As more electric cars head onto the roads, so it becomes more likely that there will be more than one driver wanting to use a recharging facility at any one spot.
In such a situation, there is no established etiquette over the allocation of refuelling, like there is on the petrol forecourt, where drivers wait patiently (well, most of the time) in line.
Thankfully Ford has come to the rescue, with a new guide to driving etiquette as the carmaker embarks on an ambitious programme of electrified vehicle launches.
Perhaps the biggest no-no is for an ordinary combustion car to park in a parking spot reserved for electric cars (that’s just unforgiveable) while other tips include letting a fully electric car have access to a charging point over a plug-in hybrid, which can always fall back on its combustion engine if it doesn’t have enough electric charge.
Ford’s guide to charging etiquette
In the US, where Ford’s new Focus Electric is already on sale, the carmaker estimates that the country already has some 9,400 public charging points available to the new EV owner.
The firm is also launching a C-Max Hybrid, a C-Max Energi Plg-in Hybrid, a Fusion hybrid and a Fusion Energi Hybrid.
Here in Europe, the carmaker plans to launch the Focus Electric in 2013.
Watch the video for Ford’s guide to etiquette in this new electric era.
Faye has been writing about cars and environmental issues since 2007. A suspected eco-warrior working on the corporate inside, Faye mainly likes the weird, quirky vehicles that show a distinct environmental advantage. Her ideal car has enough room to fit a bale of hay in the boot. When not working, she likes nothing better than to head out on her bicycle and explore the countryside.
Faye Sunderland
September 24, 2012
Filed under: Ford
Simon Taylor
All very good, but where does the power for these charging points come from?
If it's from the grid, then these cars clearly are not 'green' are they? Very little attention seems to be paid as to the generation and transmission of the power that these cars use. At the moment, they are certainly less green than their fossil fuel counterparts!
September 24, 2012