Electric Cars and Charging Claims

So you did it. You went and got yourself an electric car. You studied up on how many miles you can go, how to charge it, etc. All the ins and outs. Now you’re driving along and are in dire need of a charging station. But there are none anywhere close to where you are. What do you do? How do you charge up?

Some folks think pulling up to a regular outlet will do the trick. Now, I don’t own an electric car myself. I’ve done a little research so I had some knowledge for this post and it doesn’t sound like that’s the best way to go. However, it does happen. That’s the scenario we are going to use.

You’re on your road trip. No electric charging station. You pull into a gas station and see a power outlet and decide to plug in. Here are the immediate concerns:

• Will your car be damaged by the voltage coming from the outlet?
• Is it recommended by manufacturer to charge this way?
• Will the outlet or wiring of the building be damaged by your car?

For the purpose of this example, let’s say there was a power surge and it fried your battery. Who is going to be liable for the damage to your car? From what I’ve read, batteries are pretty expensive for electric cars. How are you getting that replaced or repaired? That’s a great question.

Some immediately think the owner of the gas station is at fault since the surge came from their building. Not as simple as that.

• Did you have permission to plug your car into a non-electric car charging port?
• Was there a sign or any indication that where you were plugging your car into designed to charge electric cars?
• Was there faulty wiring?
• Was the surge caused by lightening?
• What if when you plugged your car it, that’s what caused the power surge?

In order for the owner of the business to be at fault, negligence would have to be proven. In this case, the negligence would be on the owner of the car, not the business owner.

Basically, what it boils down to is only charge your electric car per manufacture requirements. Never pull up and just plug into any electrical outlet. You might find yourself with a very expensive repair that might not be covered at all. If you are ever unsure on charging your electric car – contact the manufacture or the seller of your vehicle. Don’t rely on Tik-Tok or You Tube posts. Not everything you watch/read on the internet is true. Crazy, I know!

Be cautious. Be knowledgeable about the vehicle you are driving and the required procedure for charging your vehicle. Protect your investment. Don’t take a risk that could result in a loss that might not be covered.