BOSTON – For the first time, researchers have estimated how common it is for EV drivers across the United States to “get ICE’d” out of their EV parking spot in the United States.
What does “getting ICE’d” mean? It’s a term that EV drivers use when an internal combustion engine (ICE) car parks in an electric vehicle (EV) charging spot that is marked and equipped with a plug-in charger. From North Carolina to California, it happens in supermarket, hotel, and office building parking lots—far more than you might think.
The terminology until recently was primarily used in EV driver circles, such as a 2019 thread in a TeslaMotorsClub.com online forum. But now, it could join the likes of “smashburger” or “girl boss” as a new phrase in the dictionary. Maybe.
A research team led by Omar Asensio, a climate fellow at Harvard Business School’s Institute for Business in Global Society, discovered just how prevalent the phrase is—used by thousands nationwide—when they employed generative artificial intelligence to analyze more than 1 million EV charging station user reviews.
Roadblock to greater EV adoption?
The term may make drivers of gas-powered cars chuckle, but Asensio tells The BiGS Fix that its implications aren’t funny. The phenomenon underscores how charging infrastructure is thus far failing to expand rapidly enough as electric vehicle adoption grows, he says.
It’s important to note that drivers of traditional, gas-powered ICE cars can rely on gas stations to fill a tank in a few minutes, but EV drivers typically need to park and charge for at least 30 minutes—often far longer—to stay mobile. And public charging stations are not always easy to find.
Given the scenario, the “ICE-ing” trend presents potential roadblocks to accelerating the green energy transition. A few examples:
An EV driver on “empty” could be stranded until another space opens up. And if that driver is an Uber or Lyft driver, the extra wait could cost them income.
If the phenomenon continues and word spreads, it could discourage would-be buyers from choosing an electric vehicle.
It could lead real estate owners or municipalities to consider ways to discourage misbehavior, such as posting signs that threaten to tow or charge a fine for improper use.
In fact, on the Tesla driver’s forum, a user who identified himself as RiverRick posted a photo from an EV charging app that showed a sign saying that no parking was allowed unless charging with the “appropriate Toronto municipal code chapter 915.” The user continued, “I am not a lawyer, but the legalese in Chapter 915 seems to indicate that police may ticket violators but might need an invitation from the shopping center to do so. They can even have offending cars towed after 30 minutes.”
Another user, “Big Earl,” encouraged dissatisfied EV drivers who frequently “get ICE’d” at places like shopping centers to start a movement. “Strength in numbers,” Big Earl wrote. “If they hear from enough EV drivers, they'll take action. Speak with other EV owners and encourage them to reach out to mall operations, as well.”
Where do drivers report the most ICE complaints?
The “ICE-ing” behavior is a nationwide phenomenon, according to the research. California has the highest number of complaints, which is to be expected, Asensio says, because the trend mirrors the states with the highest number of EV registrations over the last decade.
Here are the Top 10 states where drivers have logged the most complaints about being ousted from their plug-in-charger spots.
California (1,370)
Florida (691)
Texas (579)
New York (557)
Georgia (426)
Massachusetts (392)
Tennessee (365)
Arizona (359)
Pennsylvania (347)
North Carolina (339)
Researcher: AI helped unlock important insights from 1 million EV driver reviews
Asensio hopes that his AI-powered research into EV charging infrastructure reviews can give policymakers and business leaders the real-time insights they need to do their jobs—in this case, accelerating the development of a national EV charging network that is plentiful, efficient, affordable, and accessible to all communities regardless of income.
“We learned that generative AI and various foundation models, when trained with human expert feedback, can lead us to powerful behavioral analysis, that includes detection of a wide range of consumer issues, including congestion and operational reliability,” Asensio, who is also an associate professor at the School of Public Policy at the Georgia Institute of Technology, said. “Importantly, leveraging publicly available data from digital platforms allows for faster discovery that would otherwise [only] be possible with simulations or large-scale government surveys.”
If the private and public sectors collaborate to effectively build more publicly accessible EV charging units, Asensio expects that complaints about “getting ICE’d” will eventually fall.