ICE Spy: ‘Smart’ electric parking lots could detect when gasoline or diesel cars stop in them and impose £ 70 fines
- Each Smart Bay has a sensor that detects the presence of a parked car
- This can be compared to the activity of the charging port to detect misuse
- Currently, the sensors are only used to collect data on the use of the loading compartment
- However, the Coventry Council is considering action against so-called “ICEing”.
- This is the case when cars with internal combustion engines block electrical charging Spaces
Smart electric vehicle (EV) charging stations could soon impose fines of up to £ 70 on drivers who abuse the spaces – for example, by parking diesel or gasoline cars.
The sensors of the Smart Bays developed by AppyWay in London can detect the presence of parked vehicles – comparable to using the charging connection.
The technology is currently being used to enable local authorities to understand the use of the bay and to help EV drivers find free charge points through the AppyParking app.
The Coventry Council should, however, consider using the data to combat so-called “ICEing” – when the parking spaces of vehicles with internal combustion engines are blocked.
The Smart Bays sensors developed by the London-based company AppyWay can detect the presence of parked vehicles – and, as shown, whether they are being charged

Smart charging stations for electric vehicles could soon impose fines of up to £ 70 on drivers who abuse the spaces – for example by parking diesel or gasoline cars in them (archive image)

Currently, the sensors (pictured) are being used to enable local authorities to understand the use of the bay and to help EV drivers find free charging points via the AppyParking app
“We are not currently using them for enforcement purposes, but the sensors will be able to inform police officers of the bay’s abuse in the future,” a Coventry Council spokesman told the Times.
The system works by installing a sensor in the asphalt underneath the charging station, which can detect whether a vehicle – whether powered by electric or fossil fuels – is parked on the square.
This information can then be compared with data on the activity of the charging station itself to determine whether the bay is being used for its intended purpose – or for illegal parking.
AppyWay – whose app provides information on parking spaces in around 400 cities across the UK – has already installed the sensor system in electric charging stations in Harrogate and Halifax.
The sensors are also used to monitor the use of disabled parking spaces in the City of London.
Parking sensors will also be installed in Portsmouth next year.

The Coventry Council should consider using the data to combat so-called “ICEing” – when charging stations for electric vehicles are blocked by vehicles with internal combustion engines

The system works by installing a sensor in the asphalt underneath the charging station, which can detect whether a vehicle – whether powered by electric or fossil fuels – is parked on the square. In the picture an AppyWay sensor installed in a parking lot


AppyWay – whose app provides information on parking spaces in around 400 cities across the UK – has already installed the sensor system in electric charging stations in Coventry (left), Harrogate (right) and Halifax
The benefit of using the sensors for enforcement purposes is that it ensures that investments in electric charging stations actually benefit EV drivers – and that it is more convenient for others to switch from fossil fuels.
In the UK, more than 144,000 all-electric and plug-in hybrids were sold to drivers this year – more than twice as many as in 2019 – and accounted for nearly 10 percent of new registrations since last January.
The uptake of electric vehicles is expected to increase over the next decade. The government has announced a ban on the sale of new gasoline and diesel cars due to come into effect from 2030.