CA AB 475 Allow ticketing of vehicles not connected to chargers

[jaanton]

So almost law in CA is a bill AB 475 which will allow ticketing of cars parked at chargers but not connected to chargers. I think this is a bad bill because anyone can disconnect a car and subject you to ticketing and towing. It seems to me a ticket is adding insult to injury if someone tampers with your charging car. And given the newness of this stuff, curious people may just screw you. Also, this prevents sharing of chargers as unplugging someone else's car once it's done charging will subject them to ticketing.

Seems like a well intentioned but bad law.

[doug]

Who supported this bill? Another revenue generator for the county?

[jaanton]

Calling my reps office, they say the EVA, GM and others support it. Plug-in-America originally supported it but withdrew support once it learned of a Jun 21 amendment. My reps office said the GGEVA (Golden Gate Electric Vehicle Association) was still supporting it after this amendment. Waiting for the Assembly to concur with the amendment for final passage.

[TEG]

This has been a hot topic the past few days.
Check out the thread on mynissanleaf.com:
My Nissan Leaf Forum View topic - CA AB475 requires connection to the EVSE to avoid cite/tow
Also, evchel's blog:
GM to CA Volt drivers: evchels

Another concern - it doesn't really qualify "charging". A bit extreme, but it was mentioned that someone could put a 12V battery tender on their aux battery of their ICE car and say that they were charging their battery. If the law is changed to no longer just allow 100% BEVs, someone could argue that any ICE is a battery/electric hybrid. It does have a 12V battery, and a starter motor that can propel the car (at ~1mph for 50 feet)... Sigh.

[doug]

Like the EV noisemaker legislation, this seems like a solution in search of a problem, or at the very least rather premature. Despite anecdotes about being ICEd or even blocked by incompatible plug-ins, not every problem requires a law to fix it. As has already been discussed in many places, charger placement and driver etiquette education can go along way to mitigating this problem. Of course the politicians want to look like they're being helpful, but very few situations are helped when a cop shows up ready to write a ticket.

[vfx]

Conspiratorial hat says GM is trying to do work to slow down charging infrastructure. With gas backup a Volt needs no plugs.

[TEG]

Conspiratorial hat says GM is trying to do work to slow down charging infrastructure. With gas backup a Volt needs no plugs.

Did you see Yanquetino's {rant} over here?:
My Nissan Leaf Forum View topic - CA AB475 requires connection to the EVSE to avoid cite/tow

[vfx]

Did you see Yanquetino's {rant} over here?:
My Nissan Leaf Forum View topic - CA AB475 requires connection to the EVSE to avoid cite/tow

Yep.






...

[jaanton]

CA state assembly women who wrote CA 475 looses re-election.

50th Assembly District: Election Results 2012 - Hollywood, CA Patch

[TEG]

Well the days of EVs getting free short term parking (the most expensive kind of airport parking) are probably numbered given how many EVs are on the road now with more on the way.
Before it was a little niche novelty, but soon (hopefully) it will be more mainstream.