A Redditor who experienced a charging conundrum took to the internet to spark a conversation about solving a common problem: blocked charging ports.
The poster rented an electric vehicle and spent 15 minutes looking for a station to power up in Aarau, Switzerland, only to find two occupied spots — one spot was taken by an internal combustion engine vehicle.
"It's quite frustrating to find a charging station only to see it blocked by a car that doesn't need charging," they wrote in the r/Switzerland subreddit. "This isn't just inconvenient; it's also inconsiderate since it prevents EV drivers from getting the charge they need. In the end, I moved on and found another spot 10min after."
The poster said they didn't want to rant but rather ask: "What would you do?"
"Swiss would normally report this," one commenter responded. "It will be breaking some ordinance."
The issue highlights the lack of charging infrastructure available to EV drivers, who are keeping money in their wallets, preventing planet-warming pollution, and improving their health.
Internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) release fine particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone — all of these cause air pollution that leads to lung cancer, high blood pressure, respiratory issues such as asthma, and more.
In the United States, gas-powered cars and trucks account for 23% of national air pollution, according to Yale Climate Connections.
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Driving an EV instead of an ICEV reduces that pollution by 66% on average, but the gains are even larger where the grid is powered by renewable energy. In Vermont, for example, swapping an ICEV for an EV cuts carbon pollution by 94%; that figure is 67% in Georgia, 44% in Wyoming, and a still-meaningful reduction of 31% in West Virginia.
As we transition from dirty energy sources to clean ones such as solar, wind, and batteries to store excess renewable energy during daytime hours, all these figures will improve. Best of all, EVs typically do most of their charging overnight, when demand on the grid is much lower and there are often surpluses of power.
To keep the EV revolution going, the government is offering tax credits to those who buy. It's all to ensure a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable future.
One Redditor voiced their opinion on non-EVs using EV charging spots, saying: "I don't think people will stop until they start getting fined."
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