Drivers of Audi, Tesla, BMW and Mercedes cars warned over parking fine rule

Owners of popular car brands such as Kia, , and are being alerted that they could face fines up to £70 for attempting to park in certain . This is due to a new regulation implemented by at least five local councils, which stipulates the maximum length a vehicle can be to fit into their parking spaces.

Presently, parking bays measure 4.8 metres in length, but many popular cars on the market today surpass this. Autocar has received written confirmation from five local councils stating that vehicles too long to fit into their spaces are now officially prohibited from parking in any of their council-run car parks.

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Any vehicle exceeding five metres in length will no longer be permitted to park in their car parks, which have a maximum parking bay length of 4.8 metres. It's logical to assume that those violating the ban would receive Penalty Charge Notices if discovered.

Some of the top-selling vehicles that would be impacted include the Mercedes S-Class, Tesla Model S, BMW 7 Series, Range Rovers, the Audi A8 and the Kia EV9, as well as a Rolls Royce Cullinan.

However, there are others, including high-end sports cars, that would also be excluded.

Autocar submitted an FOI request to every council in the UK, enquiring whether they planned to extend parking bays to accommodate for longer cars, which are now a common sight on British roads, as many haven't been updated for decades, reports .

Five local councils - Wokingham, South Hampshire, Broadland, South Suffolk and West Devon - have implemented a ban on any vehicles that don't fit into their parking spaces.

Each council sets its own penalty charges, for instance, West Devon Council imposes a fine of either £50 or £70, which can be reduced to £25 or £35 if paid within 14 days.

Unlike some private car parks, fines issued in council-run car parks and on-street parking bays are legally enforceable, meaning failure to pay could result in court action.