Why Protecting Your EV Charging Bay Is Just as Important as Having One

Fuel prices are rising. Supply is uncertain. Across Australia, drivers are switching to electric vehicles faster than ever before.

But the moment someone decides to buy an EV, one question immediately replaces the old ones at the petrol pump.

“Where do I charge — and will the bay actually be free when I get there?”

That question is not hypothetical. It stops people from committing to an EV. It creates daily frustration for drivers who already own one. And it undermines the value of EV charging infrastructure that property owners, strata managers and parking operators have invested in.

The answer is not more chargers. It’s protecting the ones you already have.

That’s My Spot has spent over 16 years solving exactly this problem across Australia — in apartment buildings, commercial car parks, strata complexes, offices, hospitals and shopping centres.

Fuel Volatility Is Accelerating the Shift to EVs

Geopolitical instability pushes petrol and diesel prices higher. Drivers feel that pressure every week.

Electric vehicles now offer something fuel can no longer reliably provide: cost predictability. Electricity pricing is more stable. Charging can be scheduled. And for many drivers, energy can be sourced or generated at home or at work.

The International Energy Agency confirms that global EV sales break records year on year. Australia tracks the same trend — driven by rising fuel costs, government incentives, improving vehicle range and a growing network of charging infrastructure.

The decision to buy an EV is no longer primarily environmental. For most drivers today, it’s economic. And as that shift accelerates, the infrastructure around EV charging becomes the critical next challenge.

Installing a Charger Is Not Enough

Building managers, strata committees and parking operators across Australia have done the right thing. They’ve installed EV chargers. They’ve designated bays. They’ve added signage.

And then the problems start.

Non-EV vehicles park in designated EV bays — simply because they are conveniently located. EV drivers arrive to charge and find their bay blocked. Building managers chase down illegal parkers. Complaints pile up. Residents and tenants feel the system isn’t working.

This is a real-world pattern That’s My Spot has seen at sites across Australia — from inner-city apartment complexes to busy commercial parking stations. You can explore our EV charging use cases to see exactly how this plays out. Wilson Parking faced this challenge at their Little Bourke Street site in Melbourne. They installed EV chargers, painted the bays green and added clear signage. Non-EV drivers used those bays anyway — because there was no physical barrier to stop them.

Signage does not stop ICEing. Physical access control does.

What Is ICEing — and Why Does It Damage EV Adoption?

ICEing happens when an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicle parks in a designated EV charging bay. The charger sits unused. The EV driver who needs it can’t access it. Our guide on preventing ICEing with smart parking bollards explains the full impact — but the short version is this: it’s one of the most common and most damaging frustrations EV drivers face, and it’s largely preventable.

The impact goes beyond inconvenience. Unlike running low on petrol, running low on charge while your charging bay is blocked leaves an EV driver with no alternative. Range anxiety becomes real and immediate.

ICEing also creates friction between EV and non-EV drivers — disputes that fall on building managers and strata committees to resolve with no tools, no evidence and no enforcement mechanism.

When drivers can’t guarantee access to EV charging, confidence in EV ownership erodes. That friction slows EV adoption at exactly the moment Australia needs it to accelerate.

The fix is not complex. But it must be physical.

Smart Parking Bollards: The Simple Solution That Works

That’s My Spot supplies and installs smart parking bollards specifically engineered to protect EV charging bays from unauthorised parking and ICEing.

The bollard physically blocks the bay. No vehicle — EV or otherwise — can enter without authorisation. Only the driver with a valid booking or access right can lower the bollard, via smartphone app or remote control, and access the charger.

No bollard, no access. It’s that direct.

That’s My Spot bollards are surface-mounted to concrete — no trenching, no core drilling, no connection to mains power or Wi-Fi required. They run on a rechargeable battery that typically lasts nine to twelve months on a single charge.

Buildings across Australia — from basement strata car parks to busy commercial parking stations — browse and purchase via our bollard shop and install with minimal disruption and without expensive retrofit works.

Choosing the Right Bollard for Your EV Charging Bay

That’s My Spot offers a range of smart parking bollards to suit different environments, user types and management requirements.

Smartphone Parking Bollards

Smartphone parking bollards let drivers control access via the That’s My Spot app. Building managers assign authorised users digitally. Access rights can be time-limited, booking-based or permanently assigned. The app provides a simple self-service experience for drivers — and removes the need for physical key management.

Smartphone bollards are the right choice for shared EV bays where multiple drivers need managed, bookable access — apartments, commercial buildings, strata complexes and co-working spaces.

Remote Control Automatic Bollards

Remote control parking bollards let drivers raise and lower the bollard using a dedicated remote — from up to 100 metres away. Multiple remote controls are easy to program and manage. Battery life runs up to twelve months before recharging.

Remote control bollards suit individually assigned bays — where a specific resident, tenant or staff member needs reliable, exclusive access to their designated EV charging spot.

Manual Fold-Down Bollards

A straightforward, robust option for lower-traffic environments where automated access is not required. Manual bollards provide clear physical deterrence against unauthorised parking at a lower cost point.

 Every car park is different. That’s My Spot works with building managers and strata committees to choose the right bollard configuration for each site — matching the hardware to the users, the access requirements and the budget.

EV Charging in Apartment Buildings and Strata: Getting It Right

EV charging in apartment buildings presents challenges that a standalone home charger or a public fast-charger doesn’t face.

Shared infrastructure means shared access, competing demand and questions of fairness that strata committees and building managers must navigate carefully.

• Which residents have access to the shared charger?
• How do you prevent one resident from hogging the bay all day?
• How do you stop non-EV residents from parking there out of convenience?
• How do you manage access without calling in the building manager every time?
• How do you show the owners corporation that the system is fair and auditable?

