# De-ICE (tow) a charging space with a Model 3?



## DaveC (Aug 6, 2018)

A recent video on the problem of cars/trucks intentionally blocking SuperChargers showed a Model X owner testing the idea of pulling a full size pickup out of the way. He used a friends truck for the test and had no difficulty even though the emergency brake was set. Does anyone know if this has been tried with a Model 3 RWD using the front tow hook? I'm wondering if it's worth having a cable with hooks just in case I find a much needed SuperCharger blocked. Any thoughts?


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

No. Just don't.

Call the police if you must. If you try to tow somebody's car, you'll be arrested for grand theft auto.


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## webdriverguy (May 25, 2017)

I would not take the risk of pullling cars with the model 3. If the charger is blocked inform the owners and have them call the police.


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## FRC (Aug 4, 2018)

DaveC said:


> A recent video on the problem of cars/trucks intentionally blocking SuperChargers showed a Model X owner testing the idea of pulling a full size pickup out of the way. He used a friends truck for the test and had no difficulty even though the emergency brake was set. Does anyone know if this has been tried with a Model 3 RWD using the front tow hook? I'm wondering if it's worth having a cable with hooks just in case I find a much needed SuperCharger blocked. Any thoughts?


Surely you jest.


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## Karl Sun (Sep 19, 2018)

Around here that's a good way to get shot.

Much better to observe - from a distance - that the unfortunately parked ICE vehicle suddenly got a small fuel leak near an open fire source...

Just sayin'!


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## JasonF (Oct 26, 2018)

There are _two_ major problems with those suggestions:

One is that it's going to get you arrested for grand theft auto and/or vandalism.

The other is that people with bad intentions have no limits. If they blocked the supercharger on purpose, it's because they're at war with EV's and superchargers. Your car might end up damaged or destroyed, and possibly the supercharger as well. If a third party (police or towing company) gets involved, they'll just be shamed and embarrassed and not come back.


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## kort677 (Sep 17, 2018)

DaveC said:


> A recent video on the problem of cars/trucks intentionally blocking SuperChargers showed a Model X owner testing the idea of pulling a full size pickup out of the way. He used a friends truck for the test and had no difficulty even though the emergency brake was set. Does anyone know if this has been tried with a Model 3 RWD using the front tow hook? I'm wondering if it's worth having a cable with hooks just in case I find a much needed SuperCharger blocked. Any thoughts?


that video was staged, it would be wise not to consider any sort of vandalism or other forms of illegal retaliation when encountering an icing situation


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## Nautilus (Oct 10, 2018)

I've seen that video, and also 2 other articles regarding instances of pick-up trucks intentionally blocking superchargers, both in North Carolina I think. I had been wondering: Is this really a thing, or is it something that's getting blown out of proportion?

Non-scientific sampling: Has anyone on the forum actually encountered this? I mean intentional blocking as harassment, not blocking through ignorance.


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## DaveC (Aug 6, 2018)

Lots of good thoughts here. I wasn't clear that the focus of my question was whether or not a RWD Model 3 could move a full size pickup as the Model X apparently did. Even if it could, I can't imagine that I would do it. The question of how often anyone has actually see an ICE vehicle blocking a SuperCharger is worth asking. I'm new to the world of Tesla and don't use SuperChargers much. Anybody have first hand experience with this problem?


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## Frully (Aug 30, 2018)

DaveC said:


> Lots of good thoughts here. I wasn't clear that the focus of my question was whether or not a RWD Model 3 could move a full size pickup as the Model X apparently did. Even if it could, I can't imagine that I would do it. The question of how often anyone has actually see an ICE vehicle blocking a SuperCharger is worth asking. I'm new to the world of Tesla and don't use SuperChargers much. Anybody have first hand experience with this problem?


I've never seen a SC iced but I have seen the destination chargers in the Tesla section of our local mall in the process of someone negligently icing it...I told them off for not reading the sign.


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## kort677 (Sep 17, 2018)

Nautilus said:


> I've seen that video, and also 2 other articles regarding instances of pick-up trucks intentionally blocking superchargers, both in North Carolina I think. I had been wondering: Is this really a thing, or is it something that's getting blown out of proportion?
> 
> Non-scientific sampling: Has anyone on the forum actually encountered this? I mean intentional blocking as harassment, not blocking through ignorance.


I am in the camp that believes this is something that is contrived and being blown way out of proportion. are there cases of icing? of course there are, are there even a few instances of the icing being up to the level depicted? possibly. is it a widespread, commonplace occurrence? NO


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## kort677 (Sep 17, 2018)

DaveC said:


> Lots of good thoughts here. I wasn't clear that the focus of my question was whether or not a RWD Model 3 could move a full size pickup as the Model X apparently did. Even if it could, I can't imagine that I would do it. The question of how often anyone has actually see an ICE vehicle blocking a SuperCharger is worth asking. I'm new to the world of Tesla and don't use SuperChargers much. Anybody have first hand experience with this problem?


it was staged, do you really think that a tesla or any other sedan could move a truck of that size that had it's transmission locked, or brakes set? if the truck was in neutral then I could manually push it.


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

kort677 said:


> it was staged, do you really think that a tesla or any other sedan could move a truck of that size that had it's transmission locked, or brakes set? if the truck was in neutral then I could manually push it.


It _was_ staged. And leaving the truck in 2WD and allowing the front wheels to rotate made for a weak demonstration. But all that said, a Model X (which is what was used in the demo) would have absolutely no problem pulling a large truck like that.






