Category: Legislation

The New Jersey General Assembly passed a bill (A-1728)  that will require electric vehicle charging stations to be installed at rest areas along the New Jersey Turnpike, the Garden State Parkway and the Atlantic City Expressway. Under the bill, sponsored by Tim Eustace, Daniel Benson and Liz Muoio, EV charging stations are required to be installed in at least 5 percent of service area parking spaces in service areas with at least 100 spaces to which the public is invited.

“There is nothing worse than running out of gas on a dark and busy highway. It’s not only a nuisance; it is not safe,” said Eustace (D-Bergen/Passaic), who owns an electric car and knows first-hand the difficulty of finding a charging station. “The number of electric cars being driven on our roads may not match the number of gas-fueled cars, but we still have a responsibility to provide these drivers with sufficient fueling and charging stations, especially on heavily-travelled highways.”

The US Dept. of Energy Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC), shows that there are currently about 165 electric vehicle charging stations in New Jersey with around 380 individual charging ports.

“There is little point in investing in an electric car if the infrastructure is not there to support it,” said Eustace. “This bill helps residents who already own electric cars, as well as those who are considering buying one, but are worried about the accessibility of charging and refueling stations.”

According to a 2012 report by Environment New Jersey, a statewide, citizen-based environmental advocacy organization, more than 13,000 drivers in New Jersey could purchase their first plug-in vehicle within the next three years. The report stated that with the right policies in place in New Jersey, plug-in vehicles could reduce oil dependence by more than three million gallons per year.

The bill was approved 44-25-2 by the Assembly and is now headed to the Senate.

At least seven states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws to punish drivers who park a non plug-in vehicle in a space designated for an EV charging station, a practice known as ICEing. That means there are 43 states and countless municipalities that may need to consider such a law.

I have advocated for anti-ICEing laws in Montgomery County and Howard County in Maryland. In September, I spoke before the Maryland Electric Vehicle infrastructure Council to ask them to support a state-wide law. A bill is being drafted to be introduced in the 2016 Maryland General Assembly. I have created a resource page with links to other state laws, news articles, previously introduced bills, news articles and guidelines to assist the drafters of that bill.

PlugInSites is making this resource available to EV advocates and lawmakers who are looking for models and information to help draft anti-ICEing laws in other jurisdictions around the United States.

Here is the link to the PlugInSites Legislation Reference.

Please contact me if you have any information to add.

@Lanny for @PlugInSites

Two new state laws to penalize people who block electric vehicle charging stations went into effect on New Years Day 2016.

Oregon – $250 Fine for ICEing an EV Charging Station
Oregon House Bill 2625 created a law effective January 1, 2016 that is punishable by a maximum fine of $250.

Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1. (1) As used in this section, “alternative fuel vehicle” has the meaning given that term in ORS 469B.100, except that “alternative fuel vehicle” includes vehicles registered in any jurisdiction.
(2) A person commits the offense of unlawful parking in a space reserved for alternative fuel vehicle refueling if:
(a) The person parks a vehicle in any parking space that is on premises open to the public;
(b) The parking space is marked or signed as reserved for alternative fuel vehicle refueling; and
(c) The vehicle in the parking space is not engaged in the refueling process.
(3) The offense of unlawful parking in a space reserved for alternative fuel vehicle refueling is a Class D traffic violation.

Illinois – Up to $100 Fine and Towing
In Illinois, as of January 1, 2016 people who park non-electric vehicles in spots reserved for an electric vehicle charging station will be subject to a $75-$100 fine and may get towed.

Here is the text of the new Illinois law.

Sec. 11-1308. Unauthorized use of parking places reserved for electric vehicles.
(a) For the purposes of this Section: “Electric vehicle” means a battery-powered electric vehicle operated solely by electricity or a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle that operates on electricity and gasoline and has a battery that can be recharged from an external source. “Electric vehicle charging station” means any facility or equipment that is used to charge a battery or other energy storage device of an electric vehicle.
(b) It shall be prohibited to park a non-electric vehicle in an electric vehicle charging station designated for use by electric vehicles, including an electric vehicle charging station on any private or public offstreet parking facility. A person may park only an electric vehicle in an electric vehicle charging station space designated for use by electric vehicles.
(c) Any person or local authority owning or operating any public or private offstreet parking facility may, after notifying the police or sheriff’s department, remove or cause to be removed to the nearest garage or other place of safety any non-electric vehicle parked within an electric vehicle charging station space designated for use by electric vehicles.
(d) It shall not be a defense to a charge under this Section that the sign or notice posted at the electric vehicle charging station or the designated parking space does not comply with applicable rules, regulations, or local ordinances, if a reasonable person would be made aware by the sign or notice on or near the parking space that the space is reserved for electric vehicles.
(e) Any person found guilty of violating the provisions of subsection (b) shall be fined $75 in addition to any costs or charges connected with the removal or storage of the non-electric vehicle; but municipalities by ordinance may impose a fine up to $100.

