With the electric car revolution underway, thousands of on-demand drivers are making the switch to clean technology. It’s even easier to do so with the growing incentives offered to drivers, like Uber’s Clean Air Plan, which helps you raise money to buy an electric car. Making the switch also means charging your car’s battery at charging stations in London, rather than filling up the petrol tank. The charging process is easier if you opt to use one of the best electric car charging apps.

When it comes to charging an electric car, the 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 socket of the charging station. When your car is finished charging, the charging cable will release from both sockets.

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 will not release the charging cable!

We put together a few tips to remember when driving Uber with an electric car or when you want to charge your electric car. These tips will help you unlock your charging cable when it’s stuck.

Three ways 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
• Stopping a charge that’s on auto vend.

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

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

The charging provider should have a contact number displayed 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 they have identified the charging station, they will be able to remotely reset the charging station, which will release your charging cable and you can be on your way.

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

Another technique that works to release the charging cable with some electric cars is turning on the car when it’s stuck.

TIP: Tt’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 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 get yourself locked out while your car is charging. Electric cars will automatically lock after a period of time if they’re connected to a charging station.

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

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