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CA AB 475 Allow ticketing of vehicles not connected to chargers

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jaanton

Roadster NA #1026
Jun 25, 2010
337
14
Oakland, CA
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
Just jumped as a news story:
http://www.fastcompany.com/1775575/gm-sponsors-bill-that-could-create-problems-for-electric-car-owners?partner=gnews

F
or those of you out of California, be aware that your state will probably copy this dumb law. It should be Veto'd.

It says that you will be ticketed/towed if you are not charging while in an EV space.
That means.
If your charge finishes you will be towed.
If someone flips your plug switch you will be towed.
If someone unplugs you (with your permission) to plug in their car, you will be towed.
If someone disconnects you and puts up the cable to do you a favor* you will be towed.



*Columb bills you as long as you are plugged in, not by how long you are actually charging. Dr Computer tells of the parking attendants in one building adopting this "helpful" practice.
 
I had the following sign made in anticipation!
TC27244095-14.gif
 
Plug In America Action Alert: Urge Gov. Brown to Veto Misguided Plug-in Parking Bill - AB475
We need to stop California Assembly Bill 475 before it becomes law. Originally this bill was meant to help consumers by allowing all plug-in hybrids to have equal access to charging infrastructure, something our organization supports. It was amended in late June, creating negative ramifications to all plug-in drivers. For months, Plug In America and other stakeholders negotiated in good faith with the bill’s sponsors, General Motors and Assembly Member Betsy Butler, to prevent charger sharing from being outlawed and to make sure existing Chevy Volts were included. Despite those efforts, this bill was rammed through the Legislature at GM’s request, without the changes the company had promised to support.
It's now on the Governor's desk, and we need your help to stop this poorly-constructed bill from becoming law. Click here to ask Governor Brown to veto the bill. Plug In America will collaborate with stakeholders to put a revised bill in play as soon as possible, that will protect these chargers for all plug-in vehicles, while saving the drivers and site owners from unintended consequences, and the state from wasteful use of already limited funding. It will provide for EV and plug-in hybrid parking. Please help us ask the Governor to stop this law from punishing everyone!
Thank you,
Jay Friedland
Legislative Director
Plug In America

I emphasized the "make sure existing Chevy Volts were included"... Does the bill do something that would not permit 2011s, but would permit 2012s?
 
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So Volts seem to be having no problem using public charging....
What was the purpose of this legislation again?

Yeah, hardly any of the public charge spots were signed and enforced for the old law, so the Volt was pulling right up unhindered.
I heard that GM was worried that ZEV-owners might unplug the Volts, but in fact (in the case of the photo there), I used my ChargePass card to activate the ChargePoint for the Volt owner since they hadn't signed up yet.
 
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parking_Controversy
...I think GM was worried that drivers of electric vehicles would unplug Volts when they needed to charge...
...Another consequence of this bill that hasn't been identified by anyone so far is the drag it may have on rolling out infrastructure. If I was an owner of a shopping mall or other business the last thing I would want is to have my customers cars towed just because they forgot to connect the charger, or because someone maliciously unplugged a charger. This is especially true in places were parking is in very short supply...
...AB 475 benefits nobody except PHEV makers and the oil companies. It is a piece of legislation that is going to hinder, not assist the sale of electric vehicles and as such it is a bad bad law. The California assembly has already passed this abomination and it is now on the governor's desk waiting his approval. I hope that Governor Brown has the sense to listen to the EV community, which is telling him this legislation is anti EV, and veto's this bill...


 
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I hope that Governor Brown has the sense to listen to the EV community, which is telling him this legislation is anti EV, and veto's this bill...
Any indication as to whether or not Brown is getting the message? You'd think it would be pretty cut and dried that a bill purported to help the EV community, and yet is unwanted by that same community should be killed.