An electric vehicle owner has been criticised for leaving his car at an electric vehicle charging station for almost a week.
The BYD Atto 3 was left abandoned in the Edward Street loading area in Brunswick, north of Melbourne, for five days.
An image of the car parked in the space, which was later uploaded to Facebook, showed the red hatchback in front of a white EV charger.
It is not known why the car, which costs more than $47,000, was left abandoned on the dock.
Motorists are limited to using the charging zone for one hour to charge their electric vehicles.
The act sparked outrage among locals, who left handwritten notes on the vehicle’s front windshield telling the driver to “learn some manners.”
‘One hour maximum and only while charging… you are not the only one driving an EV,’ wrote one motorist.
The act sparked outrage among locals, who left handwritten notes on the front windshield of the vehicle (pictured) to express their frustrations.
“You are a disgrace as an electric vehicle owner, you are so selfish!” wrote another motorist.
A violation notice issued by the Merri-Bek City Council was also placed on the car, fining the driver $119.
A heated debate also broke out on social media, with users speculating on why the car could have remained in the cargo area for so long.
“If he’s been there for at least five days, I’d be concerned for the driver’s well-being,” one person wrote online.
Others suggested the car might have been rented and the driver might not have known how to load it.
Some commentators urged people to be more respectful rather than critical.
“It’s bad enough that there’s a war between EV and ICE drivers. Now EV drivers are attacking each other. Chill out,” one person wrote.
A council spokesman said Yahoo that a staff member visited the charging station to investigate the problem.
The spokesman said the vehicle is no longer in the parking lot and it is not known who removed it or who owns the car.
A heated debate also broke out on social media, with users speculating on why the car could have been left in the cargo area for so long (file image)
Daily Mail Australia has contacted the council for further comment.
Motorists in Australia who illegally occupy electric vehicle parking spaces face heavy fines.
Drivers of petrol-powered cars risk a whopping $3,200 fine for this offence in the ACT.
The penalty also applies to any vehicle parked in the space that is not plugged into the charging cable.
The same offence carries a fine of $3,096 in Queensland, while motorists in New South Wales will be fined up to $2,200.