Help! How to stop charging my EV?

With the electric car revolution underway, thousands of on-demand drivers are switching to green technology. It's even easier to do so with the growing charging infrastructure and incentives offered to drivers. Making the switch also means learning how to charge your car's battery at home or using public stations.

The charging process is mostly straightforward. When the car is plugged into a charging station, the charging cable automatically locks at both the car’s charging socket and the charging station socket. The cable will be released from both sockets when your car is finished charging.

However, sometimes, your charging cable may not release from the sockets, leaving you stuck at the charging station. Even disconnecting the charging session via the app won’t release the charging cable.

If this happens, here are some tips to help you unlock your charging cable when it’s stuck.

How to stop my EV charging?

Here are the most common ways to stop your EV from charging:

• Stop via a charging unit 

• Using the car to stop a charge 

If the above doesn’t work, try additional steps, as below.

1. Call the charging provider of the charging station where your car is locked

With a growing number of charging stations across Australia, it’s important to know which provider owns which charging station.

The charging provider should display a contact number at the charging dock or in the app.

  Once you’re on the phone, they will ask you to identify the charging station since they have a unique identifier. After identifying the charging station, they can remotely reset it, which will release your charging cable, and you can be on your way.

2. Turn the car on, lock and unlock the car multiple times

Another technique that works to release the charging cable sometimes is turning on the car when it’s stuck.

TIP: It’s safe to turn on your EV whilst charging, as for safety reasons, the drivetrain is disconnected, so you can’t accidentally drive away. 

Once you’ve turned on the car, try locking and unlocking the doors multiple times. Check to see if your charging cable has been released after each attempt. It may take up to five tries, so don’t give up if it doesn’t seem to work for the first time.

+1. Remember to take your car keys with you 

This might sound simple, but with most EVs having smart keys, it can be very easy to lock yourself out while your car is charging. Electric cars will automatically lock after some time if they’re connected to a charging station.

If you get locked out, you’ll need a spare key or call your breakdown cover provider to open your car.

About Splend

Splend makes car ownership easier, more affordable and more accessible for rideshare drivers by building everything they need to earn more, pay less and stress less into one affordable weekly payment. It’s smooth driving, with no surprises and the lowest total ownership cost you’ll find – which is how car ownership for rideshare drivers should be.

For more information about Splend, make an appointment and drop by to your local Splend Hub, email us, or say hello on 1800 775 363.