Drivers of electric cars have been warned that they could face fines for stopping at charging points for too long as new laws are introduced in some areas this month.
Electric vehicle owners could now find themselves paying as much as £30 if they use a charging station for longer than necessary. Fines for motorists overstaying at charging points have slowly been introduced in recent months, with operators looking to manage the strain on their network amid rising electricity costs.
It has not been confirmed whether the fines will be rolled out on a UK-wide basis, but some cities are already confirmed to have put charges in place for motorists who overstay at public charging points, The Express reports. From the start of April, Aberdeen has brought in a £30 fine, while Sheffield will charge drivers £20 if they are found to be stopped at a charging station for too long.
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The 'overstay charge' is being introduced to ensure drivers aren’t taking up space and prevent other drivers from being blocked when needing to charge. In one instance a driver left his vehicle charging overnight, expecting to pay £26, but ended up being hit with a fine of £123 for overstaying, the Times reported.
Tesla, one of the most popular chargepoint operators, also charges an 'idle fee' for every additional minute on its worldwide Supercharger network. In the UK drivers are charged 50p per minute as an idle fee, which rises to £1 per minute when the station is 100% occupied.
The Tesla app allows owners to remotely monitor the vehicle, alerting them when their car is nearly charged and again when it is fully charged. The idle fees will only be charged when a Supercharger station is at 50% capacity or more, and are waived if the car is moved within five minutes.
While electric vehicle owners have been advised to be vigilant of these charging point changes, they are the only motorists exempt from a major change coming into force this month. New vehicle tax rates have been introduced as of April 1, with charges increasing for almost all vehicles - with the exception of electric ones, which will not be taxed until 2025.
What you pay for car tax depends on when your car was registered and how much CO2 emissions it produces. For example, car tax on a vehicle registered between March 2001 and before April 2017 that produces 121 to 130g/km of CO2 emissions would be £135 for the year.
Charges have risen for petrol and diesel vehicles registered after the April 1 2023 deadline, starting from vehicles in the 51 to 75 CO2 band, where drivers will pay £30, an increase from £25. Those with the most polluting non-electric vehicles, which fall in the over 255 CO2 band face a bill for £2,605, a rise of £240 from last year.
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