Councils issue 4,800 fines per month for EV charging bay misuse – cinch

Freedom of Information (FOI) requests submitted to UK councils by cinch have revealed that almost 4,800 fines for misusing electric vehicle (EV) charging bays have been issued each month in 2025.

38,326 fines were issued nationwide between January and August 2025.

Since 2020, more than 161,000 fines have been issued for EV charging bay misuse, with figures growing by 24.6% between 2024 and 2025.

Figures suggest that growth is slowing, from a peak year-on-year increase of 63.8% in 2022.

Between 2020 and 2025, Newcastle upon Tyne City Council issued the most fines (19,404), followed by Coventry City Council (15,261) and Westminster City Council (13,511).

cinch contacted all 218 upper-tier local authorities and received responses from 194.

Some councils reported that they do not enforce EV charging bay misuse. West Lothian Council said it is developing Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) to prevent drivers misusing its EV charging bays.

Ben Welham, motoring expert at cinch, said: “As the number of EV parking bays increases to meet demand, it’s key that councils manage misuse.