Question: I am an electric vehicle owner and was recently at Costco Waipio, where I noticed seven "Electric Vehicle Parking Only" stalls spread throughout the parking lot. Most were occupied by gasoline-powered vehicles, including a Toyota Prius, which is not an "EV." What is the penalty for non-EVs parking in these stalls? Will police be giving citations, just like when someone parks in a handicap stall without the proper placard? (Two questions combined)

Answer: Costco Waipio is one of the first businesses to comply with the state law requiring parking lots that are open to the general public and have at least 100 stalls to designate 1 percent of the stalls "exclusively for electric vehicles" by Dec. 31, 2011.

Section 291-71 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes also requires that at least one of those spaces be located near the building entrance and be equipped with a charging unit.

(The state also has exempted electric vehicles from paying state or county parking fees, including at metered stalls, but this does not extend to federal or private property. See www.staradvertiser.com/columnists/20110624_Electric_cars_may_park_without_fees_at_public_lots.html.)

Costco Waipio Manager Tom Burba said he has designated seven stalls for electric vehicles, two among the handicap parking spaces next to the building and five dispersed throughout the parking lot. He said he is installing a charging unit.

The only vehicles that can legitimately park in EV-designated stalls are ones with official "electric vehicle" license plates. Hybrid vehicles are propelled by both electricity and an internal combustion engine and therefore not qualified for EV license plates, the city Motor Vehicle and Licensing Division said.

But here’s the deal: The law does not provide for penalties against violators for a year and a half. In addition, there is no provision in the current law for monitoring compliance on the part of private businesses.

Under HRS 291-72, violators initially would only get a warning. Only beginning July 1, 2013, could they be cited for a traffic infraction and fined $50 to $100.

Asked about enforcement, a Honolulu Police Department spokeswoman said, "Under the law, police cannot issue citations until July 1st of next year."

Electric vehicle legislation is expected to be discussed during the upcoming legislative session, said Margaret Larson, vehicles specialist for the state Energy Office, which is part of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

Whether any amendments will be made regarding enforcement or compliance remains to be seen.

Since December 2010 the number of electric vehicles statewide has more than doubled, from 271.

DBEDT statistics show that as of December 2011 there were 577 registered passenger electric vehicles and 10,739 passenger hybrid vehicles in the state, compared with 960,230 registered gas-powered passenger vehicles.

On Oahu there were 410 EVs and 7,387 hybrids registered; Maui, 105 and 1,256; Hawaii island, 43 and 1,493; and Kauai, 19 and 603.

The law has provisions for increasing the number of designated parking spaces as the number of electric vehicles increases, until the percentage reaches 10 percent of parking spaces.

Question: I just purchased an electric vehicle but won’t have a permanent EV license plate for a few weeks. Will I still be allowed to use HOV lanes, regardless of how many people are in the vehicle, and also be exempt from paying state and county parking fees? What about using the Zipper Lane?

Answer: A temporary electric vehicle license plate is considered the same as an issued plate, so you may use both HOV and Zipper Lanes, and be exempt from the parking fees, said a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation.

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