What public EV charging stations are available and what is required to use them

The uptake of electric vehicle in the past 5 years have been rapidly growing and it is only getting more popular as car manufacturers introduce more models into Australia.

Whether you like it or not, electric vehicle will be the future. If you already have an electric vehicle or looking to dip your toes in the water, it is important to understand how to access and use the public EV charging stations so you’ll never get stranded in the middle of nowhere.

To find what public charging stations are around you firstly download the PlugShare APP. PlugShare is an app that show you all the public charging stations and what type of chargers they are.

As public EV charging infrastructures are still developing in Australia, you should always plan your trip and decide where to stop and recharge your electric vehicle. EV charging is slowly coming to a standard much like charging your smartphones. Currently most public EV chargers are classified into AC or DC.

Types of public charging Infrastructure

AC Chargepoints

Using the PlugShare app, you can see that AC charging stations are either Type 1 (J1772) or Type 2 (Mennekes). At the end of the day, you’ll be able to charge your EV at any of these stations provided that you have got the correct EV charging cable/adaptor. Generally AC charging stations ranges from 7kW – 22kW. Depending on the vehicles compatibility, 7kW will provide approx. 40km of range/hour of charger and 22kW will provide 120km of range/hour of charge.

DC Public Charging Stations

Most of the DC Public Charging Stations will have both CHAdaMO and CCS2 to accommodate 99% of charger compatible with DC charging. If your car is equipped with CCS1 then DC charging options will be very limited.

Accessories to use public charging stations

For a Universal EV charging station, you will require to Bring You Own (BYO) Cable. So depending on whether you have a Type 1 or a Type 2 car, you will need the corresponding Type 1 EV Charging Cable or Type 2 EV charging cable.

If the charging station have a cable attached to the unit, then the cable will either plug straight into the car or you’ll need an adaptor to convert the plug to be able to plug into the car. These adapters can either go from Type 1 to Type 2 or visa versa.

We consider these charging cables as an essential piece of accessories to maximise your chance of getting a charge when you are out and about. Most retailers offer these cables as a Public EV Charging bundle

Sam Korkees believes in EV’s and the future of clean mobility. Through his company EVSE Australia he has installed more electric car charge points in Australia from backyard conversions to high rise penthouses. To know more, visit https://evse.com.au