Aussies around the country are hitting the Boxing Day sales in droves. But one major problem at shopping centres nationwide is finding somewhere to park.

One electric vehicle driver appeared to cop over $200 in extra charges just before Christmas for sitting idle in an EV charging bay at one of the country’s busiest shopping centres, hours after the Polestar would be fully charged. “That’s gonna be one hell of an idle bill,” a fellow driver who stumbled upon the scene lamented online.

The act comes as the Electric Vehicle Council warns about proper charging etiquette this summer holidays. “Don’t overstay your charge, leave home with a full battery, and be courteous to your fellow EV drivers,” Aman Gaur, the council’s head of legal, policy and advocacy said.

What are idle fees at electric car charging bays?

The scene captured at Chadstone Shopping Centre on the outskirts of Melbourne prompted one fellow EV owner to point out that “all fast chargers should have idle fees”.

The standard idle fee in Australia is a $1 per minute if a car is still plugged in and occupying the space but no longer charging. The intention is to deter drivers from taking up the sought-after spaces when they are no longer needed.

Idle fees were first trialled in July 2023 in Western Australia and are expected to become more widespread as time goes on.

On its website, NRMA says idle fees are not currently charged but should be expected in a future release. Tesla only applies idle fees when a supercharger station is at 50% capacity or more, and idle fees double when the station is at 100% capacity.

100,000 new electric cars added to Aussie roads in 2024

According to the Electric Vehicle Council, nearly one in 10 new cars are electric vehicles, with more than 100,000 added to Aussie roads this year.

To keep up with the growing demand, authorities and businesses have been scrambling to erect enough fast and ultra-fast public chargers following chaotic scenes at charging bays during peak holiday periods. Now, there are over 1,849 high-power public chargers in 1,059 locations nationwide.

“Australia has hit an annual record for new EV sales, surpassing 100,000 this year,” Gaur said.

“Luckily, the public charging network is growing to keep up with demand. Over the past year, the number of public chargers and their locations has nearly doubled across the country, with more public and private investment in the pipeline to expand this further in the new year.

“A couple of summers ago, EV drivers in need of charging faced a bumpy road, largely due to Covid-related supply chain disruptions that impacted the availability of spare parts.”

Tips for EV charging etiquette

Gaur has several tips for a successful road trip this summer. They include:

1. Leave home with a full charge and charge up at the place you’re staying before you head home if you can. This will reduce the amount you need to use public fast chargers, and create more availability for others.

2. Check with your accommodation provider about charging there and if they don’t have a policy around EV charging, offer to pay a bit more. The ability to charge where you’re staying is a huge convenience; it’s only fair that the driver offers to cover the small uptick in the accommodation provider’s electricity bill.

3. Don’t overstay your charge. When you’re using public chargers, take what you need, then make space for the next driver, especially if there’s a queue. Topping up to 80% will take a lot less time than filling all the way to 100%, because the charging rate slows down as the vehicle battery gets close to full.

4. Be kind. There’s more than 100,000 new EVs on our roads this year, with some drivers set to use public fast chargers for the first time this summer holiday. If someone needs help understanding how it works, offer to lend a hand.

5. Look after the charging equipment. Put the charging equipment back as you found it to avoid damage and for the next person’s ease. If the unit is damaged or impaired, report it immediately to the charge point operator.

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