Image Credit: Tweed Shire Council, via Facebook
A key annoyance of EV owners when they travel is the plethora of Apps and payment methods needed to access the different charging networks.
In the UK this has been addressed through legislation requiring the ability to use multiple charger networks without being locked into individual Apps and a registration process for each.
As usual though, Australia is lagging behind and we have no such legislation … yet.
However, the public charger landscape is beginning to change and simplify. One example is the RFID card available through the Australian Electric Vehicle Association (AEVA) that will allow you to access multiple charger networks with a single card. (Provided there is a card reader available on the charger of course).
Alternatively, several of the networks are adding credit card readers to their chargers, doing away with the need for an App entirely.
A third option is for the Apps to allow interoperability (as per the UK legislative requirement) – and this is what Chargefox have just announced they are doing by adding the NRMA charger network to their App.
Notionally, this should have happened some time ago as Chargefox was acquired back in mid-2022 by Australia’s motoring clubs (NRMA, RACV, RACQ, RAC, RAA and RACT) through their company Australian Motoring Services.
All good things take time it seems, so two years after that acquisition Chargefox have announced that 60 more NRMA charge sites have been added to the Chargefox App, along with the operation of NRMA chargers through the Chargefox App.
Pricing is also supposed to be identical, irrespective of whether you are using the NRMA or Chargefox Apps – although there is some ambiguity in the announcement as to whether membership discounts will be applied equally, depending on which App you use.
Chargefox is also now inviting all charging network operators to get in touch and discuss the addition of their networks to the Chargefox App.
Hopefully, this is a sign that we are reaching the end of the ‘early adopter’ phase of the EV transition here and will soon become free of our current phone screen clutter, App fatigue and sign-up hassles – as has already happened in more mature EV markets.
Updates:
The NRMA have clarified that for now, to get the NRMA member discount you need to use the NRMA app. However it is expected ‘in time’ the discount will apply through the Chargefox app. For more info, see: https://www.mynrma.com.au/electric-vehicles/charging/nrma-chargers-chargefox-app
For the other Roads and Motoring Associations, their EV charging discounts already apply through the Chargefox App. See: https://support.chargefox.com/hc/en-au/articles/8760534184335-Motoring-club-member-discount
Bryce Gaton is an expert on electric vehicles and contributor for The Driven and Renew Economy. He has been working in the EV sector since 2008 and is currently working as EV electrical safety trainer/supervisor for the University of Melbourne. He also provides support for the EV Transition to business, government and the public through his EV Transition consultancy EVchoice.
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