That’s My Spot smartphone bollards solve this by making access self-service, controlled and visible. Authorised EV drivers book their session through the app. The bollard enforces the booking window. No manual intervention required.

NSW strata buildings can also take advantage of government funding through the NSW Government’s EV Ready Grant Program. That’s My Spot works with strata managers and owners corporations through this process — from feasibility assessment to bollard installation — making it straightforward to become genuinely EV-ready.

Buildings that manage EV charging well attract EV-owning residents, reduce committee workload and build a reputation for forward-thinking, well-managed facilities.

EV Charging Protection for Commercial and Mixed-Use Sites

Commercial parking operators, shopping centres, hospitals, hotels and office buildings face a different set of EV charging challenges — higher traffic, greater turnover pressure, and the need to manage access across many users with different rights and purposes.

Wilson Parking and QIC experienced this directly. At their Canberra Centre site, Tesla EV charging bays sat prominently near convenient access points. Non-EV drivers used them as standard parking. Tesla drivers arrived to find the bays blocked. You can read the full story in our EV charging case study.

That’s My Spot installed automated smart bollards at both the Melbourne and Canberra sites. The results were immediate:

• ICEing stopped — no vehicle without authorisation could access the bay
• EV driver satisfaction improved — drivers arrived to find their bay available
• Management overhead dropped — operations teams stopped chasing illegally parked vehicles
• Bay turnover improved — automated enforcement kept bays cycling efficiently
• Usage data became available — operators could plan future EV charger deployment with real evidence

For facilities managers, smart EV charging protection turns a reactive headache into a manageable, scalable system. For building owners, it protects the return on their EV infrastructure investment. For EV drivers, it delivers what they need most: certainty.

Need More Than Bay Protection? Meet Parking Spotz

Some buildings need more than a bollard on each bay. If you manage a larger or more complex site — with multiple chargers, shared access across many users, automated cost recovery, or the need for a full cloud management dashboard — Parking Spotz takes EV charging management to the next level.

Parking Spotz is the sister platform to That’s My Spot. Where That’s My Spot focuses on physical bay protection, Parking Spotz adds a complete smart EV charging management layer on top — combining smart bollards with cloud automation, self-service bookings, automated overstay enforcement, fair cost recovery and real-time data across every bay in your building.

This is the right step up when your building requires:

• Bookable, shareable EV charging across multiple residents or tenants
• Automated tariff rules by user type, time window or tenancy
• A central admin portal with live occupancy visibility and audit logs
• Integration with your EV charging platform or CPO for metered cost recovery
• Scalable infrastructure that grows as EV demand in your building increases

Parking Spotz works in underground basements without Wi-Fi or mobile coverage — using a proprietary communications gateway purpose-built for constrained car park environments.

Explore the Parking Spotz EV charging solution →

Why Property Managers and Strata Committees Choose That’s My Spot

That’s My Spot is an Australian-owned business with over 16 years of experience and a 4.9-star Google rating across hundreds of installations nationally.

The team understands the real-world constraints of Australian buildings — basement car parks without reliable Wi-Fi, strata governance requirements, Building Code of Australia compliance, and the practical realities of managing shared infrastructure across diverse user groups.

When you install a That’s My Spot bollard, you get:

• Professional installation — surface-mounted, no disruption to building operations
• Australian-standard compliance — bollards installed to meet Building Code requirements
• Ongoing support — the team is available seven days a week for after-sales assistance
• Scalability — start with one bay and expand as EV demand in your building grows
• Flexibility — choose the bollard type and access configuration that suits your site

 Browse the full range in the That’s My Spot bollard shop, or read more about smart parking systems to understand how physical and software layers work together.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I stop ICEing in my EV charging bay?

Install a smart parking bollard. That’s My Spot bollards physically block any vehicle without authorisation. Signage alone doesn’t work — physical access control does. Smartphone orremote control bollards allow only authorised EV drivers to lower the barrier and access the charger.

How do I guarantee my EV charging spot in a shared building?

Book your session through the That’s My Spot app. A smart bollard physically secures the bay for your booking window. No other vehicle can enter — so your spot is guaranteed when you arrive.

Can smart bollards manage EV charging in apartment buildings fairly?

Yes. That’s My Spot smartphone bollards allow multiple residents to book shared EV bays through a self-service app. Access is time-limited and controlled. Every booking is logged. Strata committees can see exactly who used which bay and when.

Do smart parking bollards require major installation works?

No. That’s My Spot bollards are surface-mounted to concrete. No trenching, no core drilling, no hardwired power, no Wi-Fi required. Installation is straightforward — including in underground basement car parks.

Which bollard type suits an individually assigned EV charging bay?

A remote control bollard suits individually assigned bays where one driver controls access. For shared bays with multiple users,smartphone bollards with app-based booking give you the flexibility and visibility you need.

Does That’s My Spot work with strata buildings accessing government EV grants?

Yes. That’s My Spot works with NSW strata buildings through the EV Ready Grant Program — supporting the feasibility, planning and bollard installation process to help buildings qualify and complete the works.

What if I need more than bay protection — bookings, cost recovery and a management platform?

That’s where Parking Spotz comes in. Parking Spotz is the smart EV charging management platform designed for buildings that need the full software layer — bookings, access control, automated enforcement, transparent cost recovery and cloud-based reporting.
Learn more about Parking Spotz EV charging →

Ready to Protect Your EV Charging Bays?

That’s My Spot works with strata managers, property managers, facilities teams, parking operators and developers across Australia.

If ICEing, access disputes or EV bay misuse is a problem at your site — or if you’re planning EV charging infrastructure and want to get it right from the start — book a free consultation.

We’ll recommend the right bollard solution for your building, your users and your budget.