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20 EV parking bays, all ICEd

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markwj

Asia Pacific
Moderator
Apr 10, 2011
4,681
1,380
Hong Kong
The Hong Kong Government is aggressively deploying EV charging stations in Government and Private car parks around Hong Kong. Target was 1,000 stations by the end of June, and looks like they have hit it. The stations in Government car parks are 220V 13A sockets on the walls, and most car parks are getting about 20 charging bays. The bays are marked "EV Charging".

To put that in perspective, that is 4 charging points per EV on the road, today. A case of 'if you build it, they will come'?

Today, I went to the Cheung Sha Wan Government building car park, to have a look. Nice setup, but all 20 bays had ICE cars parked in them.

Given the number of EVs in Hong Kong, I have mixed thoughts about this. If the bays were restricted to just EV parking+charging, then most likely there would be on average 19-to-20 bays sitting empty all day long. In a few years time, who know, but today that would be the reality. But, allowing ICE vehicles to park there means the bays are next to useless, as EVs can't get near them.

Thoughts?

photo-2.JPG
 
Does everybody back into their parking spots in Hong Kong?

Not that it has anything to do with the problem, but it is a bit odd...

2nd thought -- is this a valet only parking lot? IE: maybe the valets are using those spots and would move the ICE if an EV came along.
 
Backing into parking spots is how people are taught to park in Japan, and probably HK as well. It's considered safer since you don't have to reverse into traffic (often with narrow lanes) as you leave. I have a number of Japanese friends over here in the States that still back into these huge spots at the grocery store.

In terms of usage, I think 2 of those 20 spots should be marked and enforced as EV only. As the numbers of EVs on the road increases, the percentage of those charging spots that are enforced as EV only should increase. Basically, it's great that the infrastructure in now in place, but the enforcement should scale with need. No point in having 20 empty parking spots when parking is at a premium.
 
Does everybody back into their parking spots in Hong Kong?

Not that it has anything to do with the problem, but it is a bit odd...

2nd thought -- is this a valet only parking lot? IE: maybe the valets are using those spots and would move the ICE if an EV came along.

Yep, backing in is normal. Not really safety, just the convention here.

These are not valet car parks. DIY parking :)
 
Backing into parking spots is how people are taught to park in Japan, and probably HK as well. It's considered safer since you don't have to reverse into traffic (often with narrow lanes) as you leave. I have a number of Japanese friends over here in the States that still back into these huge spots at the grocery store.

For me, it is a matter of not getting into something you can't get out of later. Reversing in is generally harder than driving out forwards, so better to get that over and done with. Then, when you come back and find your neighbor has parked to make it harder for you, you have the 'forward' advantage.

The parking spots here are generally damn tight.
 
Ah, then they are simply risking a ticket.

What is the penalty for getting caught in one of those parking spaces?

Seems to be the car park staff don't care. It is private property, so no 'ticket' as such, but I guess they can clamp your car and charge you to release.

I recently saw a car in an airport handicapped parking bay here. It had two warning notices (each dated two days apart) then a clamped notice, on the windshield. A total of 5 days parked in the handicapped spot before clamped.
 
Speaking of our local hospital, I'm trying to get them to put in chargers. The local chapter of Plug in America (Plug in Santa Barbara--inventive name, huh?) has spons0red a couple dozen public chargers in our county. They are now trying to get businesses to put in chargers. The hospital here is one of the largest employers in the county. Plug in Santa Barbara found a grant to pay for the entire cost of installation of the chargers. The hospital said "no." They said I was the only person on staff with an electric car. Duh! If there are no chargers, who will drive one to work? And what about the public who use the garage? "Build it and they will come." No dice. Their arguement is that if they put up chargers and they aren't used, those parking spots go to waste.

So does anyone have an idea for brilliant signage that would help this situation? "EVs prefered" or something like that so the hospital could have it both ways?
 
As mentioned above our county has put in a couple dozen chargers in public places. There is one public garage I go to frequently where the spaces are usually ICEed. There is no mechanism to site those in the EV spaces or tow the cars. I'm told the city council is looking in to how to handle the situation--but that may take lots of time, creation of a new city law allowing ticketing in this situation. What about a sign that says " No Parking. EVs charging excepted." Has anyone seen something like this which presumably would allow current no parking laws to mean the cops could ticket and tow? Might work in Hong Kong as well!
 
There is no mechanism to site those in the EV spaces or tow the cars. I'm told the city council is looking in to how to handle the situation--but that may take lots of time, creation of a new city law allowing ticketing in this situation.

I've heard that before, but don't understand it,

If I park in a no-parking area of a private car park, they can presumably clamp me and make me pay a fine. There must be something regarding parking only being allowed in suitably labelled parking spaces. So, if the space has a restriction (charging only), that must be enforceable? I think that they just don't want to enforce it.
 
There has to be will. Political will or private. There are signs in CA EV spots that say Parking for electric vehicles for the purposes of charging only. Violators can be towed.

If someone parked in the middle of the entrance of your Japanese parking garage would they be towed? You bet! The owners who did the EV parking install have to post it and enforce it.

Always good to have th phone number of the tow company.
 
So does anyone have an idea for brilliant signage that would help this situation? "EVs prefered" or something like that so the hospital could have it both ways?
Reserved for Timothy, call .... for availability. :tongue:
EV spots will tend to be near the front because that's where the available electricity is. However, for a hospital, there should be available electricity anywhere around a building. Therefore just put the EV spot somewhere that nobody parks normally. That'll keep people out of it naturally.

Hospitals that I've been around (not like I haunt the places; my Dad was a lab tech) had spots near the buildings that kinda sucked for general public. But an EV that needs a charge won't complain.
 
From a regulation / towing / clamping point of view here, we've got to draw a distinction between private vs public parking.

1) On-street parking in HK is public, controlled by the government, and subject to the rules of the road. Laws control who can park where, and what happens to violates.

2) But building car parks are private, and covered by different legislation. My understanding is that the owner posts the rules, and fee schedule, and that is privately enforced. They are allowed, by law, to stop your car leaving until you've paid. I see no problems with an owner putting whatever regulations and fee schedules in place, that they want.

EV-only parking for (1) presumably needs a law changed, but (2) needs a new sign.
 
Park in the aisle, stretch a cable over to the plug and leave a phone number in the window. Take photos of all 20 spots ICEd. If they get inconvenienced, may be they will get the message. If you get a ticket, call the newspapers.
 
At our local hospital in Santa Barbara, you will be sited if you back in. They want you in there nose first.

Why?!? We have quite a few older parking places whose width was kinda ok when people drove Volkswagen Beatles. But today the only way to be certain that you can actually drive out when you want to is to back in.

And no matter the width of the spot, visibility always sucks backing out. So safety-wise people should always back in. imho.
 
No massive roll-outs here but we are starting to get more dedicated parking/charging spots. The biggest issue with most municipalities is terrible signage and no consistency; there's no standard sign as we have for disabled parking or motorcycle parking so it's different in every city.

Since July 1st you will be ticketed in FL for parking a vehicle on an EV spot if that vehicle is not capable of using the charge station/outlet.
 
And no matter the width of the spot, visibility always sucks backing out. So safety-wise people should always back in. imho.

+1 Parking so that you are nose out is always safer. I think the hospital could be sued if you had an accident parking nose in. I always park nose out myself although I try to find pull-through spots so that I don't have to back in--but if there aren't any I back in.