Guide
EV charger not working, occupied or ICEd: what to do
The most common problems at the charger and how to fix them, from a stuck connector to the support line.
Sooner or later it happens to everyone: you pull up and something is wrong. In the great majority of cases it is fixed in two minutes if you know where to look. Here are the common situations, from the trivial to the annoying.
Charging will not start
Check, in this order:
- Is the connector fully in? It should click and, on DC chargers, lock. Pull it out and reinsert firmly.
- The order of operations. Some chargers want authentication before the cable, others after. The screen says which; if in doubt, unplug and restart from the app.
- Scheduled charging on the car. Most cars can delay charging to an off-peak window. If it is active the car refuses power. Turn it off or press “charge now”.
- The cable, in Type 2 markets. A damaged or under-rated cable is refused by the post. Try another if you have one.
- Switch ports. Chargers usually have two: if A will not start, B often will.
If none of that works, the fault is probably on the network’s side.
The charger is faulty or dark
Every charger carries a sticker with the network’s 24-hour support number. Call it and read out the charger ID: support can often reboot the unit remotely in minutes, or confirm it is down and point you to the nearest working one. Report the fault in the app too, so the status updates for the next driver.
On our map, “out of service” comes from networks that report it; if you find a charger that has been dead for days without being flagged, tell us or update it on Open Charge Map.
The charger is occupied
Two different situations:
- An EV is charging. No right of way, but many apps show how long the session has run and some let you queue. Past the hour mark the car is usually nearly full.
- An EV is parked with charging finished. The cable is connected but nothing is flowing. The owner is paying idle fees, which tends to bring them back quickly. A polite note on the windscreen is the accepted custom.
The bay is blocked by a petrol car
“ICEing” is a parking violation in most US states and Canadian provinces, across the UK where bays are signed, and in Australian states with EV bay laws, with fines and towing. Report it to parking enforcement; some network apps have a button that does it. In the moment, the practical answer is your backup charger: the map shows the alternatives within a few minutes.
The cable will not release
The connector is locked to the car by the safety latch. To free it:
- End the session in the app or with the card.
- Unlock the car with the key or the interior button: most cars release the connector when unlocked.
- If not, some cars have a release button by the port or an emergency pull cord in the boot, described in the manual.
- On DC chargers the cable can also stay locked at the charger end until the session is closed by the network: call support.
The bill is wrong
The receipt in the app shows kWh and time. Most networks have a dispute form inside the session record, and they are obliged to respond. Keep a photo of the screen if you noticed something odd at the time.
Prevention beats cure
- Check live status on the map before you detour.
- Always arrive with enough margin to reach a second charger.
- Save the support numbers of the networks you use most.
- Report problems: an accurate status helps everyone who arrives after you.