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Nov 11, 2024

Bizarre detail in BYD charging photo shows issue in neighbourhoods across Australia

The questionable ingenuity – or perhaps in one case the lack thereof – of two different EV drivers over the weekend has highlighted the ongoing difficulty owners of electric cars can face in

The questionable ingenuity – or perhaps in one case the lack thereof – of two different EV drivers over the weekend has highlighted the ongoing difficulty owners of electric cars can face in Australian cities.

On Sunday, a walker spotted an EV charger cord lying across a footpath while plugged into a car in a street in Manly, Sydney and called out the act, accusing the driver of creating a trip hazard. Many online also branded it "selfish".

Interestingly, a motorist some 160 kilometres north in Newcastle, had a more unique effort. An image of a BYD charging on the side of the road also received attention as the owner had seemingly gone to considerable lengths to prevent a trip hazard — threading the charging cable through a storm pipe that runs under the footpath.

Despite the apparent consideration, the effort was also ridiculed by 2GB radio host Ray Hadley on Monday morning, who described the scene to listeners and mocked; "I don't know whether he knows that water and electricity don't really mix."

Drivers continue to make the transition to electric cars with more than 85,000 battery electric (BEV) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEV) sold in the first three quarters of this year, according to recent data released from The Australian Automobile Association.

With current predictions, EV sales are expected to surpass 100,000 in 2024 — the first time this has occurred in a calendar year in Australia.

Although federal and local governments are working to install enough charging infrastructure to keep up with demand, pledging to grow the network drastically by 2030, the rapid increase of EVs paired with the limited number of public charging stations is causing issues between driver and certain councils across the country.

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There has been a consistent trend of EV drivers charging their cars across footpaths or on the street and it's pushed some councils to threaten fines in a bid to stop the behaviour.

Resident John Slaytor, who lives in Sydney's harbourside suburb of Waverton, recently received a letter from his council threatening a $330 fine if he doesn't immediately stop charging his Tesla on the street.

The North Sydney Council said in June it had a "responsibility to ensure public safety" and EV chargers lying over footpaths was an "unlawful" act, instead encouraging the driver to use one of the public charging stations. However, with only five available in the council area, the driver said it is "not something you want to be doing every day".

Other councils in the city, such as Mosman Council, have taken a similar stance to the North Sydney Council and urged drivers to stop lying EV chargers across footpaths and instead use available public chargers.

Residents in Sawtell on NSW’s Mid North Coast also recently complained about a neighbour running an extension cable across a suburban footpath to charge their car.

Meanwhile in August, one very enterprising Tesla owner in Melbourne used to a fishing rod to create a hanging archway for their extension cord as they tried to avoid a trip hazard while charging in the street, however councillors from the City of Boroondara still deemed the rig a "safety hazard".

Yahoo News has reached out to the Northern Beaches Council over the Manly incident.

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