Overcoming Range Anxiety & Other Minor Quirks
May 29, 2026
New EV owner Peter Park ducked into the United Petrol station at Empire Bay for a soda. The
On this page, you’ll find useful information to help you make a decision about getting an Electric Vehicle.
Electric cars and utes are called electric vehicles (EVs) and there are two types:
Conventional petrol and diesel cars and utes are known as internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.
Electric vehicles offer a range of benefits compared to traditional petrol or diesel cars and utes:
Lower Emissions
EVs produce significantly fewer greenhouse gases and harmful pollutants like nitrogen oxides and particulate matter—better for your health and the planet.
Lower running costs
Electric motors are highly efficient, and charging with electricity is cheaper than filling up with petrol or diesel. You’ll save money every time you drive.
Less Maintenance
EVs have fewer moving parts, so there’s no need for oil changes and less wear on brakes thanks to regenerative braking. This means lower servicing costs and fewer trips to the mechanic.
Government Incentives
Some EVs are eligible for rebates or other financial support through Australian government programs, helping reduce the upfront cost.
Great Driving Experience
Enjoy instant torque for fast acceleration, quiet performance, and smooth handling. EVs often have a low centre of gravity, making them feel stable and safe on the road.
Extra Utility Features
Some models can power appliances like fridges, tools, or even your home during a blackout—ideal for camping, job sites, or emergencies.
Home Charging Convenience
Skip the petrol station—charge at home overnight or whenever it suits you. If you have solar panels, it’s even cheaper and cleaner.
Support for Renewable Energy
EVs can integrate with solar and battery systems, helping you make the most of renewable energy and reduce your reliance on the grid.
Quieter Communities
Reduced engine noise means a more peaceful environment for everyone.
| Electric Vehicles Charging Levels and Range Chart | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charging Level | Power | Range added per hour | Charging time | Typical application |
| Level 1 single phase (domestic) | 1.4-3.7kW | 10-20km range per hour | 5-16 hours | Home |
| Level 2 slow single phase (domestic or public) | 7kW | 30-45km range per hour | 2-5 hours | Home, work, shopping centres, car parks |
| Level 2 fast three-phase (public) | 11-22kW | 50-130km range per hour | 30 mins - 2 hours | Urban roadside |
| Level 3 fast charge (public) | 25-350kW | 150-300km range per hour | 10-60 minutes | Highways, motorways and key routes |
Charging an EV is simple, whether you are at home or on the road.
EV chargers are classified into different levels, based on how much power they deliver to an electric vehicle.
Level 1 chargers are the slowest
Level 3 chargers offer the fastest charging speeds
The table below outlines the types of chargers currently available, along with their typical power levels and charging times
The Electric Vehicles Forum was held at Hardys Bay Community Club on 18 September 2025 with:
+ Peter Lisle, Sustainability Leader, Willoughby City Council
+ Matt Hall, local resident and long-term EV owner
+ Steve Beletich, energy transition specialist, COO of EVX Polechargers and Electrify Bouddi
+ Hosted by Deborah Cotter
Cables connecting the EV charger to the car use one of the following three standard plugs:
Type 2 (Mennekes) plug for alternating current (AC) charging
Combined charging system (CCS2) for direct current (DC) charging
Charge de move (CHAdeMO) for direct current (DC) charging
The best tool for finding all EV charging stations in Australia is the app Plugshare.
The network of EV charging stations in Australia is expanding, including near Bouddi. The new Ampol chargers at Kincumber Shopping Centre now has four 150kWh fast chargers with type 2 CCS2 cables, allowing you to charge while you shop!
We now have a two-bay 50kW charger at Empire Bay Tavern with type 2 CCS2 cables. See here for a guide to finding the Empire Bay Tavern charger.
With over 100 EV models available in Australia, there is one to suit the needs of virtually every motorist. Models available in Australia are changing weekly – see the following sites for the latest information:
Reviews of new models appear on Youtube as well as most motoring sources.
If you have questions on particular models, Electrify Bouddi can put you in touch with current owners or you can search for relevant owners groups online.
If you want to consider a secondhand EVs, there are now lots on the market. Take at look at what’s available on these sites:
If you know little about EVs, here are some extra questions to guide your conversation with dealers. These will help you choose a vehicle that really suits your lifestyle, driving habits, and budget, as you compare different models.
Battery size determines how far the car can travel on a single charge—commonly referred to as its “range.”
Understanding how fast the vehicle can charge helps you plan for convenience and efficiency.
Make sure the EV is compatible with available public chargers and your home charging setup.
Some dealers can help arrange insurance or at least give you a ballpark figure.
If you are interested in using your EV as a power source, these questions also might be relevant:
The average Australian drives around 12,000km per year and spends around $2,500 on petrol. This equates to around $0.20/km.
On average, an EV travelling 12,000km each year would cost around $400 to charge. Further savings can be made by an EV user with access to home solar or off-peak tariffs, which could reduce annual energy costs to as little as $200.
