Electric car users are now facing a new penalty if they spend too long at electric charge points. From 1st April, a new £30 penalty will be charged for those staying for more than an hour in Aberdeen.
Additionally, in Sheffield the charge will be £20 from the same date. Charges have been similarly introduced across the highlands.
ESB Energy in London has an overstay fee of £8 at 350 charge points after an hour, and at GeniePoint, people will pay an overstay charge of £10 after 90 minutes, and £10 for every 90 minutes after that.
Tesla has also had an overstay fee of 50p or £1 per minute on its network. This depends on how busy the charging station is. The fees have shocked many EV drivers as they were told to make the switch from petrol-powered vehicles to electric.
Electric cars are supposed to be celebrated and have huge benefits in their ownership, but with this new charge, EV drivers may not want to leave their cars charging in busy areas and those who do not yet own an EV will be put off by this change.
However, the cost of installing chargers and connecting them to the National Grid is costing operators a lot of money and therefore they cannot afford to leave them unused.
The Times reported that it costs £1,000 to £2,500 to install a slow charger in a lamppost; £30,000 to £40,000 for a rapid charger at 50 kWh; and £50,000 to £60,000 for an ultra-rapid charger.
For many companies, ensuring that their network is available 24/7 is the only way to make any profit on the chargers.
