Electric vehicle charging is becoming an increasingly familiar feature of UK car parks, workplaces and commercial premises. But installing a charger is only part of creating a clear and easy-to-use EV parking area.
Drivers also need to know where EV charging points are located, which parking spaces are intended for electric vehicles and whether a bay is reserved specifically for vehicles while charging.
That is where EV parking and charging signs can help.
In this guide, we explain the different types of EV signs available, where they can be used and what businesses should consider when planning signage around electric vehicle charging facilities.
What Are EV Parking & Charging Signs?
EV parking and charging signs are used to identify parking spaces, charging points and areas intended for electric vehicles.
They can be used in locations including:
- Workplace car parks
- Offices and business parks
- Shops and retail premises
- Hotels and hospitality venues
- Warehouses and industrial premises
- Schools and educational sites
- Healthcare facilities
- Leisure centres
- Residential developments
- Publicly accessible car parks
- Private car parks
Although the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, an EV parking sign and an EV charging sign can communicate slightly different things.
Understanding that distinction is important when choosing signage.
What Is an EV Parking Sign?
An EV parking sign identifies a parking space or area intended for electric vehicles.
For example, a business might designate several spaces close to its building for electric cars.
An EV parking sign can help drivers distinguish those spaces from ordinary customer, visitor, staff, disabled or reserved parking bays.
Depending on how the car park operates, suitable wording might include:
Electric Vehicles Only
or simply identify the bay as:
Electric Vehicle Parking
The important point is that the wording should accurately reflect how the space is intended to be used.
What Is an EV Charging Sign?
An EV charging sign identifies the location of an electric vehicle charging point or charging area.
These signs can be positioned beside individual chargers or used to help drivers locate charging facilities within a larger car park.
For example, signs might identify:
- EV charging points
- Electric vehicle charging bays
- Dedicated charging areas
- EV charging directions
- Spaces reserved for vehicles while charging
Clear signs can be particularly useful where charging equipment is located among conventional parking spaces or is not immediately visible from the car park entrance.
EV Parking and EV Charging Are Not Always the Same Thing
This is one of the most important considerations when choosing an EV sign.
An EV parking space may simply be reserved for electric vehicles.
An EV charging space, however, may be intended specifically for an electric vehicle that is actively using the charger.
Those are different parking arrangements.
Imagine a business has four EV charging bays.
If the signs simply say:
Electric Vehicles Only
an EV driver could reasonably interpret that as meaning they can park there even when they are not charging.
If the intention is that the spaces remain available for vehicles using the chargers, a more specific message such as:
Electric Vehicle Charging Only
or:
EV Charging – While Charging Only
may communicate the intended restriction more clearly.
Before buying EV parking signs, therefore, decide exactly how each space is intended to operate.
Types of EV Parking & Charging Signs
There are several types of EV signage that businesses may find useful.
EV Parking Signs
These identify parking spaces allocated to electric vehicles.
They can be installed at individual bays or used to identify a dedicated EV parking area.
EV Charging Point Signs
Charging-point signs identify the location of electric vehicle charging equipment.
They are particularly useful where the charger itself is difficult to see from the normal vehicle approach.
EV Charging Bay Signs
These identify parking spaces associated with charging equipment.
Where bays should only be occupied while charging, the wording should make that condition clear.
EV Directional Signs
Large car parks may need directional signs to guide drivers towards charging facilities.
An EV charging symbol combined with a directional arrow can help drivers locate chargers without having to drive around the site looking for them.
EV-Only Parking Signs
Where parking spaces are reserved for electric vehicles regardless of whether they are charging, an EV-only parking sign can make this clear.
Where Should EV Parking Signs Be Positioned?
A sign is only useful if drivers can see it.
For individual EV parking or charging bays, signs are commonly positioned at the head of the parking space, either on a wall or a post.
This has an important advantage: the sign can remain visible even when much of the parking bay marking is covered by a vehicle.
