So far, on the list of things to worry about, charger queue anxiety appears to rank somewhere between Florida disappearing due to the ice caps melting and panic buying that leads to stores running out of toilet paper.
The reason that peace still reigns at public-charging stations is that electric-car buyers are a savvy lot who soon figure out their limits. They charge up at home and generally make sure they can get back from their their daily commute with a few more battery miles to spare.
When they can't, they turn to public charging. They do so knowing there is a list of unwritten rules that are increasingly becoming, well, written. Chevrolet caused a stir in the EV community, for instance, last September when it wrote some tips to help new electric-car drivers "ease the transition" from gas-powered cars. Not only does Chevrolet offer the plug-in Volt, but the Spark EV as well.
Among other things, Chevy advised against "being a juice hog." Owners shouldn't stay plugged in longer than needed. They should also consider leaving a note telling other drivers its okay to unplug their cars if the green light indicates their battery is full.
Chelsea Sexton goes farther. An electric car advocate since the 1990s -- she was a pioneer with General Motors' EV-1 project back then -- she knows the ins and outs of plugging in your car. Some her tips:
•Use an app. There are apps out there that will tell electric car owners where to find the closest charging station. If it's busy, the app will point to the lead to the next closest one.
•Don't leave your car charging too long. You wouldn't park at a gas station.
•Don't unplug others. If you do, you'd better have really, really good reason.
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