It’s a common occurrence that I frequently witness. This is quite frustrating. The most typical method entails first locking and then unlocking the car. The vehicle locks the cable upon initial connection, even if doors are unlocked during attempts to disengage. It’s possible that retrying the unlock with the key fob will work.

When everything else fails, look for the solution in the manual. Some vehicles include a discrete cord or button to pull to cut the charging connection. Audi E-Tron SUVs have one of these hidden away in the vehicle’s engine, but you wouldn’t know it until you read the owner’s manual.

Those who could step aside, please do so.
If you’ve already tried using a certain station twice without success, it’s time to try somewhere else. Many of the stations I’ve encountered have been inoperable during my travels. I have to keep moving around until I find one that will work to charge the car I was driving.

There are subtle differences in how each one operates.

In a perfect universe, this wouldn’t be a problem. As opposed to filling stations, though, these electrical computers are bustling with activity. You should not worry about fixing this; instead, proceed to the next station and carry on with your day.

Report
Reporting a bad radio station is (kind of) your job. Instead of being in close proximity to a gas station where problems may be reported promptly, charging stations are completely alone.

Charging your electric vehicle at home eliminates the need to find a charging location. While filling up at a gas station has become much easier in recent years, the process of charging an electric vehicle has not yet reached that level of simplicity.

The issue is that putting liquid in a moving vehicle seems like the most logical option. Installing a spout is as simple as drilling a hole. Not only must charging stations be self-sufficient, but they must also be able to exchange digital data with each vehicle that plugs into them. This is a lot more complicated than just plugging your phone into the wall.

Whenever a new model of electric vehicle (EV) hits the market, the makers of charging stations must get a prototype to test in order to make sure the two are compatible with one another. This enables your car, truck, SUV, or motorcycle to connect to the grid with ease, allowing you to enjoy the benefits of a constant supply of delectable, sweet electrons.

Make your own account
Smarter charging station manufacturers have begun including credit card readers in their products. Despite this, they aren’t always effective. You can use a credit card to buy a beverage from a vending machine now, but the card readers that are attached to outdoor chargers often break down.

To help you deal with some of the most common issues, I’ve compiled some advice.

In order to solve this problem, you need only open an account with each local charging service. If you already have an account set up, you can utilize an app to initiate a payment. In some circumstances, account holders can get a lower price per kWh than non-account holders can for the same amount of usage. All it takes is a few extra bucks a month.

More preferable would be the option to plug in and charge. The Ford Mach-E and other vehicles have this capability. You’ll need to sign up with the OEM and the charging company separately before you can link the two together. After arriving at a charging station, all you have to do is connect the vehicle to the outlet. Neither your phone nor your wallet will be required.

Once more, unlock
Someone walks up to me. They put in the cable and followed the app’s directions, but after a few minutes, the charging station alerted them that something was amiss and they should disconnect the connection. Sadly, it refuses to budge.

Act as a Responsible Neighbor
Lastly, make sure to alert anyone you see heading toward a malfunctioning station. You’ve probably helped them out more than you realize, and they may even have better luck now. Helping out new EV users find charging stations is another possibility. There are subtle differences in how each one operates.

Keep your cool at the power source. Despite the fact that the infrastructure is still experiencing some growing pains, we can all work together to find a solution. Avoid being the person who films someone in need and then shares that video online rather than offering assistance. Don’t underestimate your abilities.

We’ll have to keep our fingers crossed that all of the gas stations along the route of our next road trip are open.