When deciding where to position EV signs, consider:
- The direction vehicles approach from
- Viewing distance
- Mounting height
- Lighting conditions
- Parked vehicles
- Charging equipment
- Trees and vegetation
- Other signs
- Buildings and street furniture
Drivers should ideally be able to recognise the EV bay before they need to decide whether to enter it.
Do Larger Car Parks Need Directional EV Signs?
They can be particularly useful.
Consider a large hotel, retail park, workplace or business park where the charging stations are positioned at the far side of the car park.
A driver arriving for the first time may know charging facilities are available but have no idea where they are.
Directional EV charging signs can guide drivers from the entrance towards the charging area.
A simple signage journey might therefore be:
Car park entrance → EV charging direction → charging area → individual EV bay sign
This can be much clearer than relying solely on signs immediately beside the chargers.
Should EV Bays Have Ground Markings as Well as Signs?
Signs and surface markings can complement each other.
A clearly marked parking bay provides an immediate visual indication that a space is different from ordinary parking spaces, while an upright sign can remain visible when the surface is obscured by a parked vehicle.
The exact layout will depend on the car park and the arrangements in place, but businesses should consider the EV parking area as a whole rather than treating the upright sign in isolation.
What Size EV Parking Sign Do I Need?
There isn't one sign size suitable for every EV charging location.
The appropriate size depends largely on viewing distance.
A sign mounted directly in front of an individual charging bay can usually be smaller than a sign that drivers need to recognise from across a large car park.
Consider:
- How far away the driver will be
- Whether the vehicle will be moving
- How much information appears on the sign
- Where the sign will be mounted
- Whether other vehicles could obscure it
A simple EV symbol and short message will generally be easier to recognise quickly than a sign containing several lines of small text.
EV Charging Signs for Workplaces
Workplace charging facilities can be used in several different ways.
A business might provide chargers for:
- Employees
- Visitors
- Company vehicles
- Delivery vehicles
- Fleet vehicles
- Customers
Before installing signs, decide who is permitted to use each charging point.
For example, a fleet charging bay might require a different message from a charger available to any employee.
Clear signs can help prevent misunderstandings and reduce the likelihood of spaces being occupied by vehicles that should be parked elsewhere.
EV Charging Signs for Customer Car Parks
Shops, hotels, restaurants and leisure facilities increasingly provide charging facilities for customers.
Here, signage needs to help a driver answer two simple questions:
Where is the charger?
and:
Can I park here?
Directional signs can help answer the first question, while individual charging-bay signs can answer the second.
Where additional parking conditions apply, those conditions should also be communicated clearly.
EV Charging Signs for Residential Car Parks
EV charging facilities are also becoming more common at apartment blocks and residential developments.
Signs can help distinguish charging bays from:
- Resident parking
- Visitor parking
- Allocated spaces
- Disabled parking
- General parking areas
Where charging points are associated with particular residents or parking spaces, signage should accurately reflect those arrangements.
EV Charging Signs for Private Car Parks
Businesses and property owners can use EV signs to identify electric vehicle bays and charging facilities within privately managed car parks.
However, an ordinary EV parking sign does not automatically create a right to issue parking charges or take enforcement action.
Where a private parking operator applies formal parking terms, charges or time limits, appropriate notices should accurately explain those conditions.
An EV bay identification sign and a contractual parking notice are not necessarily the same thing.
Are EV Parking Signs a Legal Requirement in the UK?
There is no simple rule stating that every private EV charging bay in the UK must display one particular standard EV parking sign.
The requirements depend on factors including the location, whether the charging point is publicly accessible and the parking or charging arrangements in place.
Publicly accessible charge points are subject to specific UK regulations covering aspects of the charging experience, while workplace and private charging installations may be subject to different requirements.
Businesses should therefore avoid assuming that purchasing a particular EV sign automatically makes a charging installation legally compliant.
Signage should form part of the wider design, operation and management of the charging area.
Public EV Charge Points & UK Regulations
Publicly accessible EV charge points are covered by the Public Charge Point Regulations 2023.
