For road safety reasons, it’s important to take a break every 2 to 2.5 hours, given it is shown that driving for periods longer than this greatly increases the chances of being involved in a road accident due to fatigue. It is important there is fast charging infrastructure available to help facilitate these stops every 2 to 2.5 hours so commuters can charge while having a short rest.

EV owners should refer to the PlugShare application for the location and details of current EV charging stations across the country. There are ongoing plans in place to extend the national charging network so that all Australians will have access to public charging infrastructure along the major road network.

Importantly, EVs allow regional Australias to kick the dependency on expensive, foreign fuel, and instead save money by using cheap, 100% Australian-made energy to charge their vehicles.

The post Are EVs suited to regional areas? first appeared on Electric Vehicle Council.

We recommend using your EV’s infotainment system to find charging stations along your journey (in models where this feature is available). Many EVs will track your energy consumption in real-time, and advise you on the best charging station to go to in order to complete your journey in the fastest time and/or by following your desired route.

Plugshare is also one example of an independent app that allows EV users to search for charging stations by type and availability.

It’s worth also having a backup plan in case a charging station is unavailable, under maintenance or for any other reason. By planning ahead and topping up when convenient, EV drivers can reduce anxieties related to distance and have an enjoyable, stress-free road trip. This includes top-up charging your vehicle using a power point charge at your stop each night (where your accommodation provider provides permission to do so).

The post How do I find charging stations on a road trip? first appeared on Electric Vehicle Council.

The latest ABS data shows that the average Australian drives 38 kilometres per day. This means that an EV owner can go for at least 10 days without a recharge. Unlike petrol cars, EVs can recharge at home (with off-street parking) or anywhere with access to electricity. As a result, most EVs top-up charge their EV every day due to the convenience.

It’s important to note that, like all fuel types, vehicle range can be affected by factors including terrain, speed, weather, driving habits and accessory use amongst other things. Therefore, it is important to plan ahead to ensure there is charging infrastructure available for longer trips.

See our latest State of EVs Report or Available EVs page to see all available EV models on the Australian market and their specifications.

The post How far can electric vehicles go on a single charge? first appeared on Electric Vehicle Council.

EV drivers are also experiencing a change in attitude towards “filling up”. Whilst petrol and diesel cars typically look for a petrol station when running low, EV drivers often charge based on where their vehicle is parked- such as at home or at work, as opposed to waiting for the battery to be empty. This can ensure regular, convenient and reliable battery recharging.

Public fast chargers are typically used on longer trips where rapid charging is needed to allow for further travel. Whereas chargers installed at home, caravan parks, shopping centres or tourist destinations usually have a slower charge time, and are ideal for charging for longer periods during the day or overnight.

The average Australian drives 38km per day so some EV owners can go for up to 10 days without charging. Unlike petrol cars, you can recharge an EV at home or anywhere with access to electricity.

Read our guide to charging your EV at home.

The post How long does it take to fully charge an electric vehicle? first appeared on Electric Vehicle Council.

The EVC also regularly reports charging infrastructure statistics every 6 months as part of our annual EV industry recap and State of EVs reports, available here.

The post Where can I find more information on where charging stations are located? first appeared on Electric Vehicle Council.

Many EV owners choose to install Level 2 chargers at home if they regularly travel longer distances, or prefer a quick charger. Typically, Level 2 AC chargers add 4 to 12 km every 10 minutes of charging. This generally equates to adding 100km of driving range every 2 hours.

These are typical charging times based on average rates and can vary depending on a range of different factors.

Check out our guide to charging your EV at home.

The post Can I charge an electric vehicle at home using a regular power outlet? first appeared on Electric Vehicle Council.

Studies of real-world EV usage to date suggests that fast-charging an EV can have a greater impact on battery life if the vehicle is not equipped with an active thermal management system. Most new EVs are equipped with active thermal management of the battery (heating/cooling), and as a result, fast charging is expected to have a relatively small impact on usable battery life for normal driving. The exception to this could be high mileage vehicles that are fast-charged multiple times, day after day; where it is reasonable to expect a higher wear on the battery; similar to how conventional vehicles used for these purposes experience higher wear on combustion engines and other components.

Given every different EV has different batteries, it is important to check with the manufacturer what their recommendations are for charging.

You can read more on real-world battery degradation here.

The post Are fast chargers harmful to an EV’s battery? first appeared on Electric Vehicle Council.