Would it be unethical to plug in your electronic vehicle to charge while you're at work on base?

2021-11-29T10:39:49-05:00

Recently thought about this due to buying a vehicle that you can plug in and get 40 miles of pure electric. Although, I do not currently plug my vehicle in due to no plugs being nearby but then I was thinking about if it would be ethical to plug in a vehicle at work and not at a official charging station. In theory it is like fueling up your vehicle but then wouldn't taking energy from the grid on base to charge your phone or any other electronics be the same? Is there a line that is crossed when you charge your products and if so what would that be? Or would green energy be a good enough reason to do this?

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made Nov 29 at 2021 11:50 AM

2021-11-29T11:50:31-05:00

It is called the Theft of govt owned resources. UCMJ action.

Response by SrA John Monette made Nov 29 at 2021 1:12 PM

2021-11-29T13:12:57-05:00

I would hesitate to do it. Check with JAG. I'd also be hesitant because I don't know that a standard outlet would be sufficient to charge an EV.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 29 at 2021 1:51 PM

2021-11-29T13:51:38-05:00

I've actually seen this where I work. I'm surprised because power in Italy is not cheap, but maybe our base generates its own electricity.

Personally, I think it would be unethical because it is a pretty significant amount of electricity. You could charge your phone every day for a year and it would cost less than a dollar in electricity. But a month of charge for an electric vehicle would be around $20 a month for a person who drives 12 miles each way to work and back for 22 work days a month and electricity is 12 cents per kWh

Response by Cpl Vic Burk made Nov 29 at 2021 2:33 PM

2021-11-29T14:33:07-05:00

Unless they specifically have a charging station for this purpose I don't think it would be a wise idea to do it.

Response by CPO Arthur Weinberger made Nov 29 at 2021 2:48 PM

2021-11-29T14:48:10-05:00

It would be as ethical as taking home a dozen pens, copy paper etc. A dumb question. Theft is theft.

Response by SP5 Peter Keane made Nov 29 at 2021 4:54 PM

2021-11-29T16:54:13-05:00

Green energy is a fallacy. Hydro and wind produce a miniscule amount of electricity. Nuclear is frowned on by the greenies, leaving fossil fuel as the leading producer of clean green electricity.

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Nov 29 at 2021 7:52 PM

2021-11-29T19:52:11-05:00

I’m fuzzy on how you plug in at other than a charging station. Is there a 3 pronged adapter of some sort? What current is draw ?

LEED design factors will require increasing numbers of charge stations on post. They are pay as you go and often require a reservation system so everyone can get to one via text alerts.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 30 at 2021 2:17 PM

2021-11-30T14:17:46-05:00

Absent the argument of "theft", outside a charging station can you imagine a parking lot filled with extension cords leaving the building running all over the parking lot.

Somewhere, someone is going to get hit hard for employee charging directly off a power source not intended for vehicle charging. Who want's to roll that dice every day?

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I don't know what the financial impact is going to be, and I wonder when charging stations will cease to be an employee perk and either charge a fee, or recoup that cost by expense reduction elsewhere (like paying a lower salary by offering free charging as a hidden perk of that lower salary).

I look at my car ownership as total cost of ownership and operating costs all divided by miles traveled over the life of the car. I don't think that cost of travel is fully appreciated yet for electric ownership yet. My state for example is coming to grips with the fact that road infrastructure is funded by gas taxes. Electric cars are not providing their share of road use, and as more and more of them replace gas cars that's becoming a problem. The last gas car will be paying $10 billion a gallon all of which except $1 is tax in order to fund repairs of the road ways.

Eventually the utopia of electric transportation will be a costly financial reality.