Private land owners and parking firms are slapping fines on EV drivers using designated spaces while charging, in a practice that’s widely condemned by motoring and disabled driver organisations.

According to reports, EV drivers are being “aggressively and unfairly targeted” by private car park operators who issue Parking Charge Notifications (PCNs) to those parking in bays that are specifically and clearly signposted for use exclusive for EV charging.

The practice was flagged by Norrie Hunter, a motoring and industry journalist who has been an EV owner/driver for more than four years. Hunter, previously media advisor for the Electric Vehicle Association (EVA) Scotland, said he was hit by a fine for charging his EV while staying at a hotel run by a major chain that offered free parking to guests. There were no signs by the charging bay saying that guests had to pay.

Although the fine has since been scrapped, Hunter said that the practice is widespread among private parking firms who are engaged by hotels, city councils and tourist locations throughout the UK to monitor sites.

Hunter elaborated: “While governments, local authorities and others boast of encouraging drivers to transition to electric vehicles, this money-grabbing practice is being widely condemned.”

He added: “Signage at these hubs is ambiguous to say the least, confusing to most who use them.”

Hunter warned that the fear of being fined – coupled with the constant problems of non-electric vehicles using EV spaces and ‘bay hogging’, as reported by many EV owners – is fast-becoming disincentives to those contemplating the transition to all electric.

The AA said it’s aware of such practices.

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy at the motoring organisation, commented: “Some private parking firms are acting in an aggressive manner and in turn this could put people off using their sites in future if it has public EV charging.

“All signs need to be clear and obvious about the actions needed for drivers to comply with the site. That may mean installing additional signage near charging bays that tell drivers if they need to register their car via a payment machine or app.

“In the transition to EVs, everyone needs to pull together to make the switch as smooth as possible.”

EV battery ‘guru’ Dr Euan McTurk, a consultant battery electrochemist and a lifelong EV driver, has personal experience of facing PCNs imposed by private car park operators.

He said: “Car park operators should engage with charge point operators to ensure that parking fines are only issued to vehicles that are blocking charging bays, or have overstayed after the charging session is complete, especially for high-power rapid charging hubs.

“At present, there are some sites where drivers are fined for legitimately charging their vehicles – and that’s even when being courteous and moving their car as soon as they’re finished charging, rather than abandoning their cars at a rapid charger for hours on end.”

He added: “Without cooperation between car park operators and charge point operators, more EV drivers will be hit by confusing and unfair fines for legitimately using chargers as they are intended to be used.”

Some car park operators are known to allow petrol and diesel car owners to get away with blocking charging bays.

“They should immediately introduce fines for genuine misuse of charging bays to keep them available for people who need them,” said McTurk.

Charge point operators say they have no control over the parking regulations or enforcement policies in place at these sites.

GeniePoint, which installs EV chargers at various locations throughout the UK, said it understood how frustrating it can be to receive a Penalty Charge Notice.

“We encourage all landowners, councils and car park operators to display signage to make customers aware. It is the responsibility of the car park owner or operator to ensure that signage complies with the legal standards (such as the BPA / British Parking Association) to reduce driver confusion and makes enforcement fair and transparent.”

The spokesperson continued: “We always recommend checking the parking terms and conditions at any location where you plan to charge your vehicle, to help avoid receiving a PCN.”

Blue Badge holders are not exempt from such fines either.

A spokesperson from Motability Operations, which runs the Motability Scheme and provides support for disabled drivers in the transition to electric vehicles, said: “The UK’s switch to electric vehicles has to work for everyone, including disabled people, and nobody should worry about extra, unexpected costs for charging. If both parking and charge point operators want to support a smooth transition to EVs, they must be clearer with drivers and avoid unnecessary anxiety.”

But the British Parking Association, the body representing private car park operators, said the onus is on every car driver to obey the instructions on signs.

It commented: “If a motorist has any concerns about signage at a car park they can contact the BPA.”

Victims of parking fines say that appealing a parking fine on car park operators’ websites can prove difficult and frustrating.

“Often there are no phone numbers available to talk with anyone and logging onto a car park operator’s site is like navigating a space probe to Mars,” said one drive who was hit by a fine.

He added: “I was legally parked at a leading hotel’s EV charging bay exactly 24 minutes and a few days later faced with a £57 PCN. What these car park operators do may be legal but in some instances it’s immoral.”

Edinburgh City Council insists that “nobody will receive a fine if they follow the rules. We apply overstay penalties to any vehicles which overstay the maximum charge period. We also issue Penalty Charge Notices to internal combustion vehicles (petrol and diesel) in EV bays where we have Traffic Regulation Orders in place.”

A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: “The provision of electric vehicle charging in private car parks has an important a role to play in enabling drivers to switch to EVs. Parking enforcement can help ensure fair access for EV drivers by allowing action can be taken against drivers who overstay, or for drivers of non-electric vehicles using an EV charging bay as a parking space. However, parking enforcement must always be fair and reasonable and supported by clear signage.”

Melanie Shufflebotham, co-founder and COO of Zapmap, added:  “As the industry matures we’re seeing increasing numbers of charge points at hotels and other destination locations, such as retail parks, cinemas and leisure centres, often operating alongside private parking arrangements.

“It’s becoming important in these cases to think not just about charging provision but the entire user experience: clear signage, education of staff and a joined-up approach between all elements to ensure that EV drivers don’t get caught out by a clash of charging costs, time or usage restrictions and parking fees.”