Parking Fine While Charging Electric Vehicle

Parking Fine While Charging an Electric Vehicle

Electric vehicle charging bays come with their own set of parking rules, and disputes are becoming increasingly common as EV adoption grows. Whether you overstayed while your car was still charging, got fined at a broken charger, or were ticketed for parking in a charging bay without charging, here is what you need to know.

Types of EV Charging Bay Restrictions

EV charging bays vary depending on who manages them:

• Council on-street bays: These are subject to Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) and are enforced by council civil enforcement officers. Restrictions typically include a maximum stay and a requirement to actively charge.
• Private car park bays: Managed by private operators at supermarkets, motorway services, shopping centres, and similar locations. Rules are set by signage and enforced via ANPR or patrol.
• Rapid charging hubs: Standalone charging locations often have their own terms displayed on-site.

Common Reasons for Fines

1. Overstaying while charging: Many bays have a maximum stay (often 1 to 4 hours). If your charge takes longer than the allowed period, you may receive a fine even though you were actively charging.
2. Remaining parked after charging completes: This is the most common issue. Once your vehicle reaches full charge (or your session ends), you are expected to move it. Some bays have a grace period; many do not.
3. Parking without charging: Using an EV bay without plugging in, or plugging in without starting a charging session, can result in a fine.
4. Non-EV in a charging bay: ICE vehicles (internal combustion engine) parked in designated EV bays are almost always fined.

Defences for EV Charging Fines

Broken or faulty charger: If the charger was out of order and you had no way of knowing before parking, this is a strong defence. Evidence should include:

• Screenshots from the charging app showing the charger was unavailable or the session failed.
• Photographs of the charger showing an error message or "out of service" sign.
• Records from the charging network confirming the fault.

Charger slower than advertised: If a "rapid" charger was delivering power at a reduced rate, causing you to exceed the maximum stay despite acting reasonably, document the actual charging speed via your car's app or the charging network records.

No clear signage about time limits: As with any parking charge, the restrictions must be clearly signed. If the maximum stay, EV-only requirement, or "active charging" condition was not clearly displayed, challenge on signage grounds.

Overstay due to app notification failure: Many EV drivers rely on the charging app to notify them when charging is complete. If the app failed to send a notification (and you can evidence this), it supports your case that the overstay was not deliberate.

How to Appeal

The appeal process follows the same path as any other parking charge:

• Council PCN: Informal challenge, then formal representation, then tribunal.
• Private charge: Appeal to the operator, then escalate to POPLA or IAS.

In your appeal, focus on the specific circumstances: was the charger broken, did the signage clearly explain the rules, was there a good reason for the overstay?

Got a fine at a charging bay? [Use our free appeal tool](/appeal) to check your grounds and generate a tailored appeal letter.