Hey Man, Don’t Watt-Block Me! Inconsiderate
Drivers Are Blocking EV Charging Spaces

post from ThinkProgress on 09 August 2012 11:00:05 AM. © ThinkProgress

There’s a new reason to get upset at bad drivers.

In the video below, Kelly Olsen, an electric vehicle driver in Santa Monica, shows that drivers of conventional vehicles are parking in EV charging spots around the city. There are a limited number of these chargers available, so this makes it nearly impossible for EV drivers to charge their cars in a spot close to where they need to be.

It might not be dangerous, and it’s not quite as bad as parking in a handicap spot, but this behavior is up there with the worst of driving etiquette.

Olsen coined the term “ICEing” — short for Internal Combustion Engine — as way to describe the problem.

I personally like the term “watt blocking,” which references a more personal form of obstruction. Whatever we call it, my guess is that this problem will only get worse before it gets better.