Don’t Freak Out If You See An Old RV In A Charging Space – CleanTechnica

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Years ago, when I was working in rideshare and delivery, I encountered some fellow drivers who weren’t doing too great. Some of them were spending 18+ hours a day in their cars. Others went ahead and moved into the car 24 hours a day, and only did deliveries because they needed the living space inside the vehicle. This may sound like a tragedy of homelessness, but it was a great way for someone in a bad spot to save all of their money for a few months and get ahead in life again.

In 2018, I was one of the few drivers using an EV. Teslas were mostly too expensive for most drivers to consider. Today, almost anybody can get a used Model 3 or a ragged out 2015 Model S, but six years ago, there were only a few Model 3s on the road during “production hell” and used Teslas were still expensive.

I wondered at the time what would happen when people living in their cars got an EV. In many ways, it would be a vastly improved experience. Not only would there be abundant electric power available for a resident to use, but there would also be nearly unlimited heat and air conditioning for basically free as long as you could find a free Level 2 charging station (something that was more abundant in those days). I thought that Level 2 spaces would also have the added benefit of giving you a place to park at night while charging without having to pay for an RV park space or get harassed by cops.

What I didn’t predict was that people living in combustion vehicles would figure some of this out.

In the video, Dre of the Dre’s Van Life YouTube channel explains how he makes use of Level 2 charging spots that go largely unused at night in business and industrial areas. He doesn’t drive an EV or even an EV conversion, but he does use a J-1772 to 240v plug adapter to draw power from an EV charging station when his solar power isn’t working out (cloudy weather for several days).

Once he activates the station (which are usually NOT free these days), he plugs the J-1772 adapter in, uses that to feed a voltage stepdown device and get 120 volt power, and then uses it for a variety of things. He charges a bank of house batteries, powers heat or air conditioning, cooks food, cools his refrigerator, heats hot water for a shower, and many other things. When he leaves, he has a full battery for days of roaming as a van dweller.

“It kind of validates my presence.” he says in the video. As a paying customer, he isn’t trespassing. He’s also arguably not violating any city ordinance against sleeping in a vehicle, as his time at the charging station is patronizing a local business (while he also happens to be sleeping). He’s not putting out any EV drivers, as hardly anyone uses Level 2 chargers at night. So, without hurting anybody or freeloading, he finds a legal place to sleep and avoids burning fossil fuels with a generator or furnace.

Featured image: a screenshot from the embedded YouTube video (fair use).