Porsche driver under fire for infuriating act at a Bellevue Hill Sydney electric vehicle charging station
A Porsche driver has outraged electric vehicle owners after parking in a designated charging station – not once but twice.
Residents in Bellevue Hill, an affluent harbourside eastern suburb of Sydney, spotted the luxury car parked in an EV charging spot on Birriga Road over the weekend.
One enraged local scrawled a message in what looked like red lipstick on the driver’s side window.
‘This is the second time you are parking in this spot,’ the message read.
The Porsche driver was also hit with a $129 fine from a Waverly Council parking officer on Monday.
The Porsche was spotted parked in a designated EV charging spot on Birriga Road, in Sydney’s upmarket Bellevue Hill
One frustrated local scrawled a message accusing the driver of being a repeat offender
Squabbles between EV owners and drivers of cars with petrol engines over designated parking spaces are becoming more common nationwide as councils expand the number of charging stations and bays.
Despite being declared Australia’s most expensive suburb in 2023 – with a median house price of $9.73million – Bellevue Hill only has three public charging ports available for residents.
The street where the fine was issued is also dominated by small apartments, most of which do not have their own parking spot or access to other charging stations.
The two available EV-only spaces on Birriga Road are therefore in high demand.
Public EV charging ports and parking spots are becoming more commonplace in shopping centre car parks and on neighbourhood streets.
However, it is not keeping pace with the uptake of electric and hybrid cars.
In the 12 months to January, more than 87,200 EVs were sold, while more than 35,000 hybrid cars were bought during the first three months of 2024, according to the Australian Automotive Association Index.
Meanwhile, only 3,000 public charging stations are available nationwide. NSW’s transport authority estimates the state is home to about 2,100 charging stations.
The public charging space is one of three charging stations available to residents in the suburb
There are an estimated 3,000 public charging stations available nationwide (pictured, Chargerfox charging station)
Access to public charging stations is regarded as preventing an even faster uptake of electric vehicles.
The Albanese government is pushing its plan for zero-emission roads by 2035.
The plan, which comes into effect on January 1 next year, aims to cut average carbon dioxide emissions for all new vehicles by 59 per cent by 2029.
The New Vehicle Efficiency Standard would incentivize car manufacturers to sell fuel efficient vehicles, including EVs, that comply with the greener standard.
Under the government’s 2023 Intergenerational Report (IGR), EVs will represent 85 per cent of cars on the road in 40 years.
It adds that under an ‘accelerated scenario’, electric vehicles would reach 99 per cent of the country’s fleet by 2045.