EVs are cheaper to maintain than an ICE vehicles as they have fewer moving parts and components that need servicing. The savings could amount to several hundred dollars per year.
Of course, it is important for prospective EV owners to consider their driving habits, government incentives, taxes and charging availabilities to fully understand the savings of driving an EV compared to a petrol or diesel vehicle.
In addition to the financial savings and environmental benefits of owning an EV, many EV drivers highlight the enjoyable drive experience of EVs. Driving the hills and corners of Bouddi in an EV is effortless and a lot of fun.
| Electric Vehicles Cost of Ownership | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical ICE car | Typical Battery EV | Official Source | |
| Energy/“fuel” bill (≈ 12 000 km yr) | $2,400 in petrol | $400 in grid electricity | Federal modelling quoted in the National EV Strategy |
| Maintenance & Servicing | $1 000 yr | $600 yr (40 % less) | NSW Transport / Service guidance on EV running costs |
| Registration / Motor Vehicle Tax (NSW) | Standard weight-based fee | Small “low-emitter” concession (saves up to ~$120 yr) | Service NSW rego page |
The main federal incentive for electric vehicles is the Electric Car Discount, which offers a Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) exemption for novated leases and company EVs. This makes EVs significantly more affordable for eligible individuals and businesses.
Under this policy, EVs priced below $89,332 (the luxury car tax threshold for fuel-efficient vehicles) are exempt from FBT. For those using a novated lease, this can save thousands of dollars each year by lowering the cost of both the vehicle and its running expenses.
As with any financial decision, make sure to check and compare the details of the interest rates and charges associated with your novated lease
The battery in a fully electric car (50-70kWh) is far larger than the typical household battery (8-13kWh), so can your EV replace the need for a home battery?
There are three ways that EV batteries can be used:
Vehicle-to-Load (V2L): Allows you to use your car’s battery to power external electrical devices — just like a giant portable power bank.
Vehicle-to-Home (V2H): Allows your EV to power your home, functioning similarly to a stationary home battery. This setup can reduce electricity bills and provide backup power during outages.
Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G): Enables your EV to send stored energy back to the grid, helping to stabilize supply during peak demand.
| Using EVs as Batteries | ||
| Battery usage | Status | Examples |
| V2L | As of May 2025, Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) technology is increasingly prevalent in Australia, offering EV owners a practical means to power external devices directly from their vehicles. | Most V2L-capable EVs can deliver between 1.5kW and 3.6kW of power, depending on the model. As the adoption of EVs continues to rise in Australia, V2L is expected to become a standard feature in many new models. |
| V2H and V2G | In late 2024, Standards Australia approved new electrical standards permitting V2G installations nationwide. This regulatory change allows the Clean Energy Council (CEC) to certify bidirectional chargers. Currently no V2G chargers have received CEC certification, though approvals are anticipated in the coming months | Currently, only a few EV models in Australia support V2H or V2G: Nissan Leaf (CHAdeMO connector) Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (CHAdeMO connector) Many newer EVs with CCS2 connectors lack the necessary hardware or software support for V2H, though updates are expected in the future. |
So using your EV as a home battery is still a little way off in Australia. Even when it becomes a technically feasible option, there are a few issues to consider:
These factors lead most analysts to think it unlikely that EVs will replace the need for home batteries completely, however for some individual households they may provide an alternative.
See the latest on V2H in Australia here:
News on the current V2H trials in Australia is available here:
Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVS)
A HEV still relies on a conventional fossil fuel combustion engine for the majority of its power. However, unlike a vehicle that relies solely on internal combustion, a HEV also has a small battery (average battery size 0.5-2 kWh). Unlike other EVs a HEVs battery cannot be recharged by an external charger. Consequently, the vehicle relies on internal charging through a combination of regenerative braking supplemented by the vehicle’s regular combustion engine. As regenerative braking is effective at replacing petrol with electric power at low speeds, a HEV is most suited to urban environments where there is more frequent stopping and starting.
Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles (PHEVs)
A PHEV is similar to a HEV in the sense that it is also powered by a combination of fossil fuel and battery power (average battery size 7-20 kWh). However, unlike a HEV you are able to recharge the battery using an external charger. Due to the larger battery size PHEVs can drive between 0 – 100km (depending on make/model) on battery power alone.
Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV)
Otherwise known as a plug-in, pure EV or zero emission vehicle (ZEV), this type of vehicle relies on rechargeable batteries alone for its power (average battery size 16kWh – 100kWh), which can be supplemented by regenerative braking. In addition, compared to HEV and PHEV alternatives there are zero greenhouse emissions from a BEV.
Residential chargers (level 2) are able to fully charge EVs in around six to eight hours, depending on the vehicle’s capacity. This means you can easily charge your car overnight.
The average Australian drives 38 kilometres per day so a typical EV owner can either choose to charge for 1-2 hours each day, or go for a week or more between larger recharging sessions.
Unlike petrol cars, you can recharge at home or anywhere with access to electricity.
Public fast chargers are also available. Ultra-rapid chargers can add up to 300km of range in ten minutes, depending on the vehicle.
