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image source: visual china

blue whale news reported on september 11 (reporter li zhuoling) recently, the high "overtime occupancy fee" charged for charging new energy vehicles has caused heated discussion.

it is reported that some consumers reported that after charging at the charging station, they were charged a "space fee" of one yuan per minute by the operator because they did not unplug their guns and leave after the time limit. they questioned whether the charges were too expensive and whether the operator's charging standards were in compliance with relevant regulations.

according to an investigation by blue whale news, different charging stations currently charge different "overtime occupancy fees", and some stations do not charge any fees; at the same time, the charging standards of various charging car companies and third-party charging pile companies are also different. some charge 1 yuan per minute, and some car companies charge up to 6.4 yuan per minute. in other words, it is as high as 384 yuan per hour.

so, is it reasonable for charging stations to charge "overtime occupancy fees"? why is there such a fee? what do car owners think?

different brands charge different fees

it is reported that the charging charges at most charging stations currently include charging fees, service fees and parking fees (parking is free at some stations), but some charging stations will charge an "overtime occupancy fee" on top of the aforementioned fees.

on september 11, many car owners reported to blue whale news that they had encountered situations where charging stations charged "overtime occupancy fees", but because it was the first exemption or they filed an appeal, they were ultimately not deducted.

a zeekr owner, zhao shuai (pseudonym), told blue whale news that after charging at a supercharging station in hangzhou, he was charged 9 yuan at the rate of 1 yuan per minute because he occupied a parking space for 39 minutes beyond the time limit (free within 30 minutes). however, he appealed on the grounds of "free parking for 2 hours during charging" and was eventually successfully refunded.

another car owner in guangzhou, wang ming (pseudonym), also said that when he was charging at a third-party charging station (xingxing charging), he was reminded that his car "had been occupied for 30 minutes beyond the time limit and would be charged 14.5 yuan." however, because this was his first time occupying the car beyond the time limit, the fee was waived.

blue whale news found that when it comes to charging "overtime occupancy fees", each car company and third-party charging pile company has different standards. the overtime occupancy fees at different sites are also different, and the buffer time given for exemption from deductions is also different.

according to the nio charging app, at some stations that charge an "overtime occupancy fee", if the overtime exceeds 15 minutes, an occupancy fee will be charged, and the fee standard is 0.5 yuan/minute, with a cap of 50 yuan. on the teladian (third-party charging pile operator) app, if a station needs to charge an overtime occupancy fee, the standard is 1 yuan/minute (the first 15 minutes are free).

at present, among car companies, tesla charges the highest amount of "overtime occupancy fee". according to tesla's official website, there are two levels of "overtime occupancy fee" set in the chinese mainland market, generally 3.2 yuan per minute. if there are no vacant parking spaces at the supercharging station, the maximum charge is 6.4 yuan per minute, and the "overtime occupancy fee" will continue to accumulate, with no upper limit.

regarding this fee, blue whale news also called tesla customer service for consultation. they said that this fee is not capped and it is recommended to avoid the fee as much as possible. if the car is moved within 5 minutes after charging is completed, there will be no charge. at the same time, only when the vacant parking spaces in the supercharging station are less than or equal to 50%, will the overtime occupancy fee be incurred.

"for example, if there are 10 charging piles on site and the occupancy rate is only 4 or less, there will be no overtime occupancy fee. however, if the car is parked on site, the occupancy rate may exceed the limit during a certain period of time. in this case, the car owner may not see it, but it has actually exceeded the time limit. in this case, fees will also be incurred, so it is recommended to move the car as soon as possible after charging." said the customer service staff.

lawyers suggest fulfilling the obligation to remind

as for the reason for charging overtime occupancy fees, all companies said that they were not doing so to make a profit.

tesla's official website explained that it understands the feelings of car owners when they arrive at the charging station and find that the parking spaces are occupied by fully charged vehicles. in order to ensure that all car owners can have a good experience, it has decided to increase the utilization rate of charging stations by charging overtime occupancy fees. "it should be emphasized that the purpose of our introduction of this measure is to improve customer satisfaction, not to make a profit from it." tesla said.

when blue whale news consulted on the nio charging app, its online customer service also stated that the purpose is to enable more electric vehicle users to charge smoothly, improve the charging experience, and ensure the orderly operation of charging piles, rather than to make profits from it.

consumers have different attitudes towards this fee. according to an online complaint platform, there are more than 400 related complaints. however, some car owners also expressed understanding, saying that it can avoid the charging parking space being occupied.

"i think it's reasonable. i'm just afraid that many people will occupy the parking spaces, and there are not many charging spaces to begin with," zhao shuai told blue whale news. another new energy vehicle owner thought it would be best to also give some space to those gasoline vehicles that have occupied the charging spaces.

wang ming told blue whale news, "the charges are reasonable, but they should not be too high. the parking fee should serve as a warning and prevention, not to make money. it is best to have a tiered pricing. for example, people may not be able to get back within half an hour, so it is enough to charge some warnings. the longer the time, the more expensive it is to avoid zombie cars parking and occupying parking spaces."

li zilong, senior partner of guangdong fazhi shengbang law firm, said in an interview with blue whale news that the overtime occupancy fee charged by the company is a matter of free negotiation between the two parties and does not violate the mandatory provisions of the law. it is legal but not necessarily reasonable. li zilong suggested that charging pile companies should set up a complete system and fulfill their reminder obligations. they should remind consumers before charging and obtain their confirmation.