Charging an electric vehicle at a public charging spot could become unexpectedly expensive. A recent court case in Denmark has created uncertainty around the rules, raising concerns among EV owners who rely on public charging infrastructure.
The issue concerns parking spaces marked “Only charging of electric vehicles”. According to existing guidance from the Danish Transport Ministry, an electric vehicle should be considered compliant as long as it is connected to the charging station. The car does not necessarily need to actively receive power at that exact moment.
However, a ruling from the District Court in Randers reached a different conclusion in a specific case. A driver received a 510 kroner fine because the vehicle was connected to a charger but was not actively charging.
The decision means that drivers could potentially be fined even when they have parked correctly and followed the instructions, simply because charging has stopped.
Charging can stop without the driver doing anything wrong
The problem is that charging interruptions are not always caused by the driver. An electric vehicle can stop charging because of a technical issue with the car, a problem with the charging station, or because charging is automatically adjusted due to electricity grid conditions.
This is becoming increasingly relevant as modern charging systems become smarter. Many new chargers are designed to automatically manage charging depending on demand and grid capacity. As a result, a vehicle can remain properly connected while power delivery is temporarily paused.
The Danish drivers’ organisation FDM has criticized the situation, arguing that EV owners should not risk a penalty when they have done everything correctly.
According to FDM, public charging spaces should of course only be used when drivers actually intend to charge. Once charging is completed, vehicles should be moved if possible to make room for other users.
Public charging users could be hit hardest
The uncertainty mainly affects drivers who depend on public charging. People without access to a private driveway or home charger rely on public infrastructure as part of their daily routine.
FDM warns that unclear rules could make electric vehicles less attractive for some drivers, especially as access to reliable charging remains one of the key factors influencing the transition to electric mobility.
The organisation believes that a potential extra cost of 510 kroner simply because a charging session stops unexpectedly is unreasonable and could create unnecessary barriers for EV adoption. FDM will now contact the Danish Transport Ministry to seek clarification on how the rules should be interpreted.
