Australian drivers have scorned a viral image of an electric vehicle mounting a curb while charging, revealing yet another problem with the government’s plans to dramatically grow the country’s electric vehicle network.
The photo of a gray Tesla plugged into a BP Pulse charging station at an undisclosed location was shared in a Facebook group on Thursday, with the caption: “I’m aware they don’t have a spare wheel, I didn’t know they had I don’t have reverse.’
Clearly, well beyond the perimeters of the bay, most of the car had climbed onto the sidewalk in front.
Social media users were quick to criticize the car’s position, questioning why the driver didn’t put the car in reverse to make it easier for the charging cable to reach the outlet.
The image shared on social media showed that the Tesla was well beyond the perimeters of the bay, and most of the car had climbed onto the sidewalk in front.
“Obviously I don’t have a brake either,” one wrote, suggesting that the Tesla had moved forward by accident.
Others called the move “stupid” and “idiotic.”
But it soon became clear why the Tesla was on the other side of the parking lot boundary when the original image, which had been cropped, resurfaced and revealed that the Tesla was towing a trailer.
It highlights another glaring problem with the government’s plans to dramatically grow the country’s electric vehicle network by 2030.
Of the 3,000 electric vehicle charging stations currently available nationwide, none are equipped for cars with caravan trailers.
The current infrastructure means that drivers often have to unhitch the trailer to effectively load their vehicle or risk blocking other vehicles.
Carola Jonas, CEO and founder of Everty, said it’s something charging station owners and operators need to “pay close attention to.”
“I think we need to look at this holistically,” he added.
In addition to having a lot to do in terms of having ample charging stations both on roads and in buildings, Jonas argued that “a balance” must be found with the types of spaces available to drivers.
“If you look at the Wilson charging stations or the secure car parks in the city’s CBDs, parking spaces are limited, but they would not be used with a trailer either,” he says. said Yahoo News Australia.
The original image of the Tesla, which had been cropped, reappeared to reveal the car was towing a trailer, highlighting another issue with Australia’s electric vehicle charging stations not being equipped for cars towing caravans.
“But when we look at charging on highways or in more public open places, it would definitely be good for charging networks to start implementing a combination [of suitable bays].’
Currently, some charging networks are installed in the “truck areas” of some gas stations so that longer trucks and electric vehicles can continue to use them, Jonas continued.
‘So even if you come there with a normal passenger vehicle, you can just drive to the truck parking area and use the charger. The other way around, it would not have been possible.
“So there are solutions, but it’s really up to the infrastructure providers to make sure they offer the right mix.”