How do I charge an EV?

If you purchase an electric vehicle (EV) from the manufacturer, a wall box charger may be included with the purchase. However, many manufacturers require you to buy the charger separately. 

When you purchase an EV through Plenti, you can seamlessly add on the cost of a charger and installation through our partnership with JET Charge. Learn more. 

The 3 ways to charge an EV

1. With a traditional socket, at home or elsewhere. 
   This is the slowest option, but it’s a good backup in a pinch. Most vehicles come with a cord that can plug directly into a three-prong wall socket, though some will require an adapter for the plug.
2. With a wall box from your manufacturer.
   Around 80% of EV owners charge their vehicle this way. Using a wall box charger, your EV will power up much more quickly than with a traditional socket. Boxes are usually installed somewhere around the home, typically in a garage or driveway. There are also several thousand public wall boxes for EV charging across Australia.
3. Fast chargers
   These are the chargers you’ll find at dedicated charging stations. With these speedy chargers, most EV drivers can power up their car in under an hour. Currently, there are 110 fast charging sites across Australia, with more than 250 chargers across them. Certain car manufacturers allow their new EV customers to use their charging networks free of charge, such as Tesla and Mercedes, which utilises the nation’s largest network, Chargefox. 
   

 EV drivers can find the nearest charger anytime, anywhere using mobile apps like PlugShare or ChargeFox.

While charging infrastructure in Australia is still developing, EV drivers should feel optimistic about their charging options in the future, with federal and local governments rolling out plans to install thousands of charging stations in the next few years. Starting this year, the Future Fuels Fund is launching a $24 million initiative to deliver a seven fold increase in the number of fast charging stations across Australia. In addition, New South Wales plans to install more than 1,000 stations across the state over the next four years, with similar programs launching in South Australia,Victoria, Western Australia, Queensland, Tasmania and the Northern Territory.