New South Wales is among the first Australian jurisdictions to impose fines on drivers of petrol and diesel cars who block electric vehicles from charging.
The New South Wales Government has discreetly introduced a new law which could see drivers of petrol and diesel vehicles fined up to $2200 for parking in an electric-car charging bay.
Nicknamed ‘ICEing’ – referring to the internal-combustion engine (ICE) powering petrol and diesel vehicles – the practice leaves electric-car drivers unable to charge at dedicated locations, potentially forcing owners on flat batteries to wait for long periods until the charging bay is no longer blocked.
Electric-car publication The Driven reports petrol and diesel car drivers can be fined up to $2200 for stopping in a parking area which has been allocated for charging electric vehicles – indicated by the signs below.
The most recent amendment to the NSW road rules – made in November 2022 – states a driver must not stop in a parking area which is designated for the charging of an electric car unless they are driving an electric vehicle which they intend to charge.
The maximum penalty for breaking the new law is 20 ‘penalty units’, which are worth $110 each in NSW.
While it does not accrue demerit points, the monetary fine for parking in an electric-car charging space is the same as being caught driving at up to 45km/h above the posted speed limit in NSW.
According to the NRMA, Victoria and Queensland are believed to be the only other Australian jurisdictions which fine non-electric-car drivers for parking in a charging bay.
Since December 2022, blocking an electric-car charger in Victoria has carried a minimum penalty of $99. In Queensland, non-electric-car drivers have faced $55 fines for the practice since February 2022.
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