Charge rage is getting so bad because there is a mismatch between the demand and supply of charging points for electric vehicles (EVs) in the UK. According to the Department for Transport, there are now around 850,000 fully electric cars and 530,000 plug-in hybrids on Britain’s roads, but only just under 30,000 charging locations with 48,450 points between them¹. This means that at peak times, such as holidays or weekends, many EV drivers have to wait for hours to access a charging point, especially at motorway service stations. This can cause frustration, anxiety, and anger among EV drivers, who may argue or fight with each other over the limited charging points. This phenomenon has been dubbed 'charge rage' by the media and the industry.

Some EV drivers may have bought their cars without fully understanding the challenges and limitations of charging them. They may have been attracted by the environmental benefits, the lower running costs, or the government incentives for EVs. However, they may not have realized that charging an EV can take much longer than refueling a petrol or diesel car, and that there are not enough charging points to meet the growing demand. They may also face technical issues, such as incompatible plugs or faulty chargers, that can add to their frustration.

The government and the industry are working to increase the number of charging points and improve the grid capacity to support them. The government has put more than £2 billion into the transition to electric vehicles, and aims to have 300,000 charge points by 2030¹. The industry has plans to install hundreds more charge points in the coming months¹. However, until these measures are fully implemented, charge rage may continue to be a problem for EV drivers and service station staff.

Here are some examples:

• A Tesla driver in California was caught on camera unplugging a Chevy Bolt that was charging at a Supercharger station. The Tesla driver claimed that he had an emergency and needed to charge his car, but the Bolt driver confronted him and accused him of being rude and selfish. The Tesla driver then drove away without apologizing¹.
• A Nissan Leaf driver in London was shocked to find his car vandalized after he left it plugged in at a public charging point overnight. Someone had smashed his rear window and left a note saying "You selfish ****, you don't need to charge your car for 12 hours, you are blocking the space for others". The Leaf driver said he had no choice but to leave his car there, as he had no home charging option².
• A Hyundai Kona driver in Sydney was involved in a heated argument with a BMW i3 driver over a fast charging station at a shopping mall. The Kona driver had been waiting for 20 minutes for the station to become available, but the i3 driver cut in front of him and plugged in his car. The Kona driver then unplugged the i3 and plugged in his own car, sparking a verbal exchange that almost turned physical. The mall security had to intervene and separate the two drivers³.

(1) EV row erupts as marshals called in to prevent 'charging rage ... - MSN. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/cars/news/ev-row-erupts-as-marshals-called-in-to-prevent-charging-rage-from-angry-and-stressed-drivers/ar-AA1hyqQ8. (2) Your Guide To Charging Station Rage, And How To Avoid It. https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1077039_your-guide-to-charging-station-rage-and-how-to-avoid-it. (3) 'Charge rage' has become such a thing service stations are ... - MSN. https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/charge-rage-has-become-such-a-thing-service-stations-are-employing-marshals/ar-AA1hyjqV. (4) EV row erupts as marshals called in to prevent 'charging rage ... - MSN. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/cars/news/ev-row-erupts-as-marshals-called-in-to-prevent-charging-rage-from-angry-and-stressed-drivers/ar-AA1hyqQ8. (5) Your Guide To Charging Station Rage, And How To Avoid It. https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1077039_your-guide-to-charging-station-rage-and-how-to-avoid-it. (6) 'Charge rage' has become such a thing service stations are ... - MSN. https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/charge-rage-has-become-such-a-thing-service-stations-are-employing-marshals/ar-AA1hyjqV.