Is it legal to park at an electric car charging station without charging?
Parking your internal combustion engine car in a space designated for electric vehicle charging is not just said to be impolite.
Referred to as ICEing, it has become a problem, with various state governments tackling fines to discourage the practice.
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It is expected that the National Transport Commission will eventually present an electric vehicle package to national transport ministers.
Once the Commission delivers its EV package, some states will decide whether to introduce appropriate laws and fines.
Currently, different jurisdictions have different fines on their books, with some states imposing a fine of up to $3200 on drivers who park improperly at electric vehicle charging stations.
There were 3,700 public chargers in over 2,100 locations across Australia, according to a report by the Electric Vehicle Council released in October last year.
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory Government introduced legislation in May 2022 and added it to its ACT road rules late last year.
It may fine motorists $3,200 for parking in electric vehicle charging stations.
It’s also worth noting that by 2030, the ACT government is aiming for 80 to 90 percent of its new car sales to be zero-emission vehicles, including battery-electric and hydrogen-powered fuel-cell cars.
NSW
The New South Wales state government introduced a fine for illegal parking at electric vehicle charging stations in November 2022. It can cost up to $2200.
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory has yet to publicly announce a fine related to ICEing.
Queensland
The Queensland government introduced fines in early 2022 that apply to drivers who park in electric vehicle charging bays without charging their vehicle. Drivers can face a fine of up to $2875.
When the fine was introduced in January 2022, Minister for Transport and Highways Mark Bailey said: “You can’t park your car at a petrol pump, so why should EV charging stations be any different?”
South Australia
The South Australian Government currently has no relevant fines related to drivers illegally parking at designated electric vehicle charging points, but this may change in the future.
“We are currently monitoring signage time limits for electric vehicles on the road and may be fined if a vehicle exceeds this time limit,” an Adelaide City spokesman said.
“In the last 3 years we have received about 50 inquiries about non-electric vehicles using charging spots or exceeding the allowed time.”
Tasmania
Tasmania does not currently have equivalent fines for ICEing violations, but this may change in the future.
“A national approach to parking laws related to electric vehicle charging bays is being pushed forward and will be considered at a future infrastructure and transport ministerial meeting,” a spokesman for the Ministry of Government Growth told CarExpert.
“The Department of State Growth has received no documented reports or complaints from EV drivers who were unable to use designated EV parking spaces in Tasmania.”
Victoria
The Victorian Government is the state with the longest running fines for drivers who park at electric vehicle charging stations.
It introduced the fine in November 2020, charging drivers just $99 for the offense at the time.
The fine today is $370.
Western Australia
Western Australia is yet to publicly announce an ICEing-related fine.
The City of Perth does not have a specific fine for ICEing, but if you “park other than in accordance with a sign applicable to where the vehicle is stopped or parked” you can be fined $60 become.
