New regulation fines up to RM6.6k in Australia blocking EV chargers – should Malaysia fine for ICE?
Vehicle drivers blocking electric vehicle chargers in New South Wales, Australia can now be fined up to AU$2,200 (RM6,639) based on legislation introduced for the region in November 2022, the push report.
The law added to the New South Wales Road Rules states that “drivers of non-electric vehicles must not stop in a parking area for electric vehicles,” and rule will result in a maximum fine of 20 penalty units, equivalent to the aforementioned AU$2,200. The act of having an internal combustion engine-powered vehicle block access to an EV charger is known as ‘ICEing’ by the EV community.
Users of plug-in hybrid vehicles being charged in these spaces will not be penalized, and similarly, all-electric vehicles will need to be actually plugged into the charger to avoid penalties. According to the report, electric vehicle users who park their electric vehicles in the charging compartment without actually charging will be fined for hindering the use of the charger.
Elsewhere in Australia, fines also apply to ICE behavior in Victoria in 2020, although the maximum fine for “stopping in an electric vehicle parking area” is low. significantly more is AU$330.44 (RM996.62). Queensland followed suit earlier this year, where fines of up to AU$2,757 (AU$8,315) were imposed on owners of internal combustion engine vehicles that obstruct access to EV chargers.
The emergence of internal combustion engine vehicles, hybrid or alternatively, parked in the EV charging compartment not having any actual fees made is also no stranger to Malaysia.
For PHEV drivers, not charging means carrying dead weight in the worst case scenario where the internal combustion engine remains, but for all-electric vehicles (BEVs), the need for full charging becomes even more urgent. Should we impose similar heavy fines on ICE behavior in Malaysia?
