Key players in Australia’s electric vehicle (EV) industry is calling on the country’s governments and regulators to let the current global fuel crisis catalyse the expansion of charging infrastructure by removing grid bottlenecks and reforming tariffs.
The plea has been made in a joint statement by fifteen companies and organisations who say Australia needs to deploy billions of dollars by 2030 to expand Australia’s charging network at speed and scale.
But the statement implored the need for “certainty” and “the right policy settings” from government and regulators that delivers a clear policy framework and program to remove bottlenecks, unlock investment, and accelerate connections.
“Right now, the biggest barrier to rolling out EV charging at scale isn’t demand or technology — it’s the basic plumbing of the system,” said David McElrea, chief advocacy officer at the Smart Energy Council, one of the fifteen coalition members that signed the joint statement.
“We’re seeing wildly inconsistent connection costs and delays of up to two years, which is holding back investment that’s ready to go. If we fix connections, tariffs and pricing signals, private capital will do the heavy lifting — delivering charging faster and at lower cost to taxpayers and energy consumers.”
The coalition of companies and organisations included charging companies like Evie and EVX, energy companies AGL and EnergyAustralia, organisations such as the Clean Energy Council, and even American EV giant Tesla.
The timing of the joint statement comes amid a global fuel shock that is leading to higher prices and highlighting the issue of energy security.
The group says governments and regulators need “to focus on enabling the market, not replacing it” by providing policy certainty and protecting competition; enabling a coordinated, partnership-led rollout of EV charging infrastructure; fixing grid connection bottlenecks; reforming tariffs and technical settings; and unlocking private investment through competition.
The grid bottlenecks is cited as a major issue and the group wants distribution network service providers (DNSPs) to deliver transparent service standards and timelines for connection, improving data transparency, and treat EV charging connections as a service with ‘fit-for-purpose’ standards.
“A ‘make ready’ connection service would address slow, costly, and unpredictable connections, which are one of the biggest barriers to rollout today,” said the joint statement.
The statement also calls for reforming tariffs and technical settings that recognise the value of smart, flexible charging infrastructure and include pricing models that support low-utilisation sites, solar soak, and efficient network use.
The call also comes amid an intense debate about who should get to deliver such infrastructure, with many in the industry pushing back against networks seeking to own or operate public charging assets. The industry wants a moratorium on such ring-fencing waivers.
“DNSP monopolies control 90 per cent of the costs to the EV charging market, and for good reason they are currently not allowed to own charging infrastructure in competition,” said Sean McGinty, chair of Sydney based renewable energy company EVX.
“The private sector has delivered kerbside charging in NSW in spades and can do the same in Victoria if the DNSPs work with us rather than being obstructive.
“The spectre of monopoly DNSPs, which control 90 per cent of the input costs of EV charging, entering the competitive EV charging market is slowing investment in EV infrastructure. Perversely creating the problem they’re spruiking to be the saviour of.
“The French Competition regulator has published warnings about allowing DNSPs entering the EV charging market, and the allowance of creating a middleman. We need to learn from the failures from other markets.”
The full list of participating companies and organisations included Evie, EVX, EnergyAustralia, AGL, Smart Energy Council, the National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA), Australian Energy Council, Nexa Advisory, Clean Energy Council, Tech Council of Australia, EVSE, Flow Power, Jolt, Amber, and Tesla.
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.