PlugInSites Legislation Reference Guide
PlugInSites has compiled a Legislation Reference Guide for local and state laws regarding reserved parking spaces for plug-in vehicle charging stations. This is being shared with lawmakers as a resource to consult when drafting future bills.

Stay tuned to @PlugInSites for developments affecting EV charging stations.

Story of the Anti-ICEing law in Montgomery County, MD

Our recent post showing the Jeep that got slapped with a $60.00 fine for ICEing has kinda gone viral. It’s generated thousands of views and has been shared and discussed in EV related groups on Facebook and elsewhere. It’s even prompted a thread on a VW enthusiast forum asking how common these laws are. Maybe these photos will serve as a warning to gas car drivers to think twice before parking in an EV charging spot.

The truth is, most jurisdictions still don’t have laws against blocking a charging station. It took years to get the first such law in Maryland and Montgomery County is still the only jurisdiction in the state to give tickets for ICEing on private parking lots where most of the charging stations are located.

Advocating for a similar law in your areaIt’s not easy to get these laws made. I wrote an article for the Electric Auto Association’s Current EVents detailing some of the history and challenges of the first anti-ICEing law in Maryland and tips on advocating for similar legislation in your jurisdiction. Click here to read.

@Lanny

The following portion of the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015 (HR22) relates to electric vehicle charging infrastructure. It includes language introduced by Rep. Thomas Massie to authorize the operation of EV charging stations in parking areas used by federal employees. This was originally introduced as the EV-COMUTE Act of 2014 by Rep. Zoe Lofgren before being amended to the Surface Transportation bill, now signed into law by the President.

SEC. 1413. National electric vehicle charging and hydrogen, propane, and natural gas fueling corridors.

(c) Operation of battery recharging stations in parking areas used by Federal employees.—

(1) AUTHORIZATION.—

(A) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of General Services may install, construct, operate, and maintain on a reimbursable basis a battery recharging station (or allow, on a reimbursable basis, the use of a 120-volt electrical receptacle for battery recharging) in a parking area that is in the custody, control, or administrative jurisdiction of the General Services Administration for the use of only privately owned vehicles of employees of the General Services Administration, tenant Federal agencies, and others who are authorized to park in such area to the extent such use by only privately owned vehicles does not interfere with or impede access to the equipment by Federal fleet vehicles.
Read More …

Warning to gasoline car drivers, if you block an EV charging station in Gaithersburg in Montgomery County, Maryland with a vehicle that doesn’t plug-in, you risk getting a $60 parking fine. The police in Gaithersburg gave a ticket to a Jeep that parked in a clearly marked electric vehicle charging spot at the Cadence at Crown parking garage.

The parking violation notice referred to City Code Sec. 14-7G (In Violation of Official Sign) with a handwritten note, “Jeep parked in spot marked ‘Electric Vehicles Only.'” The fine was listed as $60 on the ticket.

Montgomery County passed a law that went into effect on June 11, 2014 that makes it illegal to park a non plug-in vehicle at a charging station marked with an official sign. That law is in Sec. 31-26B of Montgomery Co. Code.

To report parking violations in Montgomery County, call the police non-emergency line at 301-279-8000.

Subscribe to PlugInSites to keep up with EV Infrastructure developments in DC, Maryland, Virginia and beyond.

UPDATE: The Surface Transportation Reauthorization & Reform Act passed the House and is now headed to conference with the Senate before a Nov. 20 deadline to avoid a gap in highway funding.

Allows the GSA to install and operate EV charging stations for private vehicle use at Federal facilities.

An amendment, modeled after the EV-COMUTE Act, that would allow the General Services Administration (GSA) to construct, install, and operate electric vehicle (EV) charging stations for private vehicle use at federal facilities at no cost to taxpayers was adopted by the US House of Representatives on November 3, 2015.

Federal agencies currently have no authority to install and operate EV charging stations, so federal employees and contractors are unable to charge their vehicles while at work.

The amendment to the Surface Transportation Reauthorization & Reform Act of 2015 was sponsored by Congressman Thomas Massie (R-KY), Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), and Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-CA). Congressman Massie modeled the amendment after the EV-COMUTE Act (H.R. 3509) of 2014 written by Congresswoman Lofgren. The amendment added language to the original bill that will give jurisdiction to the GSA for the installation and operation of the charging stations at Federal facilities.

“In 2012, Congress passed legislation to allow electric vehicle recharging at the U.S. Capitol for congressmen and their staff for a fee, but neglected to extend this authority to other federal agencies and employees. Our amendment would correct this disparity,” said Rep. Massie, who serves on both the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Science, Space, and Technology Committee.

