With the pandemic now in the rear-view mirror and holiday travel coming back to the fore, Australia’s electric vehicle (EV) charging giants have detailed how they plan to deliver a smooth experience to motorists this long weekend.
Electric car sales have been on the rise in Australia post-COVID, reaching a new record of more than 87,000 battery-powered vehicles sold in 2024 – a staggering 161 per cent increase on the previous year.
As demand for EV chargers has increased, supply has been ramped up to cope with the thousands of Australians wanting to recharge their car’s batteries while travelling over Easter.
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Chargefox – the charge company owned by the Australian Motoring Services, which is owned by the Mobility Clubs of Australia (NRMA, RACV, RACQ, RAA, RAC, RACT) – now has additional 331 charging locations compared to Easter 2023.
The company – which brings together different networks into a single experience – says the new charging locations include 129 DC fast chargers with 394 plugs between them.
However, given demand for its network over Christmas, it’s advising EV owners to prepare in advance of hitting the road by charging before leaving home and plan their route with alternative stations in case wait times are too long.
“During the most recent Christmas and summer holiday period, charging on our platform soared by 150 per cent compared to the same period in the previous year – however we saw a decrease in frustrations from queuing due to significant growth in the charger rollout,” Chargefox head of marketing Rob Asselman told CarExpert.
“The reality is that Easter is a busy time on Australian roads which means there will be more EV drivers looking to charge.
“To ensure a smooth journey I recommend EV drivers be fully charged before you depart, make sure you check your charging app before you leave, and ensure that the chargers you aim to charge at are operational.
“Make sure you have a backup charging station before you head there. Don’t plan to reach your destination with only three per cent on your battery.”
Evie Networks has also increased its EV charger spread, adding more than 60 locations and 250 plugs across its national network, now comprising 214 sites Australia-wide.
The coming four days are expected to bring a record number of motorists to Evie charging stations, almost all of which are operational.
“After a very busy Christmas, which saw 8000 drivers use Evie Networks charging stations, we predict a record 10,000 EV drivers will be charging up throughout the Easter long weekend,” a spokesperson for Evie said.
“With over 97 per cent of our stations operational, we’re all about making sure that drivers like you have easy access to dependable charging spots all over Australia.
“While we’re working to ensure the process is as smooth as possible for EV drivers, we suggest they use our new ‘busy times’ in the app so drivers can check in on how busy an Evie Network charging station is and when is the best time to charge.”