Ski Resort L2 Charger etiquette

[Seoras]

Curious what folk think of plugging into an L2 Charger for 8 hours or so whilst skiing. Typically I would assume the same etiquette as any other public charger, go move your car when you are done but I've noticed that nobody does. There are only 4 L2 chargers where I go and the parking lot fills up to overflowing pretty much immediately. If you get there early and get an L2 Charger there will be no spots to move to when you are done, well without going to a lot with a shuttle bus or something.

I've avoided those chargers since I don't need them for my trip but I've been tempted by their proximity to the lodge and the range boost. I just don't think I could sit there all day without the guilt of hogging a spot but I also wouldn't want the hassle of having to park miles away and deal with shuttles, kids and gear afterwards.

FWIW typically the 4 units are typically occupied by Tesla's or plug-in hybrids. I get the BEV sitting there all day but the hybrid's do bring out a little of the snob in me.

Just curious what others think?

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[JoulesVerne]

I have only once in 3 seasons of snowboarding charged my R1T to 100% at a resort, and that was after the lifts closed. So I have never moved it out of a charging spot. Big battery on 4 - 9 kW L2 is usually not doing a big charge.

I agree that there is pretty poor etiquette on display. A PHEV should, by the logic of charging, never be plugged into one of 4 or 8 L2 dispensers when there's hardly anywhere else for BEVs to charge, and those BEVs are potentially hundreds of miles away from home. Locals who have clearly had their BEV plugged in for days (multiple days worth of snow piled high) is the most egregious example. Employees using a spot every single day, all day.

I have seen spots open up after lunch but that could easily be because folks are only on the mountain until their first beer.

Having spoken to one PHEV driver recently (I moved off a J1772 to a Tesla L2 because I had an adapter and she didn't), from her perspective she's decarbonizing her transportation as well. So I really can't fault folks who bought a PHEV and plug it in when possible. Does it annoy me? Yes, but I keep it to myself as it's a systemic problem, not one caused by any one individual's choices.

Practically speaking, it's a free resource available to anyone and it will suffer the tragedy of the commons. I don't think I'm entitled to free electricity, though sometimes in these charging deserts I get a bit desperate to charge as the days go by and the battery gets lower.

Get there 30 - 40 minutes before the lifts open and you'll probably get a spot. Check a few times after lunch and you'll probably get a spot.

In a year or two the charging deserts will be filled in with DCFC and jockeying for an L2 charger will be a thing of the past.

 

[Throwdown]

Go to Eldora where they have 56 lvl2 chargers for free and it's not an issue

 

[R.I.P.]

L2 etiquette 101:

Always check in on plug share!!!

The L2 is there for me to use, but it's entirely conceivable that somebody needs it worse than I do. If I have checked in with plugshare, they can contact me and present their case for needing it more than I do.

This applies whether it's a hotel, ski resort, or any other public charger.

 

[COdogman]

People aren't going to change. The only way this gets fixed is steep idle fees, even at free chargers. If you move your car after yours is done then you still get it for free. If not it should be a high enough rate to get people's attention.

 

[RandomMcRandomFace]

There is zero.zero chance I am going to trudge back to my car, unplug it, drive to some far off parking space and then go back to ski because my car is charged. Pretty sure that's the universally held view. But I will say that I only plug in when I need a crap load of charge and given how "thirsty" the R1S is, I've never had this happen (but if it did, my point remains). Who is arriving mid-day to ski/randomly charge their car? Seems like a non-issue practically.

 

[sub]

I think the proper etiquette for L2 charging is to charge when you need to....and don't charge when you don't.

If you have enough range to get back home, to the hotels charger, or to get by another 24 hours until return tomorrow, then don't hog the EV charging spot. Save it for someone who really does need it.

If you actually do need to charge, then don't feel bad about using it, and with how slow L2 charging is, you won't hit 100% in less than 8 hours so you won't need to worry about moving.

If you only need 2 hours of charging, chances are you don't actually need to charge at all. So don't.

 

[ads75]

I have to agree with others here, I doubt I would go back and unplug, and then search for a parking spot in a remote location. If the charger cord could reach multiple spots, I might go back and unplug so someone else could use it, depends on how convenient it is. I also doubt people showing up to go ski are going to check back in the parking lot periodically to see if a charging spot opened up. And if a charging spot did open up in a crowded parking lot, there may be a decent chance of it getting ICEd anyway. But most people shouldn't be showing up to a ski resort (or anything similar) absolutely needing to charge. I also don't think I would plug in to begin with, at a public place with very limited chargers, if I didn't need the charge to get home, although I probably would if it meant not needing a HVDC stop on the way home.

