As the spread of electric vehicles continues to gain speed across the globe, the electric charging network needs to keep pace with the growing demand. Tesla, the global leader in electric vehicles, has spent millions to expand its supercharging network and the company currently has more than 25,000 supercharging stations across the planet. The EV manufacturer is looking to democratize its superchargers, and in certain regions, you can charge your Porsche Taycan right next to regular Tesla offerings such as the Model 3 and Model S, but some have been experiencing an unpleasant trend in recent times: internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles are blocking charging stations. This act is known as "ICEing", and it has become such an issue in China that Tesla has banded with its customers to come up with an interesting solution.

While many facilities now issue fines to ICE vehicles parking in supercharging spots, a new trend has emerged in China: floor locking devices. These mechanisms pop up from the floor rendering the parking space unusable until it is unlocked. In 2019, these mechanisms started appearing around Chinese supercharging spots but required the user to download a third-party app to scan a QR code and unlock the mechanism. It is unclear whether the app asked for any sort of credentials to confirm that the user was actually driving a Tesla vehicle, but it seemed to work. Tesla now seems to be officially backing the idea by incorporating the unlocking system into its native mobile app. In a tweet posted by 42How, the tech media platform, the company shows new users how to use the unlocking function on the Tesla app, and it seems easy enough.

Last month, Tesla updated its mobile app and after some digging, Electrek found some media assets confirming that the floor lock system has been integrated into Tesla's system. The system does not appear on the US app, but in China, the system is in operation. China is one of Tesla's biggest markets, and a major move like this is likely to bleed into other markets. When that is we're not sure, but you can be sure that it will be implemented domestically if the childish "ICEing" behavior continues on American soil. Get ready for videos of angry diesel truck bros ripping these locks out of Walmart parking lots.