The ultimate guide to EV and electric charging in Australia

Considering switching to an electric vehicle? Here’s everything you need to know about charging EVs at home and on the go.

There are now more than 200,000 electric vehicles on Australia’s roads, with more than 75,000 EVs sold in the first 10 months of 2024. From making up just 1 per cent of Australia’s car sales in 2020, EVs now make up circa 8 per cent. There are also around 100 different EV models to chose from – and more incoming.

Volvo, for example, this year launched the EX30 small SUV, which quickly became one of its best selling models, and joins the pure electric XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge in the line-up. Next year sees the launch of the flagship Volvo EX90, a luxury seven-seater Global CEO Jim Rowan describes as “the best car we have ever built.”

Sustainability, performance – and savings

Electric vehicle adoption is increasing for a handful of key reasons.

1. Firstly, and in line with Volvo’s business ethos, sustainability: According to latest NRMA data, those who consider sustainability when buying a vehicle are four times more likely to have purchased an EV than those who do not.

2. Secondly, performance – as EVs tend to be much quicker than their petrol and diesel equivalents. Hence, according to the NRMA, car enthusiasts have rapidly embraced EVs, with 9% of car enthusiasts owning an EV, compared to 4% of non-enthusiasts.

3. Thirdly, lower running costs: EV owners can save significantly per kilometre, because electricity works out much cheaper than petrol or diesel. Plus, service intervals are roughly double for an EV compared to an internal combustion engine vehicle – and there are fewer components to regularly replace.

4. Meanwhile, fringe benefit tax breaks for company car drivers have driven significant growth in novated leases for electric vehicles, enabling drivers to save thousands of dollars a year via salary sacrificing arrangements. That’s because everything is included in the lease – including insurance, rego, servicing and charging at home. Which is why novated leases now make up circa 40 per cent of all new EV registrations.

Types of electric vehicle charging

EV drivers tend to do the majority of their charging overnight at home, using public chargers when they need a top-up on the go, particularly for longer journeys.

Alternating current (AC) home chargers, classed as level 1 or level 2 chargers, enable overnight charging at home for the daily commute and are often installed at hotels or within public car parks. Both of these types are best suited for everyday use – and because they deliver power at lower rates, tend to cost less per kilowatt hour (kWh).

Faster public chargers harness direct current, or DC power, and are classed as level 3 chargers. These are designed to give EV drivers as much range as possible in the shortest time – so are best used when drivers need a quick top-up on the go, and especially for longer trips.

Home charging types:

● Household connector: Some EVs, such as Volvo’s XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge, can actually be charged from a standard ‘level 1’ plug point and come with a standard charging cable. But, with a typical charging rate of 7-14km per hour, it takes between a day and a half and three days (40-72 hours) to fully charge a pure electric vehicle via standard cable and plug point. Hence it’s worth keeping EVs topped up daily if using a standard household plug point – a 12-hour overnight charge, for example, will provide approximately 84-168km of range.

● Wallbox: For drivers that want faster and more convenient home charging, installing a wallbox is recommended, enabling ‘level 2’ charging. An 11kW 3 phase wallbox means the charger can essentially deliver more power into the car battery at a faster rate, typically 50-60km worth of power per hour. That means a full charge in around 8 hours, giving drivers up to 400kms-plus of range depending on driving style, traffic, environmental conditions etc. There is also a 7kW 3 phase wallbox which enables between 30-45km of range per hour. That means empty-to-full charging in around half a day, or overnight.

Volvo Cars recommends drivers don’t let their battery run below 20 per cent. That’s because Lithium-ion batteries tend to last longer when they are not repeatedly charged to full and then run to empty. Plus, they charge slower when close to empty and close to full for the same reason.

Public chargers To encourage greater EV uptake further, federal and state governments alongside businesses are building out a nationwide public charging network, with over 900 fast and ultra-fast public EV charging locations available as at March 2024, up 90 per cent from December 2022.

By June, that number had topped 1,000 and since then further funding has been deployed at state and national level.

Fast chargers To date, the majority of public chargers installed are classified as ‘fast’ chargers. These range from 24-99kW and use DC power to charge cars more quickly than cars charged at home overnight.

A 50kW DC fast charger can typically provide upwards of 100km of range in about half an hour, a 99kW DC fast charger around 200km of range in half an hour.

Ultra-fast chargers Any charger from 100kW upwards is classed as ‘ultra-fast’, with the most powerful ultra-fast units rated at up to 350kW, which can technically deliver 500km-plus of range in under 20 minutes.

At present, not all EVs accept maximum ultra-fast charging speeds, with manufacturers often limiting how quickly their cars can charge in order to protect the battery and extend its life.

Plus, across all charger types, there may be variances in speeds due to local network conditions.

Where to charge your EV in Australia

There are plenty of handy apps and maps that show the locations of public EV chargers around Australia, including the likes of Plugshare, and Google-owned navigation app Waze, which has been optimised especially for Volvo’s entertainment system. Plus, there is the Volvo Cars app to send reminders and updates and guided navigation to the nearest charger.

These apps pinpoint both standard public charging stations as well as high-powered, faster chargers across the country and can optimise driving routes on the go so that EV drivers always have a charging option.

City and rural charging

The better apps and maps also have up-to-date information on whether or not a charger is working – which is handy in and around metro areas, where most public chargers are currently sited, and essential when travelling in rural and remote areas, where charging black spots can present challenges.

More chargers coming

However, state and federal governments are committed to increasing rural and remote coverage, with funding announced last year to ensure a fast charger every 150km on national highways across the country, with those projects now being rollout out by the likes of Evie and the NRMA.