 

[webfootdawg]

I've been thinking about this recently.

My local Mountain, Mt Hood Meadows in Oregon, recently installed some 6.2 kW L2 chargers. $0.42/kWh with $50/hr idle fees after four hours. Six spots, front row parking. On a busy day, the whole place can fill up, and the main lot (with the chargers), plus three other lots can all fill up. It's quite possible one could claim a charger at 0800, then four hours later there could be no parking left. I don't know if the ski hill has a plan for this, but it's conceivable one could be without parking options after four hours of charging, so you're kind of stuck paying the idle fees if you want to stick around. AITAH? I can make the round trip on one charge from home.

There are DCFC options, downhill, less than 40 miles away. FWIW

 

[CharonPDX]

FWIW typically the 4 units are typically occupied by Tesla's or plug-in hybrids. I get the BEV sitting there all day but the hybrid's do bring out a little of the snob in me.

Just curious what others think?

I’m the other way - if you’re at a ski resort that many people can get to and back from on one charge, you shouldn’t be using the chargers. Plug-in hybrids, on the other hand, are trying to drive on electric whenever possible to be better, this need the charge. (Or low-range EVs like Leafs or older EVs.)

I live 60 miles from my nearest ski resort. Back when I had a BMW i3, I *needed* that charger at the ski slopes to get home. Now? I don’t. So I don’t use it. I save it for those who do need it.

 

[SSteveEV]

I agree with most above, charge if you need it but if you have close by options leave it for someone else. I've checked at lunch to plug in after parking beside the space. Have also charged the full day never hitting 100% multiple times but those were on trips when the hotel didn't have a charger.

Agree with the PHEV falling into the category of "charge when needed" ie please not when our thirsty trucks just hauled up a mountain
This could be bias leftover from getting stuck not charging at a hotel with a 32 mile range Pacifica charging at 7pm. It was full by 8.

 

[jjswan33]

I’ll chime in here and playing the devils advocate. A few weeks ago I was at Crystal Mountain Resort. The L2 chargers there are the only option between there and the I5 corridor. So spending 2 nights up there I absolutely needed to charge at least one day to be able to make it back to civilization.

It’s easy to assume that everyone at the ski area is taking laps on their favorite lifts, most are. On the other hand other people are snow shoeing, ski touring and other nature activities that take you further away from the resort.

In my case I ended up charging for a little over 6 hours. Also for the record the resort has the charger set to free for the 1st four hours and then $15/hour after. So it was a spendy charge but again I really had little choice.

 

[SANZC02]

I’ll chime in here and playing the devils advocate. A few weeks ago I was at Crystal Mountain Resort. The L2 chargers there are the only option between there and the I5 corridor. So spending 2 nights up there I absolutely needed to charge at least one day to be able to make it back to civilization.

It’s easy to assume that everyone at the ski area is taking laps on their favorite lifts, most are. On the other hand other people are snow shoeing, ski touring and other nature activities that take you further away from the resort.

In my case I ended up charging for a little over 6 hours. Also for the record the resort has the charger set to free for the 1st four hours and then $15/hour after. So it was a spendy charge but again I really had little choice.

I do like how they have the pay structure setup.

 

[defcon888]

Curious what folk think of plugging into an L2 Charger for 8 hours or so whilst skiing. Typically I would assume the same etiquette as any other public charger, go move your car when you are done but I've noticed that nobody does. There are only 4 L2 chargers where I go and the parking lot fills up to overflowing pretty much immediately. If you get there early and get an L2 Charger there will be no spots to move to when you are done, well without going to a lot with a shuttle bus or something.

I've avoided those chargers since I don't need them for my trip but I've been tempted by their proximity to the lodge and the range boost. I just don't think I could sit there all day without the guilt of hogging a spot but I also wouldn't want the hassle of having to park miles away and deal with shuttles, kids and gear afterwards.

FWIW typically the 4 units are typically occupied by Tesla's or plug-in hybrids. I get the BEV sitting there all day but the hybrid's do bring out a little of the snob in me.

Just curious what others think?

What I would do is print out something with the time you started charging and give it 4 hours.
Get yourself a Google phone number (free) and have people text you if they would like to charge after that or getting close to the time.

 

[solaskaze]

My experience of skier etiquette is as follows: 1) Those who like the bar down (me) 2) Those who like the bar up 3) Those who REFUSE the bar down and tell you to f- off.

OK, 3) is a smaller crowd, but can I get a psych eval on those folks?

That was off topic, but venting was required.

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