How electric car owners see their designated car spots on Sydney streets blocked by petrol car drivers – and the rude nickname they’ve given these motorists
- Petrol drivers are blocking EV chargers, known as ‘ICE holes’
- If a petrol or diesel car stops in the EV space, they could be fined
While rising sales of electric vehicles prove a car revolution is coming to Australia, the challenge of charging them is increasing competition for parking spaces on our streets.
An emerging problem is that charging ports in public places are highly sought after and often blocked by non-EV drivers.
This practice is known as “ICE-ing” – an acronym that refers to internal combustion engine cars that run on fuel – parking in designated spaces for electric vehicles.
EV owners even have a nasty nickname for drivers who knowingly block public parking lots with charging ports, calling them ‘ICE holes’.
A recent example of ICE-ing occurred when a NSW driver wanted to charge a Volvo XC40 EV at a public charging port in Sydney’s Newtown inner suburb.
A frustrated EV driver shared a photo on social media of two petrol cars blocking a public EV charging port in Sydney
Drivers of petrol and diesel cars risk heavy fines if they park in designated spaces for electric vehicles
However, as he drove to the Brown Street charging port location, he saw two non-electric cars blocking the charger.
The driver shared his frustrations on Twitter on Sunday, captioning the photo ‘Two ICE holes’.
According to an Electric Vehicle Council report published last October, there are 3,669 public chargers in 2,417 locations across Australia.
That total is a fraction of the number in many comparable countries such as Canada, which offers its EV drivers access to more than 16,000 public chargers in approximately 7,000 locations.
Demand for public chargers has increased as electric car sales continue to rise across the country.
From the beginning of 2023 to the end of June, more than 46,620 electric vehicles were sold in Australia – an increase of 269 percent and a sales record almost three times higher than the same period last year.
Electric vehicles in Australia now represent 8.4 per cent of all new cars sold in the country – an increase of 120.5 per cent over all of 2022.
With electric car sales booming, Australian states and territories are cracking down on petrol and diesel car drivers who are taking over electric-only parking spaces.
In New South Wales, those who park in a designated EV space can be fined up to $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 $3,200 fine.
In Queensland, those who incorrectly park in an EV spot risk fines of up to $2,875, while Victorians risk a much lesser penalty with two demerit points costing $369.
Experts say the harsh penalties are important to encourage electric vehicle adoption and prevent drivers from doing the equivalent of parking “in front of a gas tank.”
The EV driver was eventually able to use the gate to charge his electric Volvo XC40 (photo)
EV owners have even dubbed drivers who knowingly block public parking lots with charging ports “ICE holes.” “ICE” refers to cars that require fuel to run and have an internal combustion engine (pictured, petrol cars park in designated EV spaces)
The fines also apply to drivers of electric cars who stop in the parking lots while not actually charging their vehicle.
Electric Vehicle Council policy chief Jake Whitehead said the fines sent a clear and strong message to diesel and petrol car owners and EV drivers who fail to charge while parked in parking bays.
“No one would like me to park my car in front of a fuel tank, walk in and order lunch,” Mr Whitehead said.
“Every available charger is critical and valuable to the fleet of some 80,000 electric vehicles in the country and we must ensure that they are not intentionally or accidentally blocked.
“Some people have made real mistakes, but we need a broad recognition across society that these chargers should be available for electric cars so we can transport more of them.”