Electric vehicle parking fines: Council cracks down on petrol, diesel cars stopping in EV spots

Drivers in certain Australian states and territories will now be fined thousands of dollars if they park in spaces dedicated to electric cars.

With the recent boom of electric vehicles in Australia, states have decided to crack down on those stopping in bays or at charging stations specifically for cars that require electricity to run – in a move known as ‘ICE-ing’.

The term ICE-ing refers to cars with internal combustion engines – those that require fuel to run – parking in EV spaces. 

Those driving petrol or diesel cars in New South Wales who pinch a spot for an EV can be fined a maximum of $2,200.

In the ACT the maximum penalty for stopping in an area for electric-powered cars is 20 penalty units which equates to a hefty $3,200.

In Queensland, those wrongly parking in an EV spot face fines of up to $2,875 while Victorians face a much less severe punishment with two penalty points costing $369.

Some of the fines were only implemented at the end of last year.

Experts say the heavy penalties are important to encourage electric vehicle adoption and prevent drivers doing the equivalent of parking ‘in front of a fuel bowser’.

The fines also apply to electric car drivers who stop in the parking spots while not actually recharging their vehicles.

NSW Metropolitan Roads Minister Natalie Ward said the government added the offence to ‘support the transition to electric vehicles on our roads’.

‘To make sure we keep the community moving forward, we want electric vehicle drivers to have access to charging stations when they are on offer,’ she said.

The ACT, Queensland and NSW introduced the steepest fines for blocking access to charging stations, with a maximum fine of 20 penalty units. 

Signage (pictured) that labels the charging bays, must be displayed for the laws to apply

Australian Electric Vehicle Association national president Chris Jones said while the penalties for blocking infrastructure were high, they were necessary to educate the public who may not have considered the repercussions.

‘No one would like it if I parked my vehicle in front of a fuel bowser and walked inside and ordered lunch,’ he said.

‘There needs to be an acknowledgement that there are places you can park and places you can’t and right in front of an EV charger is one where you can’t.’

There are more than 83,000 electric vehicles in Australia, according to the EV Council, with the battery-powered vehicles making up 6.8 per cent of all new car sales in February.