Public EV chargers in the ACT
Electric vehicles (EVs) need electricity to recharge their batteries just like petrol and diesel vehicles need petrol stations to refuel. While most EV owners will be able to charge at home, providing access to public chargers across the ACT for both Canberrans and visitors is vital to supporting the long-term uptake of EVs.
To help the community transition to EVs, ACT Government has committed to having at least 180 public chargers in the ACT by 2025, funded by Government and private investment. As of January 2024, ACT has a total of 165 public charging bays powered by 136 charging stations.
Where to find a public charger
PlugShare is a great place to see the locations of public chargers in the ACT and across Australia. It shows information like charger speed and plug types, and often has reviews and images of the chargers. You can also check the website or mobile app of specific charge point operators.
Using a public EV charger
Using a public charger is often as simple as 'plug and play', but charging an EV has some key differences to refuelling a petrol or diesel car.
Haven’t used a public charger before? Find out all there is to know about using a public EV charger.
Did you know?
Roughly 80% of EV owners across the world use overnight home charging as the main way to charge their EV. This is often the cheapest and most convenient way to charge an EV.
Government funding for public EV charging
As of January 2024, 26 public EV chargers with 46 charging bays have received ACT Government funding.
Government funding is supporting the rollout of public EV chargers through two mechanisms:
- grant funding for EV charge point operators to support the establishment of a sustainable EV charging industry and install EV chargers at locations where the community needs them most.
- rebates for local clubs to install EV chargers and other sustainability upgrades on their premises, through the Community Clubs Program.
Find out more about the locations and details of government funded public EV chargers.
Do you want a public EV charger at your business?
Businesses can register their interest in hosting public EV chargers at their premises. If you are interested, please complete our Host Site Registration Form.
Completing the form will help us to create a list of keen hosts that can be passed onto charge point operators when they are looking for new sites. All new sites will be assessed for suitability. Completing the form does not guarantee that your location will be chosen to host EV chargers.
There are many benefits to hosting public chargers at your business, including:
- Attracting new customers who may choose destinations or businesses based on charger availability
- Increasing dwell time in the area while customers wait for their EV to charge
- Creating positive sentiment towards your business by showing that you are committed to environmental sustainability
- Future-proofing your business so that customers’ charging needs continue to be met as EV uptake grows
- Making a return on your investment through charging tariffs and diversifying your business revenue stream
Public charging on regional transport routes
ACT Government is working closely with other state and territory governments to expand public charging on key transport routes around Canberra.
The ACT and NSW Memorandum of Understanding for Regional Collaboration [PDF 504KB] states that the ACT and NSW governments will work together to identify strategic objectives and infrastructure investment priorities for the Canberra Region. An EV charging network is noted as a key priority.
Under the MOU, ACT Government is working with NSW Government and relevant NSW local government areas to install new charging stations on major routes to and from Canberra. This includes routes to Sydney and popular coastal areas.
ACT Public Charging Outlook
The ACT Public Charging Outlook provides industry with advice and guidance on trends and charging locations to support strategic investment and growth in the ACT's charging network.
Read the Download ACT Public Charging Outlook [1.9 MB].
The charging outlook looks at:
- how many EVs will be registered across the ACT to 2030
- how many public chargers are required to support the expected numbers of EVs in the ACT
- demand for public chargers at a suburb-level.
Public charging outlook data can be viewed on the Geospatial Data Catalogue or added to ACTmapi maps as individual years from 2021 to 2030.
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.