Can I be fined for ‘ICE-ing’?
Have you ever been at the shops, hunting for a car park, but there doesn’t seem to be any available? Then suddenly you notice a few free spaces, but they’re for electric vehicle (EV) charging only.
While finding a space in a busy car park might be frustrating at times, parking a combustion-powered car in a spot dedicated to EV charging is referred to as ‘ICE-ing’.
In the EV community, it’s not only seen as rude, but also inconvenient. But, can you be fined in South Australia for ICE-ing?
Last December the State Government introduced fines for petrol and diesel car owners who park in EV charging bays, with the new laws set to take effect later this year.
If you park your internal combustion engine (ICE) car in a EV charging bay, you risk a $75 fine. EV owners who park in an EV charging bay without charging their vehicle could receive a $111 fine.
Can I be fined in other states?
If you’re interstate, be careful not to park in an EV charging bay – the fines can be costly.
The New South Wales Government introduced a fine in November 2022. As a result, drivers can now receive a fine of up to $2200 for illegally parking in an EV charging station.
The ACT Government – which is aiming by 2030 to have 80% to 90% of its new-car sales consisting of zero-emission vehicles – has also put pressure on people ICE-ing. Caught parking in an EV charging bay in the nation’s capital, and you may receive a whopping $3200 fine.
ICE-ing in Queensland
The fine for ICE-ing in the Sunshine Coast.
The Sunshine State also frowns upon drivers who park in EV bays without charging their vehicle. Drivers can face a fine of up to $2875.
Victoria is the state with the longest-running fine for drivers who park in EV charging bays. When the fine was introduced in 2020, drivers could be fined just $99 for the offence. However, this fine is now $370.
Tasmania and the Northern Territory are yet to introduce fines for ICE-ing.
RAA charge introduce ‘idle fees’
RAA Charge has introduced idle fees for EV drivers who ‘overstay their charge’ in an effort to encourage fast-charging etiquette. Initially, the idle fees have been introduced at a single charging site at Burnside before being rolled out to all RAA Charge Rapid and Ultra-rapid charging sites in metro and regional locations.
RAA Charge program director Andrew Howard says the practice of ‘idle charging’ – when an electric vehicle is left plugged into a charger after the vehicle has reached full charge – is a common frustration amongst EV drivers.
“By introducing idle fees, we hope to optimise the availability of our charging stations and encourage fast charging etiquette,” Simon says.
“EV drivers will receive a notification through the Chargefox app when their car has finished charging and will be given a 10-minute grace period to move their car before the idle fee is applied.”
EV drivers that leave their vehicle in the charging bay after the 10-minute grace period, will be charged $1 for every minute that the vehicle stays connected to the charger.
To ensure EV drivers aren’t caught out, the sites where idle fees apply will be listed on the Chargefox app and signage will be placed on the charging plugs.