Whilst not knowing the particulars, it is a growing problem. The great unwashed do not think beyond themselves, many EV/Phev owners will park in a charging bay and walk off, if challenged they say its an EV parking bay – not helped by signs saying electric vehicles only – so they assume that’s where they can park. Of course, they could just be making up excuses for their inconsiderate behaviour.
Some car parks charge for parking, but charging is free, so EVs will pull up, park, plug in and NOT charge, but look like they are, again, blocking the charger from use for others. Not something you’ll see on a forecourt much beyond someone doing a little shopping after filling up in the attached mini-Tesco (other supermarkets are available). The answer to a lot of this on rapid chargers is a reasonable free “charging ” period, then eyewatering overstay penalties to have people move on. Same penalties can be levied if you are parked but not charging. Tesla do this already to ensure their bays are as free as possible to maximise revenue.
Standard 7kw chargers can remain the wild west of parking as they are long term charging solutions, not
EV evangelista get incensed by PHEVs charging in a rapid bay, also considered poor etiquette as they can only charge at 7kw so take ages to reach their 30 mile capacity whilst blocking the bay from other EV’s who need the charge at 50kw or more. But that, of course, is hogwash, they have every right to a charge, just as much as you do, otherwise we enter into “my big car needs the charge more than your puny battery runaround, don’t you know how important I am” – which has also been reported as happening already…
Finally, there are those who will stop your session and plug their own car in. That is of course, despicably selfish, but will be all too common as the chargepoint installations fall woefully behind the EV uptake. Expect more queues and more shitty behaviour, especially now its company cars that take up the bulk of sales, many salesmen are utter selfish dicks More Important Than You. I should know, I’ve worked in procurement for 35 years, I’ve seen more than my fair share!
Personally I’ve never used a supermarket chargepoint, can’t see the attraction of 3-45mins of 7kw charging giving just 12 miles or so of charge, hardly worth taking the car’s cable out of its unopened packaging. Even if the chargepoint offered 22kw my car will only accept 7kw (1 phase of the 3 = 7.2kw). Renault Zoes can take the full 22kw due to some very weird French engineering.
In life, it's not who you know that's important, it's how your wife found out.