Jolt EV charging network

[B3AU]

In SA where they are good at finding a way to take your money there is a new rule in relation to specifically the car being charged.


View attachment 1040295

View attachment 1040298

Yes the other states have had road rules 203B and 203C in effect for some time.
As they're national road rules - the wording is the same.

SA road rules are here - LZ

203C—Stopping in a parking area for the charging of electric-powered
vehicles
(1) A driver must not stop in a parking area for the charging of electric-powered vehicles
unless—
(a) the driver's vehicle is an electric-powered vehicle; and
(b) the electric-powered vehicle is plugged in to an external source of electricity.
Offence provision.
Note—
Electric-powered vehicle is defined in rule 203B.

You can park in a Jolt bay, plug in, and you're parked legally. You don't need to start a session to be parked legally.

(Of course the bay still needs the correct signage for the road rules to apply, otherwise it doesn't matter anyway)

 

[B3AU]

That’s cheap. NSW introduced a new road rule in Nov 2022 for unlawful parking in a designated EV charging spot. If a vehicle is not plugged in, or is plugged in but charging was never initiated(*), the fine is up to $2200.

As per above, 203C is the same in NSW.

https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/whole/html/inforce/current/sl-2014-0758#sec.203C

You don't have to actually initiate a charging session - just be plugged in.

 

[Vostok]

You don't have to actually initiate a charging session - just be plugged in.

Hence the asterisk in my post, because that’s the behaviour that should be encouraged, even if the rule doesn’t require it… plug in and start a charging session.

I don’t know why the rule wasn’t written requiring a session to be started, because it would be trivial to prove whether that happened or not. I guess people for whom etiquette is optional would then start a session a terminate it 30 seconds later.

The next step would be to require people to vacate the spot say 15 minutes after a charging session terminates, but that would get messy for people who overnight charge (people do use EVX for overnight charging if they don’t have offstreet parking - do any Jolt users ever do that?). But that could be gotten around by requiring spots to be vacated only during the periods in which the timed parking restrictions apply. Parking restrictions in inner Sydney tend to end at either 8pm or 10pm depending on the area.

I think this rule will need to evolve over time as EVs and polechargers become more commonplace and issues arise in areas where offstreet parking is non-existent or rare - which is the case in much of inner Sydney.

 

[dronus]

Yes the other states have had road rules 203B and 203C in effect for some time.
As they're national road rules - the wording is the same.

SA road rules are here - LZ



You can park in a Jolt bay, plug in, and you're parked legally. You don't need to start a session to be parked legally.

(Of course the bay still needs the correct signage for the road rules to apply, otherwise it doesn't matter anyway)

Yes I just found the wording interesting - parking in the pay while the vehicle is being charged.
If the vehicle has finished charging is it still being charged?

 

[B3AU]

Yes I just found the wording interesting - parking in the pay while the vehicle is being charged.
If the vehicle has finished charging is it still being charged?

It's still connected to an external source of electricity so it's still parked legally.

 

[moa999]

Suspect it was decided it would be all too hard for parking inspectors to confirm whether a car was actually charging, and account for things like a power outage or fault that wasn't the car owners fault.

 

[dronus]

Suspect it was decided it would be all too hard for parking inspectors to confirm whether a car was actually charging, and account for things like a power outage or fault that wasn't the car owners fault.

It’s good to see these steps being understood by different levels of government in regards to ice’ing EV charge bays.
I showed this to one of my intellectually special coworkers who is a rusted on diesel head and his reply was:
“Well EVs should not be allowed to park in non ev parking bays.”

I seriously did not how to reply, he was serious.

Maybe there is also a difference between a car parking next to a fuel bowser while they go shopping in an adjacent shopping centre was the simplist example that came to mind.

His reply: well normal car drivers are not that stupid.

I rest my case your honour.

 

[Sir Surfalot]

I don't think I'll bother trying any more.

The Palm Beach (Sydney Northern Beaches) has been more-or-less my private DC charger since it opened. I don’t think I have encountered another car actually charging there when I turn up - which is usually right after I finish surfing and while I am having a coffee and a chat with my friends just down the road, so a 30-40 minute charging session.

I have, however, had it ICEd several times by tradie utes and assorted monster trucks - haven’t reported them because my car is kind of memorable (and the only EV that ever charges there pretty much) and I don’t want it vandalised in retribution if the tradie/apprentice cops the big fine. I only charge there opportunistically anyway - it’s just kind of satisfying to “save” on charging about the same cost as my coffee (at least on a cloudy day when i would be paying retail for the electricity at home rather than rooftop solar).

 

[Vostok]

“Well EVs should not be allowed to park in non ev parking bays.”

It’s not an EV parking bay but an EV charging bay - big difference.

I’m sure EV drivers would be totally OK with the same $2200 fine applying to any vehicle parking next to a petrol bowser without being “plugged in” - in the name of equity.

 

[Quickst]

The Jolt in Beecroft (sydney) is almost ICE proof.

