Plugging into the future – a guide to electric vehicle chargers
You’ve already purchased an electric vehicle (EV) to help remove your carbon emissions from transport and shift towards net zero emissions – now how do you charge it? This guide provides information on types of charging infrastructure available for your EV.
Charging your EV at home
The biggest difference between owning an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle and an EV is that they can be charged at home or at public chargers. This can provide greater flexibility in ‘refuelling’ and avoids the need to visit service stations. Home charging speed and cost is dependent on the charging infrastructure you use.
The average Canberra driver travels about 38 kilometres each day. For everyday driving it would not be necessary to recharge every day. A standard 10 A garage wall socket would be sufficient to recharge an EV from empty to full within 15-30 hours, depending on the battery size. With sufficient time to recharge, a standard wall socket could easily ensure you have a full battery for longer trips on a weekend. If you require a higher charge rate a 15 A socket upgrade outputs 3.6 kW , enough for adding over 220 km from an overnight charge. Either of these two options would be adequate for most EV drivers. You may find yourself charging your EV only once or twice a week. Not all vehicle manufacturers provide dedicated 10 or 15 A home charger lead as a standard inclusion with an EV.
For faster charging a dedicated EV charger can provide 7 kW, enough to fully charge a standard EV in about 6–9 hours and allow for up to 500km of travel per day from an overnight charge. These chargers cost around $2,000 - $3,000 installed and could be included in your Scheme loan. While a standard 10amp or 15amp socket is adequate for most daily driving needs, a 7 kW dedicated EV charger upgrade is beneficial if you regularly drive long distances or have an EV with a large battery capacity. Apartment dwellers would need to seek permission from their body corporate to install a charger.
Away from home charging
Home charging may not be possible for carparks or on-street parking, as there may not be access to a power point or it would be impractical/illegal to run an extension cord with a charger to your EV . There are public charging stations across the ACT, with more popping up all the time. Locations for publicly available chargers across the ACT and Australia can be found at PlugShare . Public chargers do charge a fee for usage. Public charging is an option if home charging is not available.
How to apply for a loan under the Sustainable Household Scheme
Firstly, check you are eligible to participate in the Scheme by reviewing the Scheme Guidelines. It’s also a good idea to review the Scheme terms and conditions. If you’ve decided an electric vehicle charger is right for you, just follow these easy steps to apply for your zero-interest loan:
- Get your quotes from suppliers accredited with our loans provider, Brighte. Information about accredited suppliers can be found on Brighte’s website . We suggest seeking more than one quote.
- Select your preferred quote and your chosen supplier will initiate the loan process with Brighte.
Some important things to note
- You can bundle products from the list of eligible products available under the Scheme, with a maximum of $15,000 loan available to each household.
- Installation of an EV charger requires an ACT licenced electrician.
- If there is a requirement to upgrade to 3-phase power this can be included as part of your loan.
- EV chargers may be installed in an eligible property which is either a standalone residence or a unit titled property. New builds are not eligible.
Need some free advice?
Contact the team for general and free energy advice advice on 1300 141 777 or email SustainableHomeAdviceProgram@act.gov.au.
Acknowledgement of Country
We acknowledge the Ngunnawal people as traditional custodians of the ACT and recognise any other people or families with connection to the lands of the ACT and region. We acknowledge and respect their continuing culture and the contribution they make to the life of this city and this region.