I Let A Stranded 2026 Genesis GV70 Family Use My Charging Account, Then A Nissan Leaf Driver Started Screaming At Me For Not Actively Charging, This Is What EV Life Has Become

There was a time when lending a hand was as simple as jumping a battery, handing over a gas can, or pointing a lost tourist toward the freeway. Back then, a good deed didn't require a Wi-Fi connection, an app login, or a handshake with a charging network.

One Facebook user recently discovered just how precarious the electric frontier has become when he lent his charging account to a stranded family in a rental Genesis GV70 EV, and ended up being berated by a furious Leaf driver for his trouble.

“Ok... first post and fun story. Yesterday while at Wildhorse chargers, there was a family who had gotten stranded in a rental Genesis EV trying to get to airport and the tow truck just left them at the first empty charger (unknowingly was out of order) so the car was immobilized and a few min later I pulled up into the spot next to them and started charging. I saw they were having trouble and decided to help them create the electrify app. That still didn't work for them, so I unplugged my car and had them pull the cord towards theirs and use my account and station. The man offered to Venmo me the charge amount and did. I asked them to pls call/text me when they were done so I could plug in before heading back to Tucson. All was perfect and good deeds were done. The guy called me, and I headed back to my car but since I was done shopping (only had two stores to go into), I decided to just leave and stop in Eloy instead. 

As we're walking back to my car, someone took it upon themselves to sit and wait for me to come back and get into my car, and they were yelling very rude and disrespectful profanities at us because I was parked there without charging Then when we tried to explain what happen, they sped off. It's just sad to see people be so angry about things that we have no control over, and even if I had sat there and explained it to them that I was just helping someone out and WHY I was parked there without charging, they wouldn't have listened anyway. Then I finally saw this on my cam this morning. Not sensitive about my car being barely tapped, but I am pointing out it's just sad to see how little patience, respect, and empathy exist anymore. 

So for anyone who has ever helped me and/or has had good fun charging station convo w me, thank you for spreading the love and restoring my faith in humanity.”

The scene unfolded at the Wildhorse Pass charging station in Chandler, Arizona, a battlefield in the modern EV frontier. A rental company had dropped off an out-of-town family with an immobilized 2026 Genesis GV70, the vehicle effectively bricked at a non-functional charger. They were headed to the airport, but the only thing powering their journey was confusion. No guidance. No Electrify America login. 

Just a tow truck and a prayer. A fellow EV driver saw the distress and offered access to his charging session. It worked. The family Venmo’d him for the electricity and called him afterward as promised. Goodwill executed flawlessly. Until the Leaf arrived.

2026 Genesis Electrified GV70 Charging Specs: Battery Capacity, Fast-Charging Rates & V2L Capability

• The Electrified GV70 packs a 77.4 kWh battery (gross), with ~72.6 kWh usable; post–2024 models upgrade to 84 kWh
• It supports ultra-fast DC charging at up to 350 kW, enabling charging from 10→80% in ~18–19 minutes
• Standard AC charging (Level 2) to full takes approximately 7 hours 55 minutes (for the 84 kWh setup)
• Equipped with an 800 V architecture including bidirectional V2L capability (~3.6 kW), expanding its utility

While walking back to his car after helping the stranded family, the man was confronted by a furious Nissan Leaf driver, who screamed profanities and accused him of “hogging” the charger without actually charging. It was the kind of encounter that wouldn’t be out of place at a Black Friday parking lot, and it highlights a dark undercurrent of EV life that few want to admit: we’ve created a pressure-cooker system that turns good people against each other in an increasingly competitive race. 

EV Charging Etiquette Breakdown
As commenter Van Lieu put it, 

“I hate people that don’t understand or empathize with other people’s situations. Zero emotional intelligence.”

This is not the fault of EVs themselves, which continue to perform admirably when the stars (and apps) align. 

The issue is systemic. Rental car companies, eager to join the green revolution, are flinging customers into high-voltage vehicles with the same level of onboarding they’d give a microwave oven. Most renters have never driven an EV, let alone tried to charge one at a third-party network kiosk.

2025 Genesis GV70 Dimensions, Specifications & More  

• Available with turbocharged petrol engines (2.5 L I4 or 3.5 L V6) or diesel; petrol variants sprint 0–60 mph in ~6.1 s and ~5.1 s respectively
• 185.6″ long, 75.2″ wide, 64.2″ tall, with a 113.2″ wheelbase; kerb weight between 4,008–4,351 lb depending on powertrain
• The full‑electric “Electrified GV70” uses a dual-motor AWD setup producing ~429 hp and 516 lb‑ft, reaching 0–60 mph in ~4.1 s
• EPA-rated electric range is ~236 mi

Some EV users have tried to bring order to the chaos, even if it means playing enforcer. Douglas Pierce shared a more heartening story in the comments, saying he once used his ChargePoint app to unlock a plug for another stranded driver. “It did unlock, and the other party was able to charge their vehicle,” he wrote, with no drama or confrontation. Just human decency. These moments are rare, but vital, in a world where the infrastructure can’t yet support the reality of mass electrification. 

What happened in Chandler is a glimpse into what EV life has become: a mix of promise, pressure, and unpredictability. The problem isn’t the car, the charger, or even the angry Leaf driver. It’s that we’ve created a system where compassion isn’t baked into the interface. And until the infrastructure and the education catch up to the tech, we’ll be relying on everyday heroes, those who unplug for others, who share their apps, who take the hit for doing the right thing. Let’s hope they don’t all get screamed at in return.

Image Sources: Genesis Media Center

Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys covering the latest news in the automotive industry and conducting reviews on the latest cars. He has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old and has been featured in prominent automotive news sites. You can reach him on X and LinkedIn for tips and to follow his automotive coverage.