Red box = Jolt Box
Green box = No parking EV charging only bay
Purple mark = charging plug location
Yellow Circle = Unofficial unmarked parking option if Green box is ICED - reverse in against the Jolt,cable is long enough. Any car in the parking bay with white square might get blocked if EV parked in yellow circle but because of its odd shape no one parks there.

Re advertising:
The advertising screens are marked in blue. The Ev driver Jolting their car will never see it. The one facing Beecroft road possibly seen by traffic if they are stopped at the traffic light just south of picture. The screen at the yellow circle possibly seen by foot traffic walking south along Beecroft road or drivers returning to their car via the zebra markings but I don't think anyone notices because most of the parking are to the right

 

[doggy1]

I have, however, had it ICEd several times by tradie utes and assorted monster trucks - haven’t reported them because my car is kind of memorable (

I'd photo them and send to the Council. They have a head ranger guy who is sympathetic to EVs and WILL chase them down or drop by a few times at suggested times to try and deter them. The utes/trucks should not be able to identify you as the dobber.

 

[Vostok]

I should lodge an FOI request to find out how many fines have been issued to date, and the average fine amount. $2200 would typically only be imposed by a court if there was wilful, malicious and unrepentant blocking of an EV charger.

And the answer is… in NSW, 466 fines have been issued in the 15 months since Jan 2023 for incorrectly parked vehicles in EV charging spaces. Penalties totalled $58,953 or an average of $126 per offence.

Drivers hit with heavy fines for ICE-ing electric vehicle charging bays

Drivers in one state have been issued almost $60,000 in fines for incorrectly parking in electric vehicle charging bays after penalties were introduced in most parts of Australia.

thedriven.io

 

[Vostok]

And I should have calculated this myself in the previous post… but given the on-the-spot fine in NSW is $129, the outcome above tells me that 457 fines of $129 were paid, and that 9 fines must have been challenged in court and overturned.

It also suggests that no fines greater than $129 were imposed by a court, unless the fine imposed happened to be an exact integer multiple of $129, which seems unlikely.

 

[dronus]

Does the $129 include the “victims of crime levy” if such a thing exists in NSW?

 

[aceon]

The Palm Beach (Sydney Northern Beaches) has been more-or-less my private DC charger since it opened.

Sorry to interrupt but I used Jolt Palm Beach for 20 mins on Friday morning. I didn’t see any other EVs around and no one waiting so hope that was ok

 

[Sir Surfalot]

Sorry to interrupt but I used Jolt Palm Beach for 20 mins on Friday morning.

White Model 3? If so you *were* seen

I only charge there opportunistically really - happy to see the Jolt chargers getting used so they are enthused to install more of them around the place. I have coffee/chat most mornings at Pronto (which is about 100m south from where the Jolt charger is on the same side of the road) after surfing and if the charger is available I put 1/2 hour or so of charge into the car. Including the free allowance per day it’s cheaper than charging at home for that much power and I’d be parking nearby anyway while recharging myself with coffee.

 

[Quickst]

Including the free allowance

Are you on the $10/month plan

 

[Sir Surfalot]

Are you on the $10/month plan

Yes I am now (for the last 6 weeks or so). It is probably a wash either way for me - whether I save anything on the $10/month deal with 10kWh/day free vs the default 7kWh/day free. The off peak pricing probably saves me rather more than the increased freeness but it’s small beer either way

Looking at my stats in TeslaFi, for the >100 sessions I have had at Jolt chargers (almost either Mona Vale or Palm Beach, occasionally one at Narrabeen) my average session time has been a bit over 1/2 hour, so say 11-12kWh served per session.

I don’t try to time the sessions at all for freeness or anything, just if I am at the supermarket at Coles or having coffee/chat with my friends after surfing it just happens I am parked (and incidentally charging) for about 1/2 hour. Saves me more-or-less enough vs charging at home (given a cloudy day) to notionally pay for my coffee

 

[Quickst]

$10/month deal

When yopu are next there, can please explain how the "reserve a charger" works practically (not that you even need to by the sounds if it but interested to know how it works in practice)

 

[Sir Surfalot]

When yopu are next there, can please explain how the "reserve a charger" works practically?

I tried it once a couple of weeks ago. From memory in the app after you select the charger and plug, next to the “start CCS2” button there is a smaller button with a clock thing on it. Tap that and it reserves/locks that plug to your account only for however many minutes it is (at least the 5 minutes it took me to drive around from the beach to the charger anyway).

So when you get to the charger you just start the session in the normal way. I guess anyone else trying to start a session on that plug during that reserved window would get some sort of “it’s reserved, come back in NN minutes” kind of message, probably also on the map like how it shows the number of minutes until a charger should become available when it’s in use for a normal charging session.

As I said I only tried reserving the Palm Beach charger once to see how it worked (and i vaguely remember I tried it a year ago at Mona Vale too - back when they first introduced the capability and anyone could reserve a charger). I don’t really like it conceptually; either a charger is in use or it isn’t. Someone who isn’t there shouldn’t be able to stop me (who is there) from charging. Just my opinion anyway - if people like it more providers will offer it.