Some drivers could be forced to pay up to £1 per minute under a little-known road rule with over a million at risk.
Electric car owners who charge their vehicles for too long at public bays could be slapped with “idle fees”, according to experts.
Select Car Leasing has stressed many motorists were treating charging bays like a free long-stay car park despite the risks.
It likely means most are unaware of “idle fees” which can charge road users anywhere from 50p to £1 per minute for overstaying their welcome.
There are thought to be around 1.1 million electric car owners in the UK with owners of some vehicles more affected than others.
Tesla confirms motorists are charged 50p per minute if they are stationed at a SuperCharger bay for too long.
These fees only apply when a station is at 50 percent capacity meaning some will get away without paying.
However, this can rise to £1 if the SuperCharger station is 100 percent fully occupied by other road users.
Graham Conway, Managing Director at Select Car Leasing explained that motorists could change their charging habits in an attempt to dodge the charge.
He said: “When a charging station is busy, drivers may want to consider charging their EV to just 80 percent instead of all the way. Charging is typically fastest for the first 80 percent and slows down considerably for the last 20 percent to preserve the vehicle’s long-term battery health.
“Stopping at 80 percent means a quicker charge time which is much more considerate to other motorists as it frees up the station much faster.
“It is also similarly productive to a full charge because the lithium-ion batteries that power most electric cars actually run most efficiently between 20 percent to 80 percent capacity.
“Not only is it quick and efficient, charging to 80 percent would also make for a cheaper payment. So unless that final 20 percent would make the difference between getting home or not, it’s best to save fuelling up to 100 percent for at-home chargers.”
Other providers also apply strict idle fee charges on motorists who continue to take up bays when vehicles are no longer being topped up.
EV charging provider Believ charges a day-time idle fee of 8p per minute on sessions longer than four hours.
Meanwhile, Osprey Charging will issue a £5 charge for every 15 minutes that motorists are idle at EV bays.
