New South Wales drivers who block public electric vehicle chargers can be fined up to $2200, on the back of laws introduced in November 2022.
The law, spotted by The Driven and added to the NSW Road Rules in November 2022, says a “driver of a vehicle that is not an electric-powered vehicle must not stop in a parking area for electric-powered vehicles”.
Fines of up to 20 penalty units (equivalent to $2200) apply for breaches of the rules, known commonly by EV owners as ICEing.
Plug-in hybrid drivers who are charging their vehicles won’t be fined, despite their vehicles featuring internal-combustion engines.
EV owners will also need to actually be plugged into the charger to be immune from the penalties; anyone trying to save on parking by leaving their electric vehicle in a charge bay without actually charging will also be pinged.
Specific road signs will need to be installed for these fines to apply.
Similar rules were introduced during 2020 in Victoria, although the maximum fine for “stopping in a parking area for electric-powered vehicles” is a friendlier $330.44.
Queensland followed suit early in 2023, with fines of up to $2757 for petrol and diesel owners who impede EV chargers.
“I’ve travelled across Queensland and have heard firsthand from EV owners that they often can’t get into their charging spots due to other cars using them for parking, which is why we’ll be firmly cracking down on this behaviour,” said Queensland Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey.
