Political certainty is needed to fast-track the spread of electric vehicle (EV) charging networks and help insulate Australian households from overseas fuel shocks.
But government help is needed to make this happen, a joint statement from the EV industry released this week says.
The statement was signed off Tesla, Evie, EVX, EnergyAustralia, AGL, Smart Energy Council, National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA), Australian Energy Council, Clean Energy Council, Tech Council of Australia, EVSE, Flow Power, Jolt and Amber.
The statement says that the right political decisions could unlock billions in funding by 2030 to expand Australia’s charging network at speed and scale, creating jobs not only to build it, but also maintain it.
It says there is a willingness to spend at scale on charging stations in metropolitan, suburban, regional and highway locations, work with government, communities and industry to identify suitable sites, support open access like roaming models and expand the charging network quickly and widely this decade.
POLITICAL WILL ‘NEEDED’
What they say they need from all three tiers of government is policy certainty, protection from competition, multi-tiered approach to rolling out charging stations, fix grid connection bottlenecks, reform tariffs and technical settings and greater private investment.
What the industry says:
• Stephanie Bashir, CEO Nexa Advisory, says EVs are “the next frontier for Australians wanting to take control of their cost of living”.
“To make that a real possibility for everyone, charging infrastructure has to roll out — everywhere, fast,” she says.
“The industry that this would take stands ready to make it happen. The government has to do its part. That is about policy, not dollars. It’s about political, will not budgets.”
She says private investment will come if there is protected competition.
“Innovation at speed and scale is not a place for lumbering monopolies or political interference and vested interests.”
• Chris Mills, CEO of Evie Networks, says they have spent over $100 million on public charging nationwide.
“With BEV (Battery Electric Vehicles) numbers up 40% year-on-year and usage on our network surging, Australia needs significantly more charging infrastructure of all types,” he says.
“A thriving competitive market is essential to deliver the infrastructure and service that consumers need.”
He says Evie is ready to continue investing at scale provided there is political support.
• Sean McGinty, Chairman of EVX, says they have built over $10m worth of kerbside chargers in the last few years but need the support of power companies in Victoria.
“DNSP (Distribution Network Service Providers) monopolies control 90% of costs in the EV charging market; for good reason they are currently not allowed to own charging infrastructure in competition,” he says.
McGinty says kerbside charging has been delivered in NSW and can do the same “in spades” in Victoria if there is co-operation.
“The spectre of monopoly DNSPs entering the competitive EV charging market is slowing investment in infrastructure, creating the problem (that) they’re spruiking to be saviour of.
“The French competition regulator has published warnings about allowing DNSPs entering the charging market and the allowance of creating a middle man. We need to learn from the failures from other markets.”
• Jane Butler is general manager of Electrification and Innovation for AGL who also wants to see more political support.
“AGL sees the growth in EVs as an enormous opportunity for Australia. To capture this opportunity, we need the right policy settings (for) effective development of charging infrastructure,” she says.
• Jackie Trad is CEO of the Clean Energy Council: “The Council supports the EV charging industry and is calling on governments to adopt nationally clear policies that make it easier to expand charging networks.
“Reliable, widely available charging gives people the confidence to purchase electric vehicles, helping Australians make the switch. Support for the charging industry will drive investment, create jobs, support local energy use and improves the nation’s resilience to withstand global fuel supply disruptions”.
• David McElrea is Chief Advocacy Officer with the Smart Energy Council: “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.
“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.”
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