who frequently visit in their BEVs and there is often this little dance they do to get to an outlet to charge. It's sort of come to an expectation that they can charge as they are visiting. To put this into an ICE perspective, it's like I'm paying their gas money to get home.

Here's my question for the forum: What is the proper etiquette when you're charging a BEV as a guest at another persons' house? There's several things you can do that range from just letting them charge, to charging them by the kWh, have them bring a nice bottle of wine, etc.

Thoughts?

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[Dark-Fx]

It's a couple of bucks. Don't be a scrooge. Especially if it means they don't need to stop somewhere for a charge because they are able to charge there.

I personally never expect it, but I only have one close friend with a charger and he doesn't even have a BEV yet. I could plug in when I visit my parents, but I don't because they don't have solar (or pay the credits) and it's close enough I'd never need to to get home.

 

[timesinks]

We have friends who don't have chargers at home and always encourage them to plug in in our driveway. It'll vary a bit with where you are and your rates, but most guests are going to use far less electricity than I spent on the food and drinks to host them. When we visit them, they are similarly gracious with their hospitality. The two-way generosity is a big part of why we've chosen to be friends with each other.

 

[ads75]

I would just let them charge, if I wasn't doing it myself. The beer they may drink would probably be more expensive than the battery charge. I also might hope to charge if I visited their house, if I needed to, and they weren't using it. If visiting someone, I would probably try to find a DCFS nearby first though, so "needing" to charge wouldn't be an issue when I arrived, but sometimes people run behind schedule on things, or encounter traffic. Things could grow into a can of worms if multiple people/cars are visiting and everyone wants to charge. I would also think some beer/wine/whiskey/ice cream could be provided by whomever wants to charge, but would by no means be a dealbreaker.

 

[kurtlikevonnegut]

I have a H2 2023 delivery window on a R1T and thought I'd pose a question to see what the collective thought is on friends & guests charging at your home while visiting.

Here's the background: We have a L2 Charger at our main home that we use with the Tesla Roadster and will also use with the Rivian when it comes. Our vacation house (~250 miles away) only has a L1 set-up that will be upgraded to a L2 charger once the Rivian gets closer to delivery.

We currently have friends who frequently visit in their BEVs and there is often this little dance they do to get to an outlet to charge. It's sort of come to an expectation that they can charge as they are visiting. To put this into an ICE perspective, it's like I'm paying their gas money to get home.

Here's my question for the forum: What is the proper etiquette when you're charging a BEV as a guest at another persons' house? There's several things you can do that range from just letting them charge, to charging them by the kWh, have them bring a nice bottle of wine, etc.

Thoughts?

I'd go with a bottle of whisky over a bottle of wine personally, but it's also situationally dependent.

Nissan Leaf? A bottle of Jack

Chevy Bolt? Fireball (too soon?)

Rivian? Woodford or similar

Hummer EV? Pappy 18

 

[COdogman]

You’d be better off asking them to stay at a hotel and letting them charge for free at your house.

Alternate solution: Don’t invite anyone over….ever?

 

[Laurent]

Is that your Roadster in Los Altos (with my Model S in the background)? Awesome car. I had one reserved in 2008 before switching over to the S.
Same situation here. We have a place in Tahoe and we let our guests charge for free. The cost is negligible.

 

[moosetags]

Bring beer and plug in!!!!!!!!!!

Brian

 

[mikehmb]

Looks like we’re near-neighbors - I’m on the coast. PGE rates, for those non-Californians, are … pretty terrible. Even when you game the system it’s still high no matter how you slice it. Best case scenario is 30c/kwh.

So, when friends come over, we’re happy to let them charge, but they also understand the cost of electricity and only ask when it’s kind of an emergency. If my Tesla friends drop by and want to borrow 50kwh because they’re going to be here all day or are using my place as a launch point to the beach, then I’m going to ask them to contribute to a donation fund.

Create a bucket, set it out, and if they ask to charge, ask them to donate (local school, charity, whatever).

That said - literally none of our friends have done that because it sounds kind of douchey exc in emergencies.

 

[svet-am]

I allow this with family and friends often. All I expect is that they ask first and they never assume/expect that I will allow them to charge. Other than that it is just part of my hospitality.

 

[SANZC02]

I’m in SoCal, we have high rates as well. I let people charge if they want to, a few EV charges will not add up to that much.

For me, if I go to someone’s house and charge, I’ll offer them money for the convenience but that is just me, I do not expect that when I let them charge.

 

[cbrcanuck]

While this will be my first EV whenever it arrives, I would think it would come down to basic respect for each other. If it were me, I would never expect to just plug in every time unless we both had EVs and we did it to each other in generally similar amounts. If I was in a pinch, sure they'd be happy to help. Otherwise I'd try and make it more lighthearted or fun. Like starting a money jar and throw the cost of the power into it every time. And then when there's enough money in the jar, buy some beer and share it.

I wouldn't go to my friends' and help myself to the food in their fridge either. Similar type of respect. There's no right or wrong, just depends on your preferences and the type of relationship you want to have. I want to be welcome back and not be a mooch.

 

[Mathme]

Is that your Roadster in Los Altos (with my Model S in the background)? Awesome car. I had one reserved in 2008 before switching over to the S.
Same situation here. We have a place in Tahoe and we let our guests charge for free. The cost is negligible.

That one isn't ours...ours is a meteor gray with a Tahoe plate on it.

 

[Mathme]

For me the overall cost to have people charge is negligible...I was more asking what's the etiquette. People are generally welcome to charge. My question was more orientated toward the people doing the charging..what's that perspective?

 

[cbuckley]

I kind of look at it like allowing guests to use my pool, showers, and other electronics - generally good form to ask before helping themselves. It’s negligible in the grand scheme of costs and it’s not like they are trying to sleep in your bed or use your toothbrush.

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