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From 1 February, electric vehicle drivers who ‘overstay their charge’ at selected RAA charging sites will incur an ‘idle fee,’ in an effort to encourage fast charging etiquette.
RAA Charge program director Andrew Howard said the practice of ‘idle charging’ – when an electric vehicle is left plugged into a charger after the vehicle has reached full charge – is a common frustration amongst EV drivers.
“Essentially it prevents other people from charging their car at a charging station that should otherwise be available.
“By introducing idle fees, we hope to optimise the availability of our charging stations and encourage fast charging etiquette.
According to user survey conducted by charging platform Chargefox, 9 out of 10 EV drivers feel positively about the fees and network operators taking steps to drive behaviour change.
Mr Howard said RAA will introduce idle fees at a single charging site at Burnside, before rolling it out to all RAA Charge Rapid and Ultra-rapid charging sites in metro and regional locations.
“To ensure EV drivers are not caught out, we’re listing the sites where idle fees apply on the Chargefox app and placing signage on the charging plugs.
“EV drivers will also receive a notification through the Chargefox app when their car has finished charging and will be given a 10-minute grace period to move their car before the idle fee is applied,” he said.
EV drivers that leave their vehicle in the charging bay after the 10-minute grace period, will be charged $1 for every minute that the vehicle stays connected to the charger.
As part of the trial, RAA will be monitoring the effectiveness of idle fees to change charging behaviour.
To learn more about the RAA Charge network visit: www.raa.com.au/charge