Colorado Looking To Fine Gas Car Drivers Who Park At EV Chargers

A new bill in Colorado is looking to put an end to the practice known as ICEing where internal-combustion engine vehicles park in spots designated for electric vehicles.

On April 1, 2019, House Bill 1298 was introduced to the house and on April 18, the bill passed on a vote and has since been introduced to the senate and is currently being considered to be put into law.

The bill proposes that ICE vehicles parked in EV charging spaces can be fined up to $150 with a $32 surcharge. Battery-powered vehicles which aren’t actively charging but also parked in charging bays can face the same fines.

Also Read: Why Are Truck Owners Blocking Tesla Superchargers Across America?

The house bill says that an electric vehicle can be presumed not to be charging if it is not connected to the charger for longer than 30 minutes. EV owners will be able to park their vehicles at a charging station after the vehicle is fully charged in a parking lot found at an airport, a business parking lot, or between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.

Fining electric vehicle owners for breaching these rules will allow lawmakers to stamp up the practice of some EV owners parking at charging stations for days just to get free parking.

ICEing became a particularly controversial topic late last year after a spate of incidents involving pickup trucks blocking Tesla Supercharging stations across the U.S. Colorado isn’t the only state thinking about banning the practice as states including California, Florida, Oregon, Illinois, Washington, and Massachusetts are all considering similar laws.