Wind farms and solar towers as far as the eye can see: But where are the EV fast chargers

After passing an extensive array of wind farms along the escarpment, the glowing tower of a solar thermal array was the first sign that we were approaching Port Augusta.

Here we were, surrounded by evidence of South Australia’s incredibly successful integration of renewables into the grid yet my partner mused that EV charging was actually better crossing the Nullarbor than in regional SA.

We were on the return leg of a 12,600km trip from Perth to Sydney in a standard range RWD Tesla Model Y, following the minor roads along the coasts of NSW, Victoria and SA, including Kangaroo Island and the Eyre Peninsula.

The Nullarbor leg was relatively easy, with crowd funded DC chargers (including the marvellous Biofil fish’n’chips unit) between Balladonia and Madura, and the 3 phase 32A plugs installed by AEVA/TOCA at Eucla BV, Nullarbor and Penong.

Timing is everything. When we first went through there were no DC chargers on the 1,550km main route between Madura in WA and Broken Hill in NSW. This added to the sense of adventure but is about to substantially change. More on that later.

We charged in regional SA almost entirely overnight from 10/15A GPOs, apart from Tesla destination chargers at Ceduna, Port Augusta and Port Lincoln accomodation.

Range anxiety forced us inland twice to use the Tesla Superchargers at Mt Gambier and Tailem Bend. It was all manageable but was in stark contrast to the almost faultless NRMA charging network across regional NSW, including tiny places like Wilcannia.

The measure of NRMA’s support for decarbonised transport is that they have rolled out such a well planned network and have also been been prepared until now to offer free charging for all EVs. How could it be that a renewable energy exemplar like SA could be 5 years behind on EV charging infrastructure?

When I put this question to The Driven as a possible topic I was encouraged to research it myself and write this article. I was fortunate that a number of senior figures were prepared to give time to an amateur journalist to explain the history and plans for SA in very frank and open discussion.

With hindsight it is not unreasonable to date the delays in SA’s EV charging plans to the energy wars under the previous LNP Federal government, culminating in the intensely bitter politicisation of renewable energy as the cause of the SA state wide blackout in 2016.

As a smaller state, SA had little choice but to pour all of its limited resources into stabilising its grid and preventing further blackouts, all in a hostile Federal political environment.

The result is a state energy grid which leads the world in grid integration of renewables, is on track to be 100% renewable by 2030 and provides a model for other states to follow.

The cost has been that EV charging went on the back burner (sorry!) over this time. In an odd way, NSW is a mirror image as it starts to confront decarbonisation of its energy grid, having already established reasonable baseline EV charging infrastructure.

By December, 2020, the SA state government was in a position to release an EV action plan for SA. This is an excellent document that lays everything out in a clear and logical way, without waffle and with well defined timelines and targets.

In January 2022, the RAA entered into an agreement with the SA government to roll out EV chargers for a relatively modest amount of $12.3 million, including a large number of destination 7kW AC chargers which have raised a few eyebrows.

The first DC charger has just been commissioned, and at the current rate of 4-5 DC chargers per month, the completion date of end 2024 is realistic. This plan will be augmented by a more supportive Federal government which has provided funding for a network of national DC chargers filling the gaps, rolled out by the NRMA.

I will discuss the logic behind the rollout, how it links with the NRMA network, and address some of the criticisms coming from the EV community in part 2 of this series.

Chris is a retired medical specialist with a long term interest in renewable energy, but no particular knowledge or skills apart from curiosity. He and Juliet have lived in all electric houses powered by renewables for many years and purchased their first EV in 2021.