These regulations address areas of the consumer charging experience including pricing transparency, payment, reliability, helpline provision, roaming and charge-point data, depending on the type of public charger concerned.
Businesses operating publicly accessible charging facilities should therefore consider their wider regulatory responsibilities as well as physical parking signage.
Importantly, an EV parking sign should not be described as making a charging facility compliant with the Public Charge Point Regulations on its own.
EV Charging & Accessibility
Accessibility is another important consideration when planning EV charging facilities.
Businesses should think beyond simply installing a wheelchair symbol or accessible EV sign.
Consider how a disabled driver will:
- Reach the charging point
- Move around the vehicle
- Operate the charger
- Read instructions and displays
- Handle the charging cable
- Move between the parking space and surrounding facilities
Signage can help people identify accessible charging facilities, but it should support an accessible design rather than replace it.
Don't Forget the Charging Instructions
EV parking signs tell drivers where to park, but drivers may also need information explaining how to use the charger.
Depending on the charging system, this could include:
- How to start charging
- Payment information
- Access instructions
- App or contactless payment information
- Charging prices
- Customer-support details
- What to do if the charger is unavailable
Keep operational information close to the charger rather than trying to fit everything onto the parking sign.
The parking sign should remain simple enough to understand quickly from a vehicle.
Common EV Parking Sign Mistakes
Several common mistakes can make EV charging areas unnecessarily confusing.
Using “EV Only” When You Mean “Charging Only”
If the bay needs to remain available for vehicles actively charging, say so.
Simply stating Electric Vehicles Only may not communicate that requirement.
Putting Too Much Information on One Sign
Drivers need to understand parking signs quickly.
Long paragraphs, complicated instructions and excessive terms can make the main message difficult to identify.
Positioning Signs Too Low
A sign positioned behind a parked vehicle may become almost invisible.
Think about visibility when the charging bays are occupied, not just when the car park is empty.
Forgetting Directional Signs
The individual bays may be perfectly signed, but that does not help drivers if they cannot find the charging area.
Consider the complete journey from the car park entrance to the charger.
Relying Entirely on Ground Markings
Surface markings can become worn, dirty, covered by leaves or obscured by vehicles.
An upright sign provides another clear visual reference.
Using Signs That Don't Match the Actual Rules
Avoid displaying EV Charging Only if non-charging EV parking is actually permitted.
Likewise, don't display general EV Parking wording if the bay must remain available specifically for charging.
The sign should describe the arrangement that actually operates at the site.
A Simple EV Signage Checklist
Before ordering EV parking and charging signs, ask:
- Is this an EV parking bay or specifically an EV charging bay?
- Who is permitted to use it?
- Must the vehicle be actively charging?
- Are there time restrictions?
- Can drivers find the charging area from the car park entrance?
- Will the sign remain visible when vehicles are parked?
- Is the sign large enough for the expected viewing distance?
- Is the material suitable for outdoor use?
- Are any additional parking conditions communicated separately?
- Are charging and payment instructions clearly available at the charger?
- Have accessibility needs been considered?
- Will the signs be checked as part of routine car park maintenance?
Answering these questions before choosing signs can help create a much clearer EV charging area.
Choosing EV Parking & Charging Signs
The best EV sign is not necessarily the one with the most information.
It is the one that clearly tells the driver what they need to know at that particular point.
For an individual bay, that might simply be:
Electric Vehicle Charging Only
At a junction, it might be an EV charging symbol and directional arrow.
At the entrance to a charging area, additional information may be appropriate.
Think about the driver's journey through the car park and use the right message at each stage.
Made in Britain EV Parking & Charging Signs
Safety Sheep offers a range of EV Parking & Charging Signs for businesses, workplaces and private car parks.
Our electric vehicle signs are made in Britain and available in a choice of sizes and durable materials for EV parking bays, charging points and directional applications.
Whether you're identifying one workplace charger or creating a dedicated EV charging area, clear signage can help drivers find charging facilities and understand how each parking space is intended to be used.
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