The global shift to electric vehicles is undeniable. Yet, Australia’s progress is hampered by inadequate public charging infrastructure. An elegant solution exists: using our existing power poles as a means to rapidly deploy charging stations. This move not only boosts convenience and grid stability but also accelerates our journey towards a lower emissions future. We have modelled it: it’s doable, it can happen now and it doesn’t take competition out of the market.

Electric car sales jumped 35 percent globally in 2023, with almost 14 million new electric vehicles registered. They now account for nearly one in five cars sold – a quantum leap in the past five years.

Car makers are retooling their production lines in response to consumer demands. As technology and markets mature, the price of buying and driving an electric vehicle is coming down, and consumer interest rising.

But Australia has been immune to the trend, with a slower take-up and reports that drivers are reverting to hybrid vehicles, with inadequate public charging a key barrier. Research also suggests the lack of charging infrastructure means that almost half of current Australian EV drivers are considering switching back to internal combustion engine vehicles.

Given that range anxiety is a legitimate issue for drivers, policymakers must turn their minds to smart solutions that give drivers confidence to purchase, and make it easier for them to use electric vehicles, with the benefit of saving them real money.

Let’s start with the environmental imperative. Passenger and light commercial vehicles account for over half of the transport sector’s emissions. They add 55 megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent – more than 10 percent of the emissions reduction task we face to achieve net zero.^[1] Put simply, unless we turbocharge the nation’s embrace of electric vehicles, Australia will struggle to meet its emission reduction targets.

We need to be frank that the lack of availability and the reliability of charging infrastructure is a major impediment to car buyers turning to EVs.

Our network is immature by global standards. We currently have 68 electric vehicles per public charge point, compared to the global average of 11, and this is only getting worse over time.

One piece of the puzzle lies in the infrastructure available on nearly every street in Australia – the existing poles and wires that already carry electricity to homes and businesses.

By mounting small EV chargers on existing power poles, we can avoid the need for extensive (and often expensive) work that can disrupt the community. In doing so, we get chargers installed kerbside at a faster rate and lower cost.

It’s a plug-and-play solution that benefits consumers and the environment – and all it requires is a regulatory change to make it happen.

Existing arrangements block distribution networks from offering kerbside charging services to retail service providers. Classifying kerbside EV charging infrastructure as a ‘distribution service’ in the regulatory framework would be a game-changer for customers. It would allow distribution companies to install and maintain kerbside EV chargers, and then provide open access to commercial charging operators who ‘sell’ the charging services to customers.

The Climate Change Authority’s Annual Statement, released last year says: “Government can also look for other ways to more suitably classify charging as a service under electricity regulation to better utilise Australia’s existing grid infrastructure.” Trials are already underway, and the statement suggests potential for Government to catalyse a faster roll-out of this infrastructure.

It’s also a case of better using what we already have – a grid that can do more for customers than just lights and powerpoints.

The change would boost the charging network’s dependability and reliability, given that the skilled workforce already employed by distribution networks would mean they are properly maintained, and always available.  

Alongside other initiatives that gets the local grid doing more for customers, recent modelling commissioned by Energy Networks Australia estimated that the regulatory change would allow a faster rollout of chargers across our cities and regions, likely encouraging a further one million electric vehicles onto the road by 2030.

Market momentum would become self-fulfilling as drivers seize the opportunity to save up to $2500 per year in fuel costs.

These are simple steps, well within our reach. They will combine to lower costs for drivers, cut our emissions and help take advantage of the infrastructure we already have. We should seize the opportunity to join the global revolution well underway.

The time to act is now.

Street Smart – EV charging paper_ ENA_10 Jan 2025