States with most chargers

According to government data, NSW had the most fast and ultra-fast public chargers as of March 2024 (253), followed by Victoria (233), Queensland (161), South Australia (100), Western Australia (88), Tasmania (44), Australian Capital Territory (13) and the Northern Territory (8).

However, these only include chargers rated at least 24kW – which means the actual number of public chargers in shopping centres, campsites, hotels and leisure centres will likely be significantly higher.

Some shopping centres offer a certain amount of free charging – because it encourages shoppers to stay longer, and spend more.

Costs of charging vs. petrol

Compared to petrol and diesel, EV running costs are substantially lower.

The cheapest kilometres are those charged at home – especially if charged via solar panels. Combined with time of use electricity tariffs, which means drivers can charge at off peak times and pay less per kilowatt hour, these can take the cost of driving 100km down to a couple bucks versus upwards of $15 in a petrol-powered equivalent. For example:

A 2024 Volvo XC40 Plus B4 has a stated combined fuel consumption of 7.1l per 100km. At $1.90 per litre of premium petrol, 100kms on that basis would cost $13.49.

Charged using an electricity tariff of $0.30 per kWh it would cost $5.46 to travel 100km in an XC40 Recharge Single Motor Extended Range, which has stated combined energy consumption of 18.2 kWh.

Using solar power where possible at home as well as off-peak electricity tariffs could bring that cost down significantly.

Fast and ultrafast chargers are more expensive, $0.40-$0.80 per kWh. Taking $0.60 per kWh as the average cost, charging an XC40 Recharge Single Motor Extended Range using a 50kW-150kW fast charger would cost $10.92 per 100km.

The average Australian car travels 12,100km annually, per ABS data. So multiplying all of the above 100km cost calculations by 121 to equate to 12,100km gives a figure of :

● $1632.29 per annum for petrol
● $1321.32 per annum charging an EV purely via fast/ultrarapid public charging.
● $660.66 per annum charging an EV at home

Some public charging networks offer cheaper prices for members. NRMA, for example offers a 10 per cent discount.

For an idea of monthly running costs, see Volvo Car Australia’s own charging cost calculator here.

Charging at home: what you need to know

All of Volvo’s cars are designed to make charging at home hassle free – they can be charged with a standard household outlet. The same goes for setting up a home charging station, which enable faster charging speeds and more advanced capabilities. With home charging options increasing significantly in recent years, Volvo retailers are well placed to both assist in selection and recommend an installer.

Installation costs

The installed cost of a dedicated home charger varies depending on a number of factors. These include any of the electrical works required and whether an upgrade is necessary to handle the extra power, and location elements – like how far away your parking spot is away from the fuse box, for example. But an experienced certified installer will be able to assess all requirements from an initial pre-installation visit.

Once you have a charger installed, see this page for Volvo’s full checklist for safely charging an electric car.

Long-distance road trips and charging considerations

On shorter trips, particularly in towns and cities with lots of stop-starts, regenerative braking helps to top up the EV battery, optimising range. Plus, there are more charging stations within metro areas.

But long road trips, particularly on highways, usually means less braking – and environmental conditions, load weight and driving style will impact range.

Likewise driving modes: Eco Mode on Volvo’s electric models is designed to prioritise efficiency and range. Taking a long road trip in Sport Mode will mean sharper acceleration and a sportier experience – but it’s probably not the optimal approach for those aiming to minimise charging stops on long distance trips.

Avoiding range anxiety

Given the variables that can affect range, it’s worth taking a pragmatic approach to charging planning – and aligning it with rest stops, which state governments recommend drivers take every two hours. This will minimise range anxiety, maximise safety and make the trip less tiring. Plus, there are plenty of beautiful country towns to visit that make the trip part of the experience.

Before setting off, it’s also worth downloading all the main charging apps – as some providers require them to access their chargers. You can download them on the go, but pre-planning saves time and hassle later.

Future of electric charging in Australia

With upwards of half a million EVs expected to be on the roads by 2028, more charging infrastructure will be required across the country.

Fast charging availability across major highways is now ramping up – with NRMA in recent months switching on new sites across Victoria, South Australia and the NT, with another five highway sites expected to open over Christmas and the new year.

This is co-funded by the federal government, which last year announced $39.3 million to help deliver 117 EV chargers on key highway routes across Australia.

There are also state-sponsored initiatives for thousands more chargers over the next few years.

Charging innovation

Meanwhile, companies such as Volvo continue to invest in cutting edge battery and charging innovation.

The company recently partnered with Breathe Battery Technologies (Breathe), becoming the first car company to get access to the latest version of its patented, algorithm-enabled charging software for use on Volvo’s new generation fully electric cars.

The upshot? Charging times up to 30 per cent quicker – without affecting battery health, ensuring customers get maximum benefit from Australia’s growing network of chargers and advancements in charging technology.

Volvo is also investing substantially in future charging solutions, last year launching a dedicated energy solutions business to better link cars, homes and the energy grid – enabling drivers to save money and CO2 while helping decarbonise the broader economy.

Volvo has also been testing wireless charging for the last two years – with the results due in 2025.

Why now’s the time to switch to an electric vehicle

The incentives to switch to a cleaner, more sustainable, efficient and higher performance electric vehicle are myriad.

With around 100 EV models to chose from in Australia, the only real choice is which EV to go for.

For those looking for a luxury EV with superior experience, technology and service from a company recognised as a global leader in sustainability, that choice is more straightforward.

Volvo Car Australia’s all electric line-up now spans the C40 Recharge, XC40 Recharge, the EX30 small SUV, already one of the best selling EVs in Europe – and from early next year, the flagship seven-seater Volvo EX90.

Discover more at https://www.volvocars.com/au/