Application guide

Bollards for EV charging bays: what they do and don't protect

Short answer: Safety bollards mark the charger zone and stop slow, careless nudges from reversing cars. They are not rated to stop an impact, and a rated hostile-vehicle scheme needs an engineer. Pair them with a wheel stop so the car stops before the charger, and follow the charger installer's clearances.

Figures: SafeWise product data. Standards are quoted as commonly cited guidance, so check the current edition. How we check

An EV charger is a costly thing to leave to a reversing car. Here is what bollards and wheel stops can do around a charging bay, how to lay them out, and what they can't do.

Updated 28 October 2026

On this page: What bollards do · Layout · Height · Fixed or removable · Wheel stop · What to ask · FAQs

140mm fixed surface-mount safety bollard, 1300mm tall

What bollards do

What a bollard does at a charger, and what it doesn't

An EV charger is expensive, and it sits where cars manoeuvre. A safety bollard beside it does three honest jobs. It marks the charger zone so drivers see where not to park or reverse. It keeps a slow, careless nudge off the unit. And it stops people leaving a bin or a trolley in the way.

It does not stop a vehicle hitting the charger at speed. SafeWise bollards have a 3mm carbon-steel wall, are not crash-rated and are not impact-tested or certified to hostile-vehicle standards such as PAS 68 or IWA 14. If a vehicle at speed is the risk, a rated scheme needs an engineer to specify it. Our safety vs crash-rated bollards guide sets out the difference.

Layout

Where the bollards and the charger go

  • Bollards either side of the charger. One each side of a pedestal charger is a common starting layout. For a wall-mounted unit, bollards at the open corners of the bay.
  • Charger in a pedestrian-safe zone. People plug in standing beside the car. Keep that spot off the traffic path, and don't put it where a car door swings into a walkway.
  • Leave room to use it. Charge ports sit at different places on different cars: a front corner, a rear corner or the side. Cables are short. Doors must open, and the port must be within the cable's reach.
  • Mind the gaps. As general guidance, about 1000–1200mm clear is common where people must walk through, and under about 1500mm clear is common to stop a car passing. See the bollard spacing guide.
  • Follow the charger installer's instructions for minimum clearances,.
Three rubber wheel stops laid out on concrete

Height

900mm or 1300mm?

The SafeWise 90mm fixed bollard (SW-FB90) stands 900mm and the 140mm fixed bollard (SW-FB140) stands 1300mm. Both mark and delineate. A taller bollard is easier to see from a distance, and 1300mm is the height commonly specified beside accessible bays. A 900mm bollard is less visually dominant and is enough to show a driver where the zone is. Neither changes what the bollard can resist. The bollard height guide goes through the choice.

Fixed or removable

Fixed for permanent bays, removable for shared ones

Fixed bollards

For a dedicated charging bay that never changes, a fixed bollard is bolted through its base plate to the slab (M10 concrete anchors, typically 100–150mm long depending on the slab, not included). Thin or old slabs need an installer's assessment.

Removable bollards

Where a space is shared, used overnight or must open for other use, a removable bollard lifts out of its own in-ground socket with a key lock. A bolt-down storage holder parks the removed bollard.

Charging cables often run in conduit under or through the slab. Ask the charger installer where it sits, and locate services with Before You Dig Australia (byda.com.au) and a scanner, before any drilling.

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Wheel stop

Pair the bollards with a wheel stop

The thing most likely to damage a charger is a car that rolls forward too far. A rubber wheel stop stops the wheels before the car reaches the unit. The setbacks commonly cited from AS/NZS 2890.1 are 620mm (nose-in) or 900mm (reverse-in) from a low kerb, and 820mm or 1100mm from a higher kerb or wall. See wheel stop setbacks from walls and kerbs, and check the current edition.

Those figures are for kerbs and walls. A wall-mounted charger behaves more like a wall, but a pedestal standing at the head of the bay is not covered, so confirm the distance with your designer and the charger installer. SafeWise sells one wheel stop: 1650mm long, 100mm high. Our wheel stop buying guide has the rest.

Before you buy

What to ask, and who has to approve

Ask the charger manufacturer or installer

  • The minimum clearances around the unit. Follow the charger installer's instructions.
  • Where the conduit and cabling run, before anything is drilled.
  • Where the unit must stay accessible for use and servicing.
  • Whether they have a preferred bay or bollard layout for the site.

Get approval first

  • In a strata scheme the car park is usually common property, so bollards and chargers need approval. See the strata and owners corporation guide.
  • In a leased site, ask the landlord.
  • Anything on a footpath or road reserve generally needs council consent.

What we don't claim

What SafeWise does not claim

  • The bollards are not crash-rated, impact-tested or certified to PAS 68 or IWA 14.
  • We don't claim a layout meets an electrical rule or a charger manufacturer's requirement. That is for the charger installer.
  • We don't claim compliance with any standard. Figures here are commonly cited guidance, so check the current edition.
  • We supply product only, with no installation, and fixings are not included.

FAQs

Common questions

Do I need bollards at an EV charger?

Not by default. Whether a charging bay needs bollards depends on the layout, the traffic and what your designer, landlord or owners corporation decides. Bollards are worth considering where cars reverse or turn near the charger, because they mark the zone and keep careless nudges off it.

Will a bollard stop a car hitting my EV charger?

No, not reliably. SafeWise bollards are safety and delineation bollards, not crash-rated or impact-tested. They mark the charger zone and deter slow, careless contact. If a vehicle at speed is the risk, a rated scheme designed by an engineer is needed, and SafeWise does not sell that.

How far apart should bollards be around a charger?

Use the general figures: about 1000 to 1200mm clear is common where people must walk through, and under about 1500mm clear is common to stop a car passing. Leave car doors, the charge port and the cable able to reach. Follow the charger installer's instructions for minimum clearances.

Should I use a 900mm or a 1300mm bollard?

Both are delineation bollards. The SafeWise 90mm fixed bollard is 900mm tall and the 140mm fixed bollard is 1300mm tall. A taller bollard is easier to see from a distance. Our bollard height guide sets out the trade-offs, and your designer or owners corporation may have a preference.

Do I need a wheel stop as well as a bollard?

Often a wheel stop is the first thing to fit, because it stops the car before it reaches the charger. Use the commonly cited setbacks from AS/NZS 2890.1 as a starting point, check the current edition, and confirm the distance with your designer and the charger installer. Bollards then mark the charger zone beside the bay.

Related products

Bollards and wheel stops for the job

Bollards and wheel stops are pre-order for the next container: factory production typically takes 15–20 days, plus sea freight and customs clearance. The expected landing date is on your written quote. Storage holders are in stock now.

Protecting a charging bay?

Send us the number of bays and bollards and your postcode. Bollards and wheel stops are pre-order for the next container, with the expected landing date on the quote. We aim to reply within one business day.

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