Note: A Toyota Land Cruiser Prado weighs 5000-5400 lbs. For comparison, a Ford F-150 weighs 4000-5300 lbs depending on the configuration.

A Model X can even hold its own against a Hummer H2.


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## webdriverguy (May 25, 2017)

kort677 said:


> I am in the camp that believes this is something that is contrived and being blown way out of proportion. are there cases of icing? of course there are, are there even a few instances of the icing being up to the level depicted? possibly. is it a widespread, commonplace occurrence? NO


Not the same comparison but the shopping plaza I got to the ChargePoint chargers are always iced until someone complained to the owners and now they put a no parking sign except for EV charging. It's super nice now to find a charger while you shop.


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## iChris93 (Feb 3, 2017)

webdriverguy said:


> Not the same comparison but the shopping plaza I got to the ChargePoint chargers are always iced until someone complained to the owners and now they put a no parking sign except for EV charging. It's super nice now to find a charger while you shop.


Unless traveling, where I cannot plug into 240 V, I tend to leave those for people with smaller batteries.


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## JasonF (Oct 26, 2018)

iChris93 said:


> Unless traveling, where I cannot plug into 240 V, I tend to leave those for people with smaller batteries.


I do the same thing - I don't park in a convenient charging space just because I have an EV. I don't want to be that person who takes the last charging space with 70% battery so someone with a nearly dead Leaf driving from out of town can't charge.

When the car was brand new, I did park in a Disney's Animal Kingdom charging space even though I didn't need it, but a) I wanted to learn how to use a ChargePoint, b) there were 6 spaces, and only half of them were in use, and c) I only planned to be there for a couple hours.


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## mswlogo (Oct 8, 2018)

Be funny to walk up with a huge Extension cord and plug in


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## kort677 (Sep 17, 2018)

webdriverguy said:


> Not the same comparison but the shopping plaza I got to the ChargePoint chargers are always iced until someone complained to the owners and now they put a no parking sign except for EV charging. It's super nice now to find a charger while you shop.


just out of curiosity, do you need that charge or are you just opportunity charging?


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## webdriverguy (May 25, 2017)

kort677 said:


> just out of curiosity, do you need that charge or are you just opportunity charging?


No I don't need it. My charge at home is much faster that ChargePoint


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## John A Bailey (May 25, 2018)

I think I have a solution


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

Here's an interesting solution to keeping combustion vehicles from parking at charging stations.
The bar would have to be much higher to prevent lifted trucks from parking there, however.

TESLA CHINA FINDS A CREATIVE SOLUTION FOR SUPERCHARGER ICE-ING ISSUE


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## msjulie (Feb 6, 2018)

Need to be taller to block 'merican pickups I'm thinking.. but cool idea.


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## Bigriver (Jan 26, 2018)

Nautilus said:


> Non-scientific sampling: Has anyone on the forum actually encountered this? I mean intentional blocking as harassment, not blocking through ignorance.


It's hard to discern intent, but about half a dozen times I have seen large trucks block many/most of the supercharging stalls for long periods of time. Here's one from mid-December who was there for at least an hour. And there were many other out of the way places he could have stopped in the parking lot.


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## iChris93 (Feb 3, 2017)

garsh said:


> Here's an interesting solution to keeping combustion vehicles from parking at charging stations.
> The bar would have to be much higher to prevent lifted trucks from parking there, however.
> 
> TESLA CHINA FINDS A CREATIVE SOLUTION FOR SUPERCHARGER ICE-ING ISSUE


Many cases, likes below, where this would do nothing.



Bigriver said:


> It's hard to discern intent, but about half a dozen times I have seen large trucks block many/most of the supercharging stalls for long periods of time. Here's one from mid-December who was there for at least an hour. And there were many other out of the way places he could have stopped in the parking lot.
> View attachment 20496


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## [email protected] (Oct 3, 2018)

When someone parks in an illegal spot, sometimes if I'm feeling confrontational I'll just park behind them and block them in. Happens at my house sometimes.


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## Jay79 (Aug 18, 2018)

Calling the police is the best and legal way if you want to involve yourself, monetary losses always make people think twice about acting like a fool

A valve stem removal tool is the illegal but satisfying option for those that throw caution to the wind 

At the end of the day just call the police if you feel the need or just leave it alone.


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## EarlyBuyer (Apr 9, 2017)

The management office for the parking garage where the SC's that I use is located about 100 feet from the Tesla spaces. Fortunately they're pretty vigilant, and will initially put a bright warning sticker on an offending car, and if not moved within a designated time, a tow is next. I saw this Lexus RX tonight sporting a new florescent green accessory.


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## Tom3 (Mar 12, 2018)

Nautilus said:


> I've seen that video, and also 2 other articles regarding instances of pick-up trucks intentionally blocking superchargers, both in North Carolina I think. I had been wondering: Is this really a thing, or is it something that's getting blown out of proportion?
> 
> Non-scientific sampling: Has anyone on the forum actually encountered this? I mean intentional blocking as harassment, not blocking through ignorance.


I have seen ICE's parked at Superchargers in Massachusetts (Mansfield) and RI (East Greenwich). Hard to believe it is just ignorance, since the Tesla signs are pretty obvious AND parking at the Superchargers almost always puts the ICE at a distance from the business establishments they are probably going to. IMHO they are just being Neanderthal jerks.


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## Bigriver (Jan 26, 2018)

Here is something you don't see every day, thankfully. SC stall in Bethany, MO yesterday... maybe need to remember to keep a shovel in the car.


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