EV Facts
All you need to know, from Australia's biggest and fastest growing EV charging network
EV Charging Myths
If you’re new to the world of EVs, then we know that things can be a little confusing. That’s why we’ve collated a list of the top EV myths we think everyone should know.
EVs take forever to charge
Actually, no they don’t. Just like your phone there are a few factors that affect the time it takes to charge, and also just like your phone, it’s very rare that EVs are charged from 0% charge (empty) to 100% charge (full) in one go. Think about it, you plug your phone into charge at night and wake up in the morning to a charged phone. EV charging at home is very similar.
Charging time depends on:
- The charger model
- The car model
- How full the battery is already
For example, public chargers on our network include everything from 4kW AC chargers up to 350kW ultra-rapid DC chargers, so if you’re using a 4kW charger it’ll take a long time, versus a 350kW charger that’s capable of delivering 400km range in only 15min.
Like your phone, the model matters too – older models will take longer in comparison to new EVs coming on the market.
Charging an EV is expensive
In reality, the cost of charging an EV is significantly cheaper than filing a car with petrol or diesel. Just like petrol, prices vary from station to station. Introductory pricing on Chargefox ultra-rapid chargers is $0.40 per kWh, while others on the network range from free up to around $40 for a full charge. Prices are shown to drivers in the Chargefox App for all stations.
Most EV drivers charge their car at home overnight, and use public charging stations for top-ups or when driving long distances, so rarely do a full charge when out and about.
Don’t Tesla already have chargers?
They absolutely do, and a very wide reaching network at that. However, only Tesla drivers can charge using the Tesla network, whereas all modern EVs with CCS2 or CHAdeMO plugs can charge at Chargefox sites, including Tesla drivers.
There will never be as many charging stations as there are petrol stations.
That’s probably true, and it’s also not needed. It’s important to understand that most EV charging happens in the home, which is in contrast to other cars. If we all had petrol bowsers at home, there wouldn’t need to be as many public petrol stations, as you’d conveniently fill up before hitting the road.
Why are some chargers faster than others?
There’s a difference between a ‘fast’ and an ‘ultra-rapid’ charger. This terminology simply refers to the amount of electricity that different chargers are able to deliver.
By 2040 we expect 61% of all passenger vehicle sales in Australia to be electric.
Electric Vehicles
What’s the story with hybrids and fully electric vehicles?
There are three main types of electric vehicles (EVs), classed by the degree that electricity is used as their energy source – BEV, PHEV AND HEV:
- BEV, or battery electric vehicles are fully-electric vehicles with rechargeable batteries and no combustion/fuel engine. EVs such as a Tesla, Jaguar i-Pace and BMW i3 are this type.
- HEV, or hybrid electric vehicles, or just hybrid start off using the electric motor, then the petrol engine cuts in as load or speed rises. The battery in a hybrid is charged during the car’s braking process (regenerative braking). Models such as the Toyota Prius Hybrid are hybrid.
- PHEV or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, or just plug-in hybrid can recharge the battery through both regenerative braking and plugging into an external source of electrical power. Models such as the Toyota Prius and BMWi8 are this type.
There are only a few EVs available in Australia, and they’re all too expensive.
Unfortunately, Australia’s rate of EV adoption does lag behind most other developed countries, as the majority of them have introduced subsidies and tax rebates to help incentivise adoption, while we haven’t.
However, the good news is that things are changing and as the demand for EVs increases, more models will come on the Australian market. It’s simple supply and demand economics.
EVs are also new technology, and like any new technology early versions are more expensive. If you’re old enough to remember how expensive computers were in the 1980s, you’ll get it. The cost of an EV is expected to reach parity with ICE vehicles in about 5 years, at which point they will be cheaper to run.
EVs are going to ruin our weekends.
Look, nobody’s forcing you to buy an EV. There’s no question they’re better for the planet and will eventually be cheaper as well, but if you still want to buy a V8, you’ll have that option for a very long time to come.
We expect price parity between electric vehicles and internal combustion engine vehicles (ICE) by the mid-2020s in most segments
Renewables
Australia’s electricity grid can’t support EV’s.
Wrong. Not only can electric cars be used to smooth peak demand on the grid by using software to determine the optimal time to charge (at times of low demand and hence also low electricity prices), they can also be used to augment the grid, and some models are actually now capable of feeding electricity back to your house from their battery.
The energy required to charge an EV comes from coal.
In 2022 39% of Australia’s electricity was generated from renewable sources. That figure has more than doubled since 2017!
…so EV charging is already far more sustainable than fossil fuel powered driving, and getting cleaner every day.
Many of the locations on the Chargefox network are also powered through on-site solar power or GreenPower.
Renewable energy provided 35.9% of Australian electricity generation in 2022, up from 32.5% in 2021
By 2050, nearly all the existing large and emissions-intensive coal generators will have retired, causing emissions to fall by around 83%.