Will give Federal employees more options in their commute.
“I first learned of this issue after a constituent wrote me a letter last year,” said Rep. Lofgren, who introduced the EV-COMUTE Act that served as template for this amendment. “In it, he said he was ‘surprised and dismayed’ that it is illegal for federal facilities to provide electric vehicle charging stations for the public or their employees, even at no cost to taxpayers. My family has an electric car and I know they are an important part of improving efficiency and reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. As this amendment was adopted on the House floor today, it served as a powerful reminder of the role citizens play in generating new ideas and legislation.”

“In my personal and public life, I consistently support an all-of-the-above energy strategy for the United States,” concluded Rep. Massie, an MIT graduate who drives a Tesla electric car daily in Washington, D.C. “I’m proud to sponsor this amendment because it will expand transportation options for many Americans at no cost to taxpayers.”

Eshoo, who also introduced the original EV-COMUTE legislation said, “As the nation’s largest employer, the federal government should lead by example in offering workplace charging. Silicon Valley is home to thousands of electric vehicle owners, yet the more than 5,000 federal employees in my congressional district have no access to charging facilities at work because of a quirk in existing law.”

The House is expected to vote later this week on the Surface Transportation bill, H. R. 3763.

@Lanny

Today, October 1, 2015, a new law goes into effect that will allow Tesla to sell cars in the state of Maryland. HB 0235, introduced by Montgomery County Delegate Kirill Reznik, passed a vote on April 13, the last day of the 2015 legislative session with only five minutes to spare.

The bill was supported by the Maryland Dealers Association which agreed to allow as many as six locations. However, General Motors wanted to limit the number to two locations. In the end, the bill was amended to allow up to four dealer licenses to be issued.

HB 0235 was signed into law by Gov. Hogan on May 12 at a ceremony attended by several Tesla drivers who represented the support of the Tesla community for the direct sales model employed by Tesla Motors.

Here is a summary of the new law.

HB 0235 – Sale of Electric or Nonfossil-Fuel Burning Vehicles

This bill authorizes a manufacturer or distributor to obtain no more than four licenses as a vehicle dealer if the manufacturer or distributor deals only in electric or nonfossil-fuel burning vehicles, no dealer in the State holds a franchise from the manufacturer or distributor, and the manufacturer or distributor does not have a controlling-interest relationship with any other manufacturer or distributor licensed as a dealer under the bill.

Effective October 1, 2015

@PlugInSites

Virginia and Maryland have no statewide law to prohibit “ICEing” an EV charging spot. But in Washington, DC, you are subject to a $100.00 fine if you get ticketed for parking a vehicle in an EV charging spot unless it is an electric vehicle being charged.

The Washington “Anti-ICEing” law is presented in the D.C. Municipal Regulations (DCMR) as being adopted in 2011. The penalty for ICEing is the same as for unauthorized parking in a car-sharing (e.g. zipcar) spot. Read More …

Starting January 1, 2016 people who park non-electric vehicles in spots reserved for an electric vehicle charging station in Illinois will be subject to a minimum $75 fine and get their car towed.

Signed by Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner

Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner signed the “Anti-ICEing” legislation (HB0198) on July 29, 2015. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Robyn Gabel after her office received a complaint from an EV driver, passed both houses of the Illinois legislature on May 26, 2015.

Will Apply at Public and Private Parking Areas

The new law will allow local municipalities to impose an even greater fine of up to $100 and stipulates that the legality of the signage is not a defense if a reasonable person would be made aware by the sign or notice that the space is for electric vehicles only.

Goes into Effect January 1, 2016

Here is the text of the new Illinois law.

Sec. 11-1308. Unauthorized use of parking places reserved for electric vehicles.
(a) For the purposes of this Section: “Electric vehicle” means a battery-powered electric vehicle operated solely by electricity or a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle that operates on electricity and gasoline and has a battery that can be recharged from an external source. “Electric vehicle charging station” means any facility or equipment that is used to charge a battery or other energy storage device of an electric vehicle.
(b) It shall be prohibited to park a non-electric vehicle in an electric vehicle charging station designated for use by electric vehicles, including an electric vehicle charging station on any private or public offstreet parking facility. A person may park only an electric vehicle in an electric vehicle charging station space designated for use by electric vehicles.
(c) Any person or local authority owning or operating any public or private offstreet parking facility may, after notifying the police or sheriff’s department, remove or cause to be removed to the nearest garage or other place of safety any non-electric vehicle parked within an electric vehicle charging station space designated for use by electric vehicles.
(d) It shall not be a defense to a charge under this Section that the sign or notice posted at the electric vehicle charging station or the designated parking space does not comply with applicable rules, regulations, or local ordinances, if a reasonable person would be made aware by the sign or notice on or near the parking space that the space is reserved for electric vehicles.
(e) Any person found guilty of violating the provisions of subsection (b) shall be fined $75 in addition to any costs or charges connected with the removal or storage of the non-electric vehicle; but municipalities by ordinance may impose a fine up to $100.

Effective Date: 1/1/2016

@PlugInSites