ICE-spy: ‘Smart’ electric parking bays could detect when petrol or diesel cars stop in them and issue £70 fines
Smart electric vehicle (EV) charging bays could soon be issuing fines of up to £70 to drivers misusing the spaces — such as by parking diesel or petrol cars in them.
Developed by the London-based firm AppyWay, the smart bays’ sensors are capable of detecting the presence of parked vehicles — and whether they are charging.
For now, the tech is being used to allow local authorities to understand bay usage and help EV drivers find vacant charging ports via the ‘AppyParking’ app.
However, Coventry council is said to be considering using the data to crack down on so-called ‘ICEing’ — when bays are blocked by internal combustion engine vehicles.
Developed by the London-based firm AppyWay, the smart bays’ sensors are capable of detecting the presence of parked vehicles — and whether they are charging, as pictured
Smart electric vehicle charging bays could soon be issuing fines of up to £70 to drivers misusing the spaces — such as by parking diesel or petrol cars in them (stock image)
For now, the sensors (pictured) are being used to allow local authorities to understand bay usage and help EV drivers find vacant charging ports via the ‘AppyParking’ app
‘We are not using them for enforcement currently but the potential is there for the sensors to inform enforcement officers of bay misuse in the future,’ a spokesperson for Coventry council told the Times.
The system works through the installation of a sensor within the tarmac underneath the charging bay which can detect whether any vehicle — whether electric- or fossil fuel-powered — has parked in the space.
This information can then be cross-referenced with data on the activity of the charging station itself to determine whether the bay is being used for its intended purpose — or for illegal parking.
AppyWay — whose app provides information on parking space locations in some 400 towns and cities across the UK — has also already installed the sensor system in electric charging bays in both Harrogate and Halifax.
The sensors are also being used to monitor the use of disabled parking spaces within the City of London.
Next year will see parking bay sensors installed in Portsmouth as well.
Coventry council is said to be considering using the data to crack down on so-called ‘ICEing’ — when electric vehicle charging bays are blocked by internal combustion engine vehicles
The system works through the installation of a sensor within the tarmac underneath the charging bay which can detect whether any vehicle — whether electric- or fossil fuel-powered — has parked in the space. Pictured, an AppyWay sensor built into a parking space
AppyWay — whose app provides information on parking space locations in some 400 towns and cities across the UK — has already installed the sensor system in electric charging bays in Coventry (left), Harrogate (right) and Halifax
The advantage of using the sensors for enforcement purposes comes in how it would ensure that investment in electric charging stations is actually able to benefit EV drivers — and make it more convenient for others to switch from fossil fuels.
In the UK, more than 144,000 pure electric and plug-in hybrid cars were sold to motorists this year — more than double the sales of the same for 2019 — and accounted for nearly 10 per cent of new registrations since last January.
Uptake of electric vehicles is expected to increase in the coming decade, with the government having announced a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars to come into effect from 2030 onwards.
WHAT ARE THE TOP FIVE FASTEST PRODUCTION ELECTRIC CARS IN THE WORLD?
The electric supercar market has ramped up in recent years, with several companies – many of them small startups – vying to build the quickest.
Electric cars have rapid acceleration largely because combustion engines cannot produce immediate torque, while electric engines can.
This means that many of the world’s fastest production electric cars, which are road legal, accelerate faster than most Formula One vehicles.
Here are the top five fastest production electric cars.
1) Aspark Owl: 0-60 in 1.69 seconds
2) Rimac Concept Two: 0-60mph (0-100kph) in 1.85 seconds
3) Tesla’s next generation Roadster: 0-60 in 1.9 seconds
4) Faraday Future FF 91: 0-60 in 2.39 seconds
5) Tesla Model S P100D: 0-60 in 2.4 seconds
The electric supercar market has ramped up in recent years, with several companies – many of them small startups – vying to build the quickest. Pictured is Tesla’s next generation Roadster, due for release in 2020