Electric vehicle drivers sometimes have to plan trips carefully to ensure they can access charging infrastructure on their route — or else be plagued by range anxiety.
While efforts are being made to increase the number of battery recharging points available across the United States, they are still not quite as common as standard gas stations.
So when you arrive at a charging point for a rest from the road and a little extra juice, seeing spots taken up by non-electric cars is massively frustrating and can unnecessarily extend your journey time while you wait for the space to become available.
One Redditor came across this particular issue, with gas-guzzling machines parked in Tesla Supercharger spots.
"What do you do in this situation?" they captioned their post. "How do you report this?"
They also added in the comments: "It's a hotel, there's clear sign saying Ev Charging Only. Other EVs are waiting in line."
Perhaps it's a form of protest against electric cars, or maybe the driver in question was simply desperate for an available spot. Maybe they simply didn't realize the space should be reserved for a particular vehicle type. But, either way, it's an infuriating situation.
The former circumstance is the most aggravating. Some people are clinging on to their polluting, gas-fuelled vehicles, despite the fact electric cars are cheaper to run, require less maintenance, and are much better for the planet because they don't produce harmful tailpipe pollution that exacerbates rapidly rising global temperatures and reduces air quality. EVs are also getting even cheaper to buy thanks to discounts and tax incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act.
But protests have gone beyond simply taking a parking spot, with vandalism of electric charging points occurring worldwide, and some dirty-fuel-powered cars are being modified to emit clouds of smog onto unsuspecting EV drivers, cyclists, and even pedestrians — an act known as rolling coal.
Other Redditors were similarly annoyed by the actions of inconsiderate motorists, with some offering advice about what they should do.
"It's private property," one said. "Talk to the owner or tenant of the property as they would need to enforce towing."
"If you are staying at the hotel, let the hotel know," added another. "Tell them that you choose the hotel because of the charger, if it's always full of ICE cars then you will stay someplace else in the future and you'll post on PlugShare to warn others of your experience."
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