Today’s EVs have enough battery range to meet the average Australian’s driving needs for over a week. Current EVs have an average battery range of around 400 kilometres but the technology is advancing so rapidly that some new models can drive for over 600 kilometres on a single charge.
No, most electric cars do not come with a spare to save weight and extend their range and efficiency. Instead, they come with a tyre repair kit and/or roadside assistance services. Many new ICE vehicles also are not sold with a full-sized spare wheel.
Tyre repair kits include sealant and an air compressor to temporarily fix a puncture. EVs are often sold with specialist roadside assistance services for EVs (see section on Roadside Assistance).
At the time of writing, electric cars available in Australia that come with a spare include:
Most electric commercial vehicles in Australia, such as vans, are supplied with a spare wheel.
With around 20 moving parts in an EV compared to the 2,000 found in a traditional ICE vehicle, there is less to go wrong. In addition, EVs tend to require far less lubricants to operate when compared to the alternatives, so that regular servicing is quicker and cheaper.
However, these savings may be offset somewhat by wear on tyres, due to the added weight of the battery. Since the supply chain for EVs in Australia is still developing, spare parts often have to be shipped internationally. This tends to depend upon the brand but can lead to delays and high transportation costs.
The ground clearance of some of the more popular EVs sold in Australia is shown in the following table:
Car | Clearance mm |
Chery E5 | 184 |
BYD Atto 3 | 175 |
Tesla Model Y | 167 |
Merc C180 | 157 |
Geely Ex5 | 148 |
Volvo C70 | 140 |
BYD Sealion 7 | 140 |
MGS5 | 139 |
BYD Dolphin | 130 |
Renault Megane e-Tech | 128 |
BYD Seal | 120 |
Note: While we have done our best to make sure this information is accurate, up to date, and reliable, we can’t guarantee that everything is always correct or complete. Things can change over time, and occasional errors may occur so if something is critical to you, please double-check it.
For reference, all cars registered in NSW must have 100 mm minimum clearance. AWD cars are expected to have 160+ mm clearance. 4WD cars usually have 200+ mm clearance.
Amongst the approximately 50 PHEVs currently available in Australia, those with good ground clearance include:
State-based motoring clubs like NRMA, RACV, and RACQ all provide roadside assistance for electric vehicles at the same costs as for ICE vehicle equivalents. Key features to look for include high-voltage awareness for technicians, mobile charging or towing to the nearest station, and the availability of a spare tyre or repair options.
For information on road-user charges for EVs see our latest information here
EV battery fires are far less common than internal combustion engine vehicle fires. All EVs sold in Australia must adhere to strict regulations, which do not apply to other devices powered by lithium-ion batteries.
These include protective measures such as the use of a cooling shroud filled with coolant liquid to prevent external damage or short circuit. Batteries are also installed in a way that avoids widespread damage, employing thick metal casings to reduce chances of damage and locating batteries centrally in vehicles away from likely impact zones to minimise risk of damage.
There have been just six EV battery fires in Australia out of more than 180,000 EVs on the road, and none of these were spontaneous, related to charging, or caused explosions. Of the six, three incidents were caused by an external fire (unrelated to the vehicle), one was related to an arson incident, one by a road collision and one by road debris.
Fire and Rescue NSW has said that just three of the 456 lithium-ion battery fires it attended in 2022-2023 involved electric vehicles.
One involved an MG from which the battery had been removed and not disposed of correctly, one involved a Tesla Model 3 hitting road debris on a highway and one involved a battery from an Audi RS e-Tron that had been removed in a workshop.
Most battery fires were found in e-bikes and e-scooters (90), battery chargers (46), and energy storage batteries (37).
Most EVs are sold with 8 to 10-year warranties on their batteries and electric motors. That said, like other vehicles, EVs are expected to last as long as similar petrol or diesel vehicles e.g. around 15 years (or equivalent in terms of total kilometres driven e.g. 180,000-200,000 km).
As EVs get older, the batteries progressively degrade. It is expected that at around 75% of the battery’s original capacity, it has reached the end of its life in an EV. In reality what this means is that if the car was sold with 400 km driving range, at the end of its useful life it could be down to around 300 km.
Despite potentially no longer being as useful in an EV, at the end of life in a vehicle the batteries still store significant amounts of energy. As a result, several companies are already taking used EV batteries and converting them into stationary storage to power homes, buildings and the wider electricity grid. It’s expected these used EV batteries could last up to another 10 years for such cases.
Once an EV battery has lost a significant proportion of its original energy capacity, it can then be recycled into materials used to build new batteries. The efficiency of this recycling process continues to improve, with the possibility of having almost a closed loop in the future where batteries are fully recycled and remanufactured into new batteries.
New EV owner Peter Park ducked into the United Petrol station at Empire Bay for a soda. The
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Mal and Lyn have always been early adopters. Before most of us, they bought a block of land
Like many others, Deborah and Kristian have found switching to an electric car far less difficult than it