In short:
Electric vehicle drivers say Western Australia's charging network is failing to keep up with demand in the state's Pilbara.
asserted
network → say → Pilbara
The state government is being called on to provide more support for remote charging infrastructure.
What's next?
asserted
What → call → infrastructure
An EV expert says a big picture approach is needed to ensure freight electrification is considered for future chargers.
asserted
electrification → say → chargers
Travellers say Western Australia's high-profile "electric highway" is failing to keep pace with demand, and risks deterring road trips to remote parts of the state.
asserted
highway → say → state
Launched in 2025 to significant fanfare, WA's electric vehicle charging network comprises 110 charging points between Mundrabilla, on the Nullarbor Plain in the state's remote south-east, through to Kununurra in the East Kimberley.
asserted
network → launch → Kimberley
But the network has been plagued by reports of broken chargers and malfunctioning equipment, triggering increased "range anxiety" from drivers navigating remote parts of the state.
asserted
network → plague → state
With EVs outselling petrol and diesel cars in Australia for the first time in August, Australia's North West tourism chief executive officer Bill Tatchell said EV infrastructure was becoming more crucial.
asserted
infrastructure → outsell → August
"The distances here are enormous, so confidence in the availability and reliability of charging is probably even more important in the North West than it is in metropolitan areas," he said.
asserted
he → say → areas
The state's EV Network has made a significant difference by creating a charging spine through the region, but over time we will need to keep building on that."
asserted
we → make → that
Perth woman Catherin Robinson is a new EV owner who undertook a 1,500 kilometre drive north to Karratha to visit family, after owning her car for only two weeks.
asserted
who → undertake → weeks
Ms Robinson described her journey as "sink or swim".
asserted
Robinson → describe → journey
"Range anxiety was very, very real,"she said.
asserted
anxiety → say → ?
"There needs to be more availability, closer together, not so sparse, and chargers that work."
asserted
that → need → ?
Ms Robinson believed the lack of chargers meant travellers could not properly explore the region.
uncertain
travellers → believe → region
"We had to go from A to B and even though we wanted to … it wasn't worth the time charging to go off," she said.
asserted
she → have → time
"It could never have been a spur-of-the-moment decision to go and explore a bit more."
uncertain
It → go → moment
Bill Tatchell said improvements and access to the region's chargers would be critical as EV use grew.
asserted
use → say → chargers
"Road trips are fundamental to tourism in the North West," he said.
asserted
he → say → West
"As more Australians move into electric vehicles we need to make sure owning an EV doesn't become a reason not to travel north."
Wary heading to the country
Michael Kerr, another EV owner from Perth, made the 2,700km round trip to Karijini National Park this year and said he would be unlikely to make the trip again.
Mr Kerr said he had to plan the multi-day journey around broken chargers and waiting hours to power up at slow chargers added to the stress of the trip.
"
asserted
waiting → move → trip
You have to keep an eye on what's working," he said.
asserted
he → have → eye
"You have to be careful about judging the distances you travel between charges.
asserted
you → have → charges
"
At one stop, Mr Kerr barely made it to the charger, rolling in with only 20km of range left on the EV's battery.
asserted
Kerr → make → battery
Having travelled to Karijini on previous trips in a petrol vehicle, Mr Kerr described the charging network as "pathetic" and has written to the state government about his concerns.
asserted
Kerr → travel → concerns
"It's an EV charging line … once you get off the main [North West Coastal] highway, it's bad, really bad," he said.
asserted
he → get → highway
"We won't be doing that trip again anytime soon, now we're pretty wary about heading off to the country."
asserted
we → do → country
In its 2026 State of the EVs Report released last month, the Electric Vehicle Council rated the WA government three out of 10 across 26 metrics.
asserted
Council → release → metrics
The report found the WA government was underperforming, despite its strong financial position, with weak supports for charging infrastructure and passenger and freight vehicles.
asserted
government → find → infrastructure
Energy Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said the state government had provided the backbone of EV charging infrastructure.
asserted
government → say → infrastructure
But she did not respond when asked whether the government would consider expanding the network.
asserted
government → respond → network
"We've connected more than 7,000 kilometres of Western Australia across 110 charging points," Ms Sanderson said.
asserted
Sanderson → connect → points
"We've also supported WA organisations and businesses to install chargers at destinations across the state through three rounds of Charge Up grants."
asserted
We → support → grants
'Tombstones in car parks'
EV expert Kai Li Lim said there was often a "bigger and better" mentality when it came to chargers, but slower, cheaper options in strategic locations could be more affordable.
uncertain
options → say → locations
"If you're going to stay at national parks, for example, and you may be parking your car for two to four hours at a time, you don't need to have the big fat DC chargers charging your car," he said.
uncertain
he → go → car
Dr Lim said maintenance must be factored in when new chargers were commissioned, whether publicly or privately owned.
asserted
chargers → say → ?
"We are starting to see this whole notion of chargers … almost like tombstones in the car parks,"he said.
asserted
We → start → parks,"he
"Nobody wants to take ownership of the chargers anymore.
asserted
Nobody → want → chargers
"A charger breaks down in the Pilbara and you have technicians over east, when do we send the technician over to the Pilbara to fix the chargers?"
asserted
we → break → chargers
Dr Lim said there was also a bigger industrial decarbonisation picture to consider when weighing up the value of remote charging networks.
asserted
Lim → say → networks
"It's important to make sure that the infrastructure that we build across the country, and not just in WA, is also supporting freight electrification."
asserted
we → make → electrification
The Aporia
