Many new electric vehicle (EV) owners find that they’ve not only purchased a car - they’ve also joined a burgeoning, thriving community.1
That’s especially true when they visit a public electric car charging station – the new water cooler for EV drivers – where they may encounter other EV owners ready to share stories, provide advice and shoot the breeze on all things EV related. For this group, an EV is as much a ticket to a sustainability-loving subculture as it is a means of transport.
If you’re a new EV owner, charging is something you’ll likely be thinking about once you’ve sorted your registration, insurance and other paperwork. Charging at home remains the cheapest and most convenient means of keeping your EV’s battery topped up.2 However, public charging is often the only option for EV owners who park their car on the street or live in an apartment without access to a home charger.
Charging stations are also frequented by Aussies on long road trips, who may take their car beyond its single-charge range.
Unfortunately, Australia’s public charging infrastructure continues to lag behind EV uptake.3 Plans are afoot to install more public EV chargers, including the Federal Government’s Driving the Nation Fund, which is helping to build 117 charging stations on key highway routes across Australia at 150km intervals, connecting all capital cities.4
In the meantime, there are some unwritten rules for using public EV charging points that you might like to know. Let’s break down the dos and don’ts.
Do: Make sure you have the right apps on your phone ahead of time
Almost as important as knowing the location of your car’s charging port and having appropriate electric car insurance is having the right apps on your phone.
Each charging network provider has an app, and while functionality varies, these apps generally allow you to find charging locations, monitor your charging session and make payments. In Australia, the largest networks include those owned by Tesla, Chargefox, Evie Networks, AmpCharge (Ampol) and bp pulse.5
If you’re new to EV ownership, you could save yourself time and trouble by installing the major service providers’ apps well before you pull in to charge. Being set up also means you won’t hold up other drivers who are waiting for their turn to charge.
Don’t: Plug into a fast charger if your car is incompatible
Public charging stations offer different options ranging from 11kW DC all the way up to 350kW ultra-rapid fast charging.6 It’s important to know the maximum your car can accept and avoid connecting the charging cable to the wrong charger.
“If you have a vehicle that can only be charged at 40kW or 50kW, like some of the older EVs, and you’ve got the option of a 50kW or a 350kW charger, don’t plug into the 350kW charger,” says Dr Chris Jones, President of the Australian Electric Vehicle Association.
“You’re not going to get any benefit from that, and you’re going to prevent someone else from using the fast charger.”
Do: Move your car once you’ve finished charging
Few things are more frustrating than arriving at a public EV charging point only to find another EV plugged in – fully charged and with the owner nowhere in sight. Think about it – would you leave your petrol car parked next to a service station bowser while you head off for a spot of shopping?
“If it’s a busy charger (station) and you plug in and walk away, after your car has fully charged you could be blocking up the charger for the next hour because you’re having a long lunch,” says Jones.
“But you’re making it difficult for the next person who has to charge their car.”
It’s often possible to remotely monitor the car’s charge using the relevant charging provider app or your own EV’s app, so you can see when your time’s up and promptly move the car.
Some EV charging providers now charge an “idle fee” for those who don’t move on quickly. Tesla, for example, charges up to $1 for every minute of overtime. They also envision a future where cars move themselves once charged but until then it’s up to the driver.7
Don’t: Charge to 100% when people are waiting, if you don’t need to
Consider unplugging at 80%, says Jones. Even better, only accept the charge you need.
“You’re going to need to fully charge your car up to 100% in some cases but stop at 80% if you don’t need it to get all the way to the next destination,” he says. “It’ll take just as long to get from 80% to 100% as it took to get from zero to 80%.”
That’s because the charge rate can slow significantly from 80% to 100% as a battery preservation mechanism.2
Do: Consider updating the Plugshare community app
If you’re wondering where all the electric car charging stations are, you might want to consider downloading the PlugShare app.8
PlugShare gathers crowd-sourced data from EV owners and is especially helpful if you’re planning a road trip in your EV because its search function shows all charging stations across Australia, the US and Europe, regardless of which company operates them.9
As well as offering a detailed EV charging stations of Australia map, users can update the status of public chargers – whether they’re in order, or not – and even check in, letting others know how busy the charging station is at any given time.8
Don’t: Lose your patience with new EV owners
As we transition to the age of the electric car, many drivers are going to be learning about a whole new world of vehicle technology. You may see others looking confused with cables, perplexed with plugs and trying to pinpoint what apps they need.
Helping these new EV owners may lead to quicker EV charging for all – and, hopefully, a smoother transition to an EV future.
Curious about power sources? Here’s how charging stations work
Now that you’re up to speed on EV public charging etiquette, you might be wondering how charging stations get their power.
It depends on the charging station itself. Some public EV charging stations are connected to the local electricity grid, which may deliver a mix of fossil fuel and renewables-generated electricity.
Fossil fuels accounted for 65% of Australia’s electricity generation in 2023 – mostly coal, but also gas and oil. The good news is renewable energy accounted for the remaining 35% – it’s highest share of total generation yet.10
Some charging providers, however, are committed to providing 100% renewably generated power.
Evie Networks, which has more than 260 charging stations around Australia, claims a 100% renewables-powered operation, through the Federal Government’s GreenPower program.11
In 2024, competitor Chargefox finished installing 21 ultra-rapid EV charging sites along major routes between Brisbane and Adelaide, and in and near Perth.12 All sites are powered by renewable energy – some of them through on-site solar and battery storage.13
As more EV charging points are installed in Australia, it’ll become easier to own and enjoy an electric car without a home charging set-up, and the process of public charging will become familiar to more of us.
If you’re new to the EV game, you might also be thinking about insurance for your high-tech new drive. For cover that’s a bit more you-shaped, consider starting a quote with Youi today.
1 Source: The Guardian – A post-servo highway? How electric vehicles are changing the Australian roadscape, July 2023
2 Source: ACT Government, Everyday Climate Choices – Charging an electric vehicle
3 Source: ABC News – As electric vehicles power ahead, drivers risk being caught short as infrastructure lags behind, July 2023
4 Source: Australian Government, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water – Driving the Nation Fund
5 Source: Drive – Australia’s major electric-car charging companies listed, December 2022
6 Source: Vic Government, Energy, Environment and Climate Action – Charging your electric vehicle, August 2024
7 Source: Tesla – Supercharger Idle Fee
8 Source: carsales – Best apps for EV owners, May 2022
9 Source: CarsGuide – EV charging apps: The top 5 electric car apps for owners, August 2023
10 Source: Australian Government, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water – Energy data
11 Source: Evie – Our Mission
12 Source: Australian Renewable Energy Agency – Chargefox Electric Vehicle Charging Network Project, January 2024
13 Source: Australian Renewable Energy Agency – Renewables to drive ultra-rapid electric vehicle network, May 2022