CA AB475 requires connection to the EVSE to avoid cite/tow

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Was me. It is still my best suggestion for this AB475 situation.

Be sure to add praise for having the charging stations.

Only object to the towing, and explain how the law is poorly worded,
with potentially dire consequences for an honest user, charging anything.
 
Got my letter from the DMV in the mail today letting me know that the ZEV Parking Decal Program is over effective January 1, 2012 and the following changes will occur:

Only a vehicle that is connected to an electronic charging station may park in a ZEV designated parking space.

A ZEV Parking Decal is no longer required to park in a ZEV designated parking space.

If the vehicle is not connected for electric charging purposes, the vehicle may be subject to tow/impound.

Just thought I would spread the joy :roll:
 
It's going to be interesting to see how this works in those cities like Santa Monica that still require the ZEV sticker for free parking...

Spies said:
Got my letter from the DMV in the mail today letting me know that the ZEV Parking Decal Program is over effective January 1, 2012
Click to expand...
 
Doesn't the charging space still require the CA475-specified warning signage (specific verbage) before a non-connected EV can LEGALLY (under AB475) be towed?

Or, has that law been modified?
 
So what happens to an electric vehicle which was plugged in, in one of these spots but got disconnected by a mall rat or other vandal? Forgive me if this issue was discussed already. Is there some time limit observed before towing so an owner could have time to be notified the charge had been stopped early?
 
jimcmorr said:
So what happens to an electric vehicle which was plugged in, in one of these spots but got disconnected by a mall rat or other vandal? Forgive me if this issue was discussed already. Is there some time limit observed before towing so an owner could have time to be notified the charge had been stopped early?
Click to expand...
Nope: no "time limit." Unplugged = subject to tow. Plugged (even an ICE, with an electric cord connected) = can stay in the spot indefinitely.
 
Spies said:
Got my letter from the DMV in the mail today letting me know that the ZEV Parking Decal Program is over effective January 1, 2012
Click to expand...

I also received my letter about the change. Can't recall the amount I paid for the decal, but I didn't even have an opportunity to use the privilege-to-charge/park once at a public charging dock. Oh well, I guess this is the cost for doing business with DMV in California.
 
Just be careful to avoid parking or charging in spaces that are posted with the AB475-required warning (about towing).

Has anybody yet discovered a charging space where AB475 would apply (on 1 Jan 2012)?
 
Watch the posted signs carefully for the "towing" warning that is required by AB475. Private Parking lots can use different sign verbage, but must still warn you, and gave a phone nunber to call to "find" your "towed" car.

You might want to avoid patronizing establishments that mark their charging spaces for towing (even if somebody else disconnects your car).
 
Herm said:
You could also use a padlock so the mallrats could not unplug you easily.
Click to expand...

I don't think that the Chargepoint or Blink EVSEs have the rings molded in for padlocking, as the Nissan/Panasonic standard EVSE does.
 
I am not keen on the idea of locking a public charging plug to the socket on my Leaf as I feel it would increase the chances of the socket on my Leaf being damaged by a vandal. Of course I am not keen on having my Leaf towed as the result of someone unplugging my Leaf either. My solution is to simply avoid parking in a space that is subject to CA AB475 which is very sad indeed.
 
thankyouOB said:
this was the work of Betsy Butler in the Assembly.
a dimocrat.
Click to expand...
High Voltage by Jim Motavalli includes a passage that explains to me why GM tricked Butler into sabotaging the public charging infrastructure with AB475. He quotes Britta Gross, GM's point person for charging infrastructure observing that public charging won't matter as much to the Volt as to the LEAF and other BEV's.
Britta Gross said:
We want some infrastructure, but we don't want large amounts. We expect public charging to be under-utilized. It's going to be a lot of cost for [what] potentially could be pretty severe under-utilization.
Click to expand...
Of course if Butler hadn't turned a deaf ear to Plugin America at the end of the bill negotiations, she would have realized the terrible consequences of what GM was trying to do. I wish she had listened. I think Butler was really trying to write a good pro-EV bill, and would not have knowingly chosen to be the author of what turned out to be a pretty harsh anti-EV bill. But then I imagine that GM makes a lot more campaign contributions than does Plugin America. :-(
 
Just got a DMV letter today telling me I can peel off my parking decal.

I'd love to park in the EV spaces at SJC-Hawaiian terminal, but they are old paddle and Avcon connectors. Maybe I'll just jam one of them under my Leaf's charging flap to avoid a tow.
 
DeaneG said:
I'd love to park in the EV spaces at SJC-Hawaiian terminal, but they are old paddle and Avcon connectors. Maybe I'll just jam one of them under my Leaf's charging flap to avoid a tow.
Click to expand...
The one on the right (Avcon) has a pair of 120v outlets. I plugged in there a week ago, and picked up a couple of miles while waiting for our son to arrive. I did use a little padlock to discourage theft of my stock 120v EVSE.

Ray
 

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