Drivers blocking electric vehicle charging bays across the UK have been hit with more than 161,000 parking fines since 2020, with enforcement accelerating sharply as competition for charging spaces reaches a tipping point.
Councils handed out 57,000 penalties in 2025 alone, nearly triple the number issued just three years earlier. The crackdown comes as petrol and diesel vehicles continue to occupy bays designated for electric cars, a practice known as ICEing that leaves EV drivers unable to charge when they need it most.
Freedom of Information requests submitted to 218 local authorities reveal the scale of the problem. Newcastle upon Tyne leads with 19,404 fines issued, followed by Coventry with 15,261 and Westminster with 13,511.
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Enforcement Climbs 24 Percent Year on Year
Monthly penalty rates tell the sharper story. Councils issued an average of 4,791 fines per month in 2025, up from 3,844 in 2024. That 24.6 percent jump reflects both increased violations and more aggressive enforcement.
The annual figures show steady acceleration:
- 2020: 8,642 fines
- 2021: 13,588
- 2022: 22,251
- 2023: 32,368
- 2024: 46,128
- 2025: 57,000
Each driver caught parking in an electric vehicle charging space without plugging in faces a £70 penalty in England and Wales.
London Boroughs Dominate Enforcement
Six of the top 10 enforcing councils sit in London, but the issue extends nationwide. Hammersmith & Fulham issued 5,366 penalties, Camden recorded 5,301, and Ealing reached 5,200 fines over the past five years.
Individual charging locations have become hotspots for violations. Millharbour on the Isle of Dogs in Tower Hamlets logged 664 fines, making it the most penalized charging site in the country. King’s Road in Brighton and Hove saw 231 penalties, highlighting the strain on coastal chargers during tourist season.
Councillor Paul Driscoll, cabinet member for climate action at Ealing Council, defended the strict approach. The authority makes “no apology” for taking firm action, he said, adding that clear signage and regular patrols prevent misuse that “undermines investment in greener transport.”
Violations Include EV Drivers
Petrol and diesel vehicles blocking charging points draw most penalties, but electric car owners also face fines. Parking in a charging bay without connecting to the charger counts as a violation. So does leaving a vehicle in the space after charging finishes.
The rules exist to keep charging infrastructure accessible. With 1.8 million electric cars now on UK roads and 87,796 public charging devices installed, demand for charging points continues to outpace supply in many areas.
New EV registrations hit 473,348 in 2025, pushing the electric vehicle share of total cars to 5.3 percent. Public charging infrastructure grew 19 percent last year, adding 14,097 new devices, but growth remains concentrated in London and the South East.
Most Councils Take No Action
Despite record fines in some areas, the majority of local authorities issue few or no penalties for charging bay misuse. Many councils lack the legal framework to enforce restrictions because they have not established Traffic Regulation Orders for charging sites.
Resource constraints also play a role. Some authorities confirmed they do not track violations at all, while others stated they “hold no data” on the issue.
West Lothian Council acknowledged it currently runs no enforcement program for electric vehicle charging bays but said officers are developing Traffic Regulation Orders for existing sites.
Ben Welham, motoring expert at car marketplace Cinch, which compiled the FOI data, warned that inconsistent enforcement could overwhelm charging networks and discourage electric vehicle adoption. “As the number of EV parking bays increases to meet demand, councils need to manage misuse,” he said.
Automated Systems Enter the Mix
Some councils have turned to automated number plate recognition cameras to catch violators, while others rely on parking wardens during routine patrols. The technology can identify whether a vehicle occupying a charging bay is actually connected to the charger.
Signage quality varies widely. Drivers report faded markings and poorly positioned signs that make restrictions easy to miss, particularly at older charging sites installed before current standards took effect.
The enforcement gap creates a postcode lottery. A driver parking without charging in Westminster faces near-certain penalty. The same behavior in an area with no Traffic Regulation Orders brings no consequence.
Infrastructure Races to Keep Pace
Public charging devices have more than doubled since the end of 2021, growing from under 30,000 to 87,796 by December 2025. Ultra-rapid chargers rated at 150kW or above saw the fastest expansion, jumping 41 percent to 9,893 units.
Charging hubs with six or more rapid devices increased 39 percent to 748 locations, most positioned along motorway routes for long-distance travel. On-street chargers grew to 33,177 units, with 24,026 of those installed in Greater London.
The government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure fund aims to accelerate on-street charging in areas where home charging is not possible, but contract awards are taking longer than expected to translate into actual installations.
What Comes Next
UK councils are increasingly fining drivers for misusing ev bays as electric vehicle numbers continue their steep climb. The government maintains its target to ban new petrol and diesel car sales by 2030, which will push EV adoption further and place additional pressure on public charging networks.
Councils without enforcement powers face a choice. Develop Traffic Regulation Orders and begin penalizing violators, or watch charging infrastructure become clogged with vehicles that have no need to plug in.
For drivers, the rules are straightforward. Charging bays serve one purpose. Park there without charging and the £70 fine becomes more likely every month, particularly in cities where councils have made enforcement a priority.
