EV Drivers Fined for Charging Due to Parking Rule Gaps
Get the Energy newsletter
Daily energy & climate — solar, EVs, oil, the policy fights and tech bets shaping the transition. Free.
- Kevin Laban received a £70 PCN after charging at an Aldi car park in Weymouth outside store hours, despite Pod Point's app showing the charger as publicly available and no on-site warnings about parking restrictions.
- Pod Point states that landowners are responsible for displaying parking terms both on-site and in its app, but acknowledges some fail to clearly communicate time restrictions for EV charging.
- Clive Sanders was issued a £100 PCN by Smart Parking after paying to charge via an InstaVolt unit in Devon, unaware he also needed to pay a separate parking fee, with no clear signage indicating dual charges.
- InstaVolt says parking rules are set by landowners and signs near its chargers warn of restrictions, but admitted the distinction between charging fees and parking terms may not be obvious to new EV drivers, offering Sanders a £50 credit.
- Smart Parking maintains drivers must pay for parking duration regardless of charging, stating Sanders stayed nearly an hour without paying for parking and was correctly fined.
- Anthony Stone received a £100 PCN at a Holiday Inn car park for failing to register his plate before charging, though the hotel claimed ANPR cameras don’t distinguish charging from parking and said instructions were displayed.
- Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government says private parking is governed by contract law and tariffs must be clearly displayed, with a new code to raise standards for private parking expected later this year.
Why it matters: EV drivers face unexpected fines because charger operators and landowners fail to align signage and app data, leaving consumers liable despite paying for electricity. The lack of standardized rules across private sites increases legal and financial risk for drivers using public charging infrastructure.
