In short:
A federal government program targeting high-density areas will more than double the number of public EV chargers.
asserted
program → target → chargers
But many of the power pole-mounted chargers may be inaccessible to EV drivers.
uncertain
many → mount → drivers
Data shared with the ABC shows chargers without dedicated parking are regularly blocked by petrol and diesel cars.
asserted
chargers → share → cars
Many electric vehicle (EV) drivers know the frustration of rolling up to a public charger and finding a petrol car parked in the way.
asserted
drivers → know → way
Getting "ICEd" by an internal combustion engine (ICE) car means expensive charging infrastructure goes unused and EV drivers waste time finding the next available plug.
asserted
drivers → get → plug
Now, neighbourly conflict over blocked chargers may be coming to a street near you.
uncertain
conflict → block → you
From 2027, the federal government's Accelerating EV Charging Program will see about 14,000 EV chargers installed on power poles in high-density areas in cities where residents have limited access to off-street parking.
asserted
residents → see → parking
Under the program's rules, installers aren't required to negotiate with councils for dedicated EV-only parking.
asserted
installers → require → parking
Many in the EV industry expect the vast majority of kerbside chargers will be "undedicated", meaning they won't have EV-only parking.
asserted
they → expect → parking
Data shared with the ABC suggests many newly installed chargers, partly funded through households paying higher power bills, will end up being obstructed and remain largely idle.
uncertain
chargers → share → bills
As a result, the program's modelled emissions reductions may be wrong.
uncertain
reductions → model → result
Tension over parking and EV charging in congested areas
About a quarter of motorists don't have off-street parking, making it difficult to charge an EV at home.
asserted
it → congest → home
But setting aside precious parking for public EV charging can be unpopular, with EVs only accounting for about 3 per cent of cars on the road.
asserted
EVs → set → road
Tensions created by high EV uptake and lack of off-street parking are already apparent in Sydney's eastern suburbs.
asserted
Tensions → create → suburbs
In the Waverley, Woollahra and Randwick council areas, more than half of residents live in apartments and EV ownership is more than three times the state average.
asserted
ownership → live → apartments
The area has 320 public charging ports, of which 90 are undedicated and sit mostly unused due to obstruction, Anthony Weinberg, program manager for the EV charging program across the three councils, told the ABC.
asserted
Weinberg → have → ABC
"Utilisation of these spots is about 5 to 10 per cent of the dedicated spots," he said.
asserted
he → say → spots
"People get frustrated.
asserted
People → frustrate → ?
After you've driven to that site three or four times and it's always occupied, you essentially just give up."
asserted
you → drive → site
A dedicated charger on Ocean St, North Bondi has had 988 sessions over the past year.
asserted
charger → have → year
One kilometre away, on Glenayr St, an undedicated charger of similar power has racked up 40 sessions.
asserted
charger → rack → sessions
Another, on nearby Curlewis St, has had just four charging sessions in 12 months.
asserted
Another → have → months
"A lot of the dedicated ones are getting between two and three sessions a day, and the undedicated ones are getting a session every two days," Mr Weinberg said.
"We won't install an EV charger now unless it has dedicated parking.
asserted
it → get → parking
Other councils report a similar pattern.
asserted
councils → report → pattern
Sydney's Inner West Council found its 78 chargers with dedicated parking were used four times more than the 68 chargers without, according to an internal report tabled in May.
uncertain
chargers → find → May
The report recommended "that Council gradually transition non-dedicated EV charging spaces to dedicated charging spaces".
asserted
Council → recommend → spaces
Inner West Council did not respond to requests for comment.
asserted
Council → respond → comment
Questions over program's modelled emissions reduction
The Accelerating EV Charging Program will support emissions reductions of 9.8 million tonnes of CO2, worth $802 million in value, according to modelling by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW).
uncertain
Program → model → Change
The idea is more EV chargers will drive EV ownership, which will mean fewer ICE vehicles on the roads.
asserted
which → drive → roads
The modelling estimates the program will fund about 14,000 new chargers, and each charger will support 30 EVs, or about 420,000 EVs in total.
asserted
charger → estimate → total
This estimate could be overly optimistic, according to a separate analysis of charger utilisation in the Waverley, Woollahra and Randwick council areas by Ross de Rango, director of Vehicle Charging Solutions Australia.
uncertain
estimate → accord → Australia
He looked at the quantity of electricity delivered by undedicated chargers over a six-month period and compared this with the energy needs of a typical EV doing average driving.
asserted
He → look → driving
He found each charger supported about three EVs.
asserted
charger → find → EVs
If this figure holds true, the program's modelling may be out by a factor of 10.
uncertain
modelling → hold → 10
"If we have pole-mounted chargers routinely blocked by petrol cars that's going to discourage EV uptake," Mr de Rango said.
"
asserted
Rango → have → uptake
You can absolutely expect grief over who gets to park."
asserted
who → expect → grief
Mr Weinberg said kerbside chargers being regularly blocked by ICE vehicles could generate anxiety about EV charging, rather than confidence.
uncertain
chargers → say → confidence
"I think [the program] risks losing some of the broad support for EVs and EV charging that has been fought for, and built up, over a number of years."
asserted
that → think → years
In a statement, a DCCEEW spokesperson said "a mix of dedicated and non-dedicated sites is expected" and "as the number of EVs on our roads increases, use of these kerbside chargers will grow".
asserted
use → say → chargers
But analysis conducted by the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) found "limited reliable evidence on increased EV uptake for AC kerbside charging infrastructure without dedicated parking bays".
asserted
analysis → conduct → bays
…and 11 more, not listed.
The Aporia