Australia is having an electric vehicle moment.

Close to 25,000 electric vehicles were sold in Australia in March, an all-time record and an increase of 69.6% compared with March 2025, according to the Electric Vehicle Council of Australia. Although still lagging behind countries like China where close to half of new passenger vehicles sold are electric, soaring petrol prices on the back of the war in Iran have accelerated interest in EV ownership in Australia.

While Australians do 80% of vehicle charging at home, our public charging infrastructure is lagging behind countries such as China, South Korea and the Netherlands. But Australia’s public charging trajectory is growing quickly, with the Electric Vehicle Council reporting at least 20% more chargers on our roads in 2025 compared to the previous year.

As households get more comfortable leaving fossil fuels behind, questions remain over whether Australia’s public charging infrastructure is well enough prepared for longer distance travel.

The cure for EV range anxiety

Stephen Lightfoot and his family bought a Volvo EV in November 2024. It has served him well charging at home and using it for local trips in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

But when he’s hit the road to drive interstate, he has run into problems charging. “When I first drove to Canberra to visit my son I witnessed charger rage for the first time. There was only one charger available and I saw people almost get into fistfights trying to access it first.”

Another problem he’s encountered is that different chargers require their own apps and registration processes, making it a slow and frustrating process. Simple tap and go charging, like Tesla’s super-fast chargers, should be a standard feature, he says.

As a doctor working in a large hospital, he is frustrated that EV charging isn’t offered in public buildings as a standard feature. “We need more chargers in more places – every car park, every service centre along the highways, every shopping centre – city and regional,” says Lightfoot, who is also vice-president of the Australian Conservation Foundation.

“This is the treatment and cure for this new illness that we know as range anxiety,” he says. “The sooner we see that the better for us and our planet.”

‘I just get in and go’

As Australia’s charging infrastructure plays catch up, Finn Peacock, founder of SolarQuotes, says that advancements in the battery capacity of EVs mean it’s now possible to drive much further on a single charge. Major brands like Tesla, Polestar and BMW offer models with a range over 700km.

Peacock’s first EV (a 2019 Tesla Model S) had a 420km claimed range which he says translated to 350km in the real world. His latest (2024 Tesla Model 3) has a claimed range of 629km that he says clears 500km on a single charge. “The extra 150km makes all the difference,” he says. “With 500km, I just get in and go. I regularly drive Adelaide to Melbourne.”

Dean Postlethwaite, managing director at Sydney EV Chargers, says the rapid expansion of Australia’s fast charging network is changing behaviour. “Ultra-rapid DC chargers [between 150kW and 350kW of power] are becoming far more common along major corridors and in metro areas. This means drivers are shifting from ‘charge when necessary’ to ‘charge when convenient’, which is a key mindset change,” he says.

The federal government’s National Electric Vehicle Strategy is aiming to establish a national highway network with an average spacing of 150km between fast chargers by the end of 2026. “The conversation is shifting. Range anxiety used to be the first question, now it’s more about charging speed, convenience and integration with the home or business,” Postlethwaite says.

Much of Australia’s charging infrastructure is already renewable-powered, according to Chau Le, Origin Energy’s general manager of e-mobility and chair of the Electric Vehicle Council, as government funding is typically conditional on using renewable energy. “Even without onsite solar, most charging networks use renewable energy or renewable purchase agreements to ensure the shift to electric is a shift to truly clean transport.”

Regional Australia is a major focus for government-funded rollouts, and in some areas the network is already becoming more reliable than in the cities, he says.

‘It should fit into your plans, not dictate them’

Julie Perrissel recalls the moment that spurred her to kickstart an app for a new type of charging. It works a little like Airbnb, allowing users or businesses to open their chargers to be rented at a fixed price to the general public.

“On a weekend trip to the Hunter Valley, my husband and I ended up sitting in a shopping centre car park charging before heading back to Sydney, instead of enjoying lunch at a local winery. That was the moment it clicked: charging should fit into your plans, not dictate them.”

She co-created the app Ivygo, currently focused on the Hunter region of New South Wales, which allows access to a network of bookable chargers. She hopes it will attract EV drivers into the region, turning it into a driver of tourism rather than a barrier. While still in its early stages, Ivygo teamed up with the local Singleton Council and other industry partners for an official launch last month, and aims to have 30 bookable chargers by mid-year at venues including wineries, hotels and private homes.

“Our model is designed to scale, and can be replicated across other regional areas in Australia. It is not about replacing public infrastructure, but complementing it to make charging seamless so it becomes part of the journey.”

Postlethwaite says while platforms like Ivygo (and charging map apps like Chargehound, Wevolt and Plugshare) are still in development, they promise to be important in overcoming EV range anxiety.

“It’s about convenience – charging where you